Uchi no Musume wa, Kareshi ga Dekinai! (2021)

Un éléphant, ça trompe énormément

Révélée par son superbe rôle dramatique dans l'indispensable film "Je veux manger ton pancréas", consacrée à l'age de 20 ans, alors qu'elle est sensée en avoir 11, dans des superproductions comme The Promised Neverland, Hamabe Minami arrive sur son simple nom et son joli minois quand même, à faire venir des hordes de fans de Light Novel ou de Manga devant le petit comme le grand écran. Si en plus son personnage est une otak à la langue bien acérée et ... porte des lunettes, alors là, je dis : qu'importe la classification en "comédies romantiques" de ce drama, je fonce.

Présentée comme la énième histoire mettant en scène une mère célibataire à la recherche du copain idéal pour sa fille, celle-ci étant bien trop préoccupée par les études (et les BL), cette comédie romantique révèlera bien vite une joie de vivre et un humour décalé, autant que de belles et touchantes relations entre les personnages. À commencer donc, par cette mère et cette fille, vivant seules dans un superbe appart de l'arrondissement de Minato, avec vu imprenable sur la Tokyo Tower (jalousie) et ... un petit éléphant, mais malheureusement pour elles, complètement fauchées. Et pour cause Kanno Miho, la quarantaine et auteure de roman d'amour sur le déclin, vit largement au-dessus de ses moyens. Ce qui enrage sa fille étudiante qui se montre bien plus mature que sa mère. La tête pleine d'histoires d'amour pour elle ou sa fille, mais incapable de les retranscrire sur le papier, l'inspiration manquant cruellement. Sa fille décide donc de l'aider à trouver des idées romantiques en se lançant dans une quête amoureuse dont elle n'a pas vraiment envie. Le but final étant de pouvoir continuer à vivre ensemble dans cet appart avec vue sur un petit éléphant. Trouver un mari pour vivre entre filles, chercher la logique ?

Mais finalement on comprend ce caprice. Les scènes dans les parcs, devant les temples, dans les petites rues commerçantes ou dans ce vieux Izakaya reconverti en vendeur de Taiyaki sont si typiques d'un Tokyo historique. Certainement un de mes quartiers préférés et certainement une des raisons de pourquoi ce drama m'enchante tellement.

Les actrices principales sont doués, mais ça, nous le savions déjà, même si l'intonation dans la voix de Kanno Miho peut énerver. Disons que c'est pour les besoins du personnage qui doit forcer son immaturité. Les personnages secondaires ne sont pas inoubliable, mais assez bon quand il s'agit de faire rire, car il donne souvent de leur personne. C'est cet humour un peu potache qui m'a fait accrocher à la série et finalement les clins d'œil un peu lourds du début, faits au spectateur, en brisant régulièrement le 4e mur, deviennent vite indispensables. En plus, moi qui déteste les bêtisiers et autres fou-rire, je les attends maintenant avec impatience à la fin de chaque épisode.

Au final, un drama dont je n'attendais pas grand-chose, mais qui avec ses petites attentions, est rentré dans ma vie comme un ... petit éléphant. Auquel on s'attache et qui devient indispensable au point de tout faire pour le (re)garder. Comme cet appart dans le quartier très bobo de Minato.

Lire davantage

Home is a feeling, and this felt like home

This will go down as one of my favourite feel good dramas because of how much I loved every single thing about this show, from the actors to the characters they played, to the writing. I felt compelled to write this review, because I hope & want more people to watch this show, and shower their love for this gem.

The writing was definitely the winning aspect of the show, which was perfectly complemented by actors who brought the script to life. Whoever that casted for this show needs a raise because replacing any of the actors would not make this show what it is. The acting was A1 and the entire cast had explosive chemistry together. I believed in their world, and wanted to be a part of it so bad. Their interactions together (right from the main leads to the supporting cast) felt real, organic and fun. Watching them made me feel like I was third wheeling because it looked so intimate. Conversations would sometimes start at point A and end at point Z, making me grin. The fun was well balanced with the heart, in the way the characters looked out for each other, loved each other & supported each other. I connected with them, & rooted for them each step of the way like they were real people that I cared about.

Kitagawa Eriko clearly surpassed herself with this drama, giving us a peek into a mother and daughter's heartwarming journey, a journey of unrequited love & a journey of friendship. The writing was sensitive in the subtle way that the writer didn't feel the need for the characters' relationships to be defined or confined by terms. They were all special to each other without having the need for their relationship to be spelled out. Aoi/Gon and Sora/Hikaru did not need to be partners for their relationship to be any more complete. You can see there was unrequited love there, but it wasn't presented in a heart-breaking profound way. It was what it was (and I loved that they were all self aware of each other), & you can see that they would still continue to love each other regardless. Sora and Aoi, despite not being real mother/daughter were probably more intimate than any mother/daughter. All the characters were friends, yet they were more than that, and I love that the finale did not give us an answer to this. They may or may not be any more. It’s like a puzzle where every piece forms a crucial part for it to be complete. It’s the same thing with this drama. Each character came together to make this what it was & they would continue to exist in each other's world. They are all inseparable regardless of how their relationship to each other changes.

There was no major dramatic moment or climax or decision that the characters had to make, and this is where the writing shone so much in keeping you engaged with the characters' emotional states. The world of Uchi No Musume felt small sometimes with just these small group of characters interacting with each other, yet it was huge & limitless at the same time, thanks to how progressive & real it was. Don't ask me to describe the plot of this show because I don't know how to.

I love that the show represented characters of different age groups (right from college students Sora/Hikaru to old man Shinchiro) & subverted society's expectations of how they were to behave or be. And the show never told us that, it showed us that in the way the characters interacted with each other & in the representation of the turmoils they faced. Aoi despite being a 40 year old was ditzy. Sora despite being an otaku was not socially awkward. Irino who looked to be image conscious turned out to be a sincere & mature guy. Gon who seemed mature but was somewhat a manchild looking for love. Shinchiro despite being 70+ had romantic relationships & was technologically advanced. Sally acknowledging that she had toxic parents & was looking for the stability that calm 70+ Shinchiro offered. Wataru who did not have romantic relationships because he was waiting for his school friend (the show mocked this trope).

The ending OST was beautiful & while I don't know what it means, it always uplifted me each time it played with the credits rolling. The styling was on point (keeping the characters in mind). I love how all of them dressed comfortably most of the time. That felt real. The set design was extremely beautiful, esp Aoi's room which had clouds on the wall, and stars on the ceiling. I want a room like that so so bad. I love how Aoi's big white, expensive house was contrasted with Odaya's design that felt cheap and warm yet claustrophic. Interesting how most of the cast interactions happened there, in that little space, making it look all the more intimate.

I don't know what else to say except that it's been a long time since I watched a show that had me so attached to the characters, and their world that leaving this makes me feel sad. They will always be a part of me, and many years to come, I will be thinking of what they are up to. These were not just characters. For me, they were real people that exist somewhere in this universe.

S2 please, writer san!

Lire davantage