[Discussion] Mother

Discuss Japanese drama series here.
recca_cool
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[Discussion] Mother

Post by recca_cool » May 27th, '10, 15:11

New thread for discussing Mother Series :)

I'll put more usual information here, but for now discuss away this wonderful show :D!!
Last edited by recca_cool on May 27th, '10, 23:58, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by citrone » May 27th, '10, 15:51

I don't get why this drama is overlooked in this season. I think it's one of the best. Maybe we have many dramas with famous stars taking all the attention...

Love acting... and nice scripting ^^

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Post by recca_cool » May 27th, '10, 15:53

I don't know why you say this drama is overlooked o.o; where did you get this impression?

I only think that this is mostly female-oriented dorama, but it is still good nonetheless :)

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Post by kiki » May 27th, '10, 16:45

one of the best drama this season. good acting, story and directing. can't wait for more ep.

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Post by k361 » May 27th, '10, 19:26

i think mother can be a top drama for this season.

btw: why is the topic 2009?

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Post by lynchmob72 » May 27th, '10, 19:55

kiki wrote:one of the best drama this season. good acting, story and directing. can't wait for more ep.
This. Just the production value alone is top notch in this drama. The acting is very convincing, and i'd say award winning. Put that all to a good story lijne, and you get "Mother". Quite possibly the best drama i have ever seen, next to 1 liter of tears.

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Post by Romance » May 27th, '10, 22:32

Kinda slow sometimes but overall a pretty nice drama, last episode was good. :-)

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Post by recca_cool » May 27th, '10, 23:58

k361 wrote:i think mother can be a top drama for this season.

btw: why is the topic 2009?
I figured it might confuse with other shows.. but there you ga... fixed :)

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Post by canavial » May 28th, '10, 01:51

Think what k361 is trying to say that, it should be 'Mother(2010)'. It aired in April this year, didn't it?

Also, I think the pace of this show is just right, any faster and they'll ruin it.

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Post by Manatsu » May 30th, '10, 20:13

citrone wrote:I don't get why this drama is overlooked in this season. I think it's one of the best. Maybe we have many dramas with famous stars taking all the attention...

Love acting... and nice scripting ^^
1) No hot looking character in it.
2) No JE actors.
3) Almost nobody here can relate or feel the sufferance because it's not on their level.
4) No love theme between a hot looking guy and decent looking girl.
5) Different pattern overall. Almost nobody here is used to such pattern.

Here you have your reasons. That's D-Addicts to you. But those reasons don't apply to people who simply can't stand too dramatic scenes.

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Post by recca_cool » May 30th, '10, 20:52

Can I really ask you guys what are you basing on the fact that this drama is overlook??

The show is getting decent VR, as well as good response/download ratio in D-A...despite the fact that:

- this is quite a depressing show (off-putter for many)
- No sexy/cute female actresses (putting off plenty of male audience)
- no star-stacking like in most shows...
- female-oriented story (further putting off male audience)
- not your typical romance/detective story
- Run by NTV

This season is well-balanced, imo... we have good detective shows (shinzanmono), good romance (sunao, dosokai, etc).. good drama (mother).. not the best comedy but ok nonetheless (yabe kenzo, hana, kaibutsu kun)..
It is a well-rounded season with no 1-show dominating the scene like JIN in 2009...

I think what made this drama shine is the director for setting the right mood/pace for this dorama.. as well as the convincing acting...

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Post by Manatsu » May 30th, '10, 21:11

We weren't referring to the ratings. The ratings itself speak for themselves. We (assumingly) were referring to why this thread is so dead, in short, referring to the D-Addicts community and why only a few post there when it's such good drama. I listed they some reasons as to why it is that way.

I currently only watch Mother and Sunao ni Narenakute. I know without checking out the other dramas that most of them are horrendous with a horrid storyline and atrocious acting (applies only to actors I've seen) plus I skip all JE dramas. Those are the worst, IMO. Rinjo might be good but I'm not a big fan of those detective dramas. Koshonin was an exception, though. It was beyond superb.

