Grace no Rireki (2023)

What a delightful watching experience! An emotional long road trip in a vintage scarlet red Honda S800 sport car.
The drama is though slow-paced and relaxed, yet it was an enthralling and intriguing and very touching story. The drama is beautifully filmed and the director took great care in showing beautiful and serene scenery throughout the drama, and with the superb acting of main cast and great supporting cast.
Retracing back history in search of answers of mystery, and what would be uncovered was a journey well-traveled through stages of loss, grief, reconciliation, revelations, human connection and life lessons with tears, laughter and love built in the end.
A great potential hidden gem drama that I've ever watched. Highly recommended for anyone who loves slice of life drama.

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Sometimes you have to look under rocks

Sometimes it can be tough to find certain dramas that, due to the lack of votes, don't make it to the top-rated lists. This can cause many exceptional stories to go completely unnoticed. My personal way of discovering them is by recalling the names of my most beloved actors or actresses from certain dramas and exploring their filmography. I really enjoyed watching 'In This Corner of the World,' and I was particularly impressed by Machiko Ono's portrayal of Keiko, Suzu's sister-in-law. Despite her numerous awards and contributions to the Japanese film industry, Ono has often been overshadowed by her peers.

One of the most unnoticed Japanese dramas of the past year is starred by one of the most overlooked actresses in the industry and one of the most overlooked actors as well (Kenichi Takito). I'm referring, obviously, to 'Grace no Rireki' or Grace’s Tracks.

What was supposed to be a farewell trip from Kikuo to his wife Minako tragically ends in a road accident in the French Provence, leaving Kikuo coping with the loss of his beloved wife. In about fifteen minutes, we witness the protagonist's final moments. Devastated by what has happened, Kikuo receives an unexpected visit from a probate attorney who claims to be the representative of his late wife. This attorney, in addition to conveying certain sensitive information about Minako, unknown to Kikuo, also delivers her last will: her treasured Honda S-Hachi. Kikuo doesn’t know how to drive, so he invests his time after work to get a driving license.

With the license in hand and holidays ahead, Kikuo decides to visit his in-laws and spend a few days with them. Checking the GPS navigation history, Kikuo is surprised to see tracks corresponding to dates when his wife was supposed to be in France. The woman of his life, whose image was clear, becomes a mystery. Changing his plans, Kikuo decides to follow the same route his wife took two months earlier.

But, 'spoiler', the possible infidelity mentioned in the first two episodes is not the leitmotif of the plot, and it is necessary to make it clear (the series itself does it). Otherwise, the plot would be misunderstood, and I don't want to confuse you: Grace no Rireki is the life journey of Kikuo and Minako. The story interweaves Kikuo's present moment with Minako's past to slowly merge both stories into one. While for Kikuo it is the duel for the woman who won't be coming back for Minako is the gift of a life that is fading away. But again, don't confuse about this: Grace no Rireki is a heartwarming, mature and well-written story.

As Kikuo drives from one destination to another, he encounters his past and the people who are a part of it, and at the same time he makes friends with others who accompany him on part of the journey and who tell him things about his wife, her car and himself. The very slow-paced episodes help to create a rhythm of silences and conversations, allowing us to enjoy the rice fields of Nagano, the canals of Omihachiman or the vastness of Lake Biwa. The love between Kikuo and Minako transcends life and death, it is a solemn feeling that belongs only to the two of them and is remarkably realised.

Grace no Rireki, directed by the same author as the adapted novel, is a masterpiece and a story that I will return to whenever I need to. It is the gift that Kikuo and Minako have given me, and it will last forever.

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