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Post by MaiKitty » May 30th, '10, 21:25

Yes, it is not overlooked at all. What is overlooked is the fact that dramas also have different genres, like books, movies and music. Even if I like JDrama X, that doesn't mean that JDrama Y is for me, just because it's JDrama. There are viewers (like me) that watch and react favourably to dramas like Mother and Aishiteru - Kaiyou because they like tearjearker dramas. Mother gets uploaded pretty fast, it gets subbed and overall seems to be well received at d-addicts, what more do you want? It is a popular drama. I don't really get people that watch dramas just because they like the actors in them, it is the story, the plot that is important. Doesn't matter if it has a JE actor or other popular actors. And it doesn't make people shallow who enjoy different drama with popular actors. Each and everyone to their own I say. For me Tsuki no Koibito or Sunao ni Narunakute are more boring this season, but other people obviously love it.

Am I wrong? Are they wrong? I don't think so.

For me, I also enjoy Tumbling this season and it falls in the category of "good looking actors in a high school drama" - the complete opposite, I guess? Tumbling was abandoned by the uploaders, so the viewers of that drama really have a reason to complain that their drama is "overlooked" and not the fans of Mother.

By the way, if you like Mother, the same timeslot drama for the last few seasons have been similar. So if people start getting interested in dramas like Mother, just have a look at those series in the same timeslot, they are all pretty good and more like dramatic family stories. My favourite is the mentioned Aishiteru Kaiyo.

About the discussion, there was a bit of a discussion in the subtitle thread.

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Post by Manatsu » May 30th, '10, 21:42

I'm having a hard time with your logic. If the acting is bad, then even the superb storyline can't save it. It's, like, you fry your favorite rice dish and it burns--would you still eat your favorite loved dish even though it's burned? I didn't think so.

And I think actors play a decisive factor when you check upcoming dramas. I think I'm not the only one who first looks for familiar names and then goes title by title to read the synopsis for each upcoming drama. I also didn't say people who watch dramas with popular actors are shallow. They asked for reasons, I listed reasons. I never used the word shallow there so let's stick to what was really said. As for Sunao ni Narenakute, I also find it boring. You can see my comment in the Sunao ni Narenakute thread. I don't like a lot of things that happen in this drama but I still find some things intriguing enough.

I did watch Aishiteru as well and loved it as much as you did. I don't know about Tumbling but I'm guessing it has a lot of JE actors in it. If you like it, good for you. It's all about preferences. And nobody was really complaining here. It was a simple 'they asked--they answered' situation.

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Post by MaiKitty » May 30th, '10, 21:58

Tumbling has not a single JE actor in it.

Yep, but the question was why is it overlooked? And it isn't overlooked. Just my opinion. Of course, you can disagree. And the fact that the discussion doesn't start - well, people discussed it in the subbing thread before. So why don't we pick up from there?

Did I write that you wrote something about shallow? I was just generally speaking, not to you specifically. So far I have yet to see a drama where what you described happened (great story destroyed through bad acting). Or maybe my standards are low when it comes to acting.

And of course you probably start watching a drama for actors you like, but you stay for the plot. (Exception is probably Mother, I doubt people came for the actors....) Anyway, all of this is not about Mother so start discussing by all means.

I don't watch the RAW's because I want to understand, and Mother is very dialogue focused, so I need subs. So the place left of is episode 5 where
Rena/Tsugumi answered the phone with "Mama?" Oh noe. Will the real mother come to search for her? Probably, though I hope it won't happen. What about the reporter? Will he make a comeback and continue to make demands of Nao?

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Post by Yolchen » May 30th, '10, 22:31

... I have to admit that I really love dramas with simple plots (favourable romantic comedies) with good-looking actors .. you know the kind of dramas where you can guess the ending after watching the first episode...


nevertheless is mother one of my favourite, if not THE favourite drama of this year so far. I love the acting, I really can sympathize with all of the characters, I love the storyline and I think it has just the right pace. And I like that the dialogues are somehow natural and that it's not too overly emotional/dramatic ... <3

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Post by MaiKitty » May 30th, '10, 22:46

^for me it depends. If there is too much silliness I probably won't like the drama, but I also think it has to do with age of the target group. I like comedy, but prefer more serious storylines. When Aishiteru aired I remember reading it was aimed at japanese women starting at their late 20s, housewives and so on. These drama touch an emotional chord in women, especially because they focus on female characters, female emotions. The relationship between a mother and her child. I think it's one of the most fascinating things. And the universal themes about the feeling of unconditional love that these dramas are touching - it's just so interesting to watch.

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Post by Manatsu » May 30th, '10, 23:06

Rena/Tsugumi answered the phone with "Mama?" Oh noe. Will the real mother come to search for her? Probably, though I hope it won't happen. What about the reporter? Will he make a comeback and continue to make demands of Nao?
I haven't watched that far. Maybe tomorrow if I have some time to spare.
Yet however, I don't see any reason why Tsugumi's mother
should decide to look for her "missing" daughter. I really shed a tear when Momoko was saying her goodbyes. It was such a sad and dramatic scene, I just couldn't hold it back. I also don't like the whole video game connection there. The boyfriend of Tsugumi's mother was often seen playing a violent game and a lot viewers will jump the gun and think stuff like 'Oh, he is playing such games. No wonder he is so disturbed'. You are either disturbed from the start or not. Video games only rarely turn you into a killer or abuser in that case.
There have been cases where someone killed because of a video game (because he got knifed to death in a video game or whatever) but it's really a question of your mental state. Thus, I don't like the connection they've made there.

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Post by avieamber » May 31st, '10, 09:46

I've just started watching ep1 (yeah I'm slow but I just sorta discovered this drama and thanks to the good reviews from the forum, I decided to give it a go)...and I'm satisfied!

It was a bit slow paced at first but I like all the scenes though. The actresses are amazing. The kid especially, total cuteness~ :wub:

I'm definitely following this drama.

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Post by londonsoul » Jun 3rd, '10, 02:40

love this drama every time I watch a new ep my eye get a salt bath. Great acting all round. I've said this about 10 times this is the best drama of the spring season.

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Post by kiki » Jun 3rd, '10, 07:08

so good, ep. 6. :cry:

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Post by avieamber » Jun 3rd, '10, 07:41

kiki wrote:so good, ep. 6. :cry:
so true!!!~
absolutely love the scene when Tsugumi left home and wandered on the streets alone, trying to recall the journey back home. smart kid...so so touching!
:cry: :wub:

can't wait for the next ep's subs.

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Post by recca_cool » Jun 3rd, '10, 19:43

Oh my.. episode 6 made me cry..... I mean really cry ;o;

The most touching scene to me was
when Nao's mom brought the registery form to remove her... I couldn't hold my tears..

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Post by MaiKitty » Jun 3rd, '10, 23:29

Oh God I just watched episode 6, I think I never cried that much for a drama before.....I'm literally all cried out, getting a headache from all that crying. That drama is really hard to swallow.
Yes, the removal from the registry. OMG! And when she told the sisters that she wasn't related. Tsugumis leaving just before that. And in the end when Miss Forgetful showed up and said she would protect them ;_; And, why oh why does Renas mother show up now? What do you guys think, will there be a happy ending? Is it even possible that there can be happy ending to all of this? Right now I just don't see it happen.

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Post by lynchmob72 » Jun 3rd, '10, 23:47

recca_cool wrote:Oh my.. episode 6 made me cry..... I mean really cry ;o;

The most touching scene to me was
when Nao's mom brought the registery form to remove her... I couldn't hold my tears..
Yeah, i hate to admit it, but ep 6 brought a tear to my eye as well. Especially this part:
When Nao was reading the letter that tsugumi chan left on her bed. That was what got me.

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Post by Manatsu » Jun 5th, '10, 01:07

lynchmob72 wrote:
recca_cool wrote:Oh my.. episode 6 made me cry..... I mean really cry ;o;

The most touching scene to me was
when Nao's mom brought the registery form to remove her... I couldn't hold my tears..
Yeah, i hate to admit it, but ep 6 brought a tear to my eye as well. Especially this part:
When Nao was reading the letter that tsugumi chan left on her bed. That was what got me.
Same here. I couldn't help but cry. Especially during all the " know how to cook now. // I know how to spend money. // I know how to wash my hair. // etc."
I also shed some tears when
Nao parted with her family.
Next episode looks very promising. I don't get why
Tsugumi's mother is wanting Rena back. I hope it's not going to be one of the "You Never Realize What You Have Until Its Gone" moments. She fucked up. She can kindly back off now. Furthermore, I'm glad to see that Nao and her birth mother are beginning to bond. Now that's what I call family. Always there. Even during the dark times.

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Post by hey9 » Jun 5th, '10, 04:38

Totally agree with you guys, don't know why Rena's mom wants her back, other than to get the cops off of her case. You beat your kid and then stick her in a garbage bag? Feck off lady!

I felt awful when Nao's mom gave her the dissolution papers, but I understand where she was coming from. I think she wanted to protect Nao as well (i.e. if the cops came about, she could just say that Nao started acting weird and then cut off all contact with her). I'm glad she didn't go to the cops.

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Post by seirin » Jun 5th, '10, 04:40

MiIiyah wrote: Next episode looks very promising. I don't get why
Tsugumi's mother is wanting Rena back. I hope it's not going to be one of the "You Never Realize What You Have Until Its Gone" moments. She fucked up. She can kindly back off now. Furthermore, I'm glad to see that Nao and her birth mother are beginning to bond. Now that's what I call family. Always there. Even during the dark times.
Judging by ep8,
Reina's mom seems a bit mental. Tsugumi kicked ass :wub: She's so smart and cute.

Also, I don't hate Nao's adopted mom so much anymore after ep8. She didn't submit the form and still considering.

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Post by Manatsu » Jun 5th, '10, 09:38

seirin wrote:
MiIiyah wrote: Next episode looks very promising. I don't get why
Tsugumi's mother is wanting Rena back. I hope it's not going to be one of the "You Never Realize What You Have Until Its Gone" moments. She fucked up. She can kindly back off now. Furthermore, I'm glad to see that Nao and her birth mother are beginning to bond. Now that's what I call family. Always there. Even during the dark times.
Judging by ep8,
Reina's mom seems a bit mental. Tsugumi kicked ass :wub: She's so smart and cute.

Also, I don't hate Nao's adopted mom so much anymore after ep8. She didn't submit the form and still considering.
I had a feeling Nao's stepmother wouldn't submit the form, that this all was just some sort of attempt to find out and confirm two things:
1) Is this girl more worth than us?
2) Is Nao REALLY serious about this girl?

It's not that I despise Nao's stepmother, I just hate the fact how they are scared about their reputation so much and decide to kick Nao out for their sake. That's just not right. A family should stand by you through all times.

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Post by iLLusiOnEr » Jun 5th, '10, 10:09

this drama totally awesome. all the while back, right after 1 litre of tears, i haven't found any one drama that can touch my heart like this. yes there were many great drama, but to make me cry..its hard.

teir strong points, imo, are the talented screenwriter and the superb casting. i really like how the writer wrote each scene..each episode. he built-up tension and feeling into each line..and the way each actor and actress (esp Nao and Tsugumi) played their role totally mesmerised the audience.

nevertheless, in ep 6 i can really say, all my feelings were burst into tears at this
"Can I.....keep the backpack?"
:cry: :cry:

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Post by Chuks » Jun 5th, '10, 15:01

As for Nao's foster mother's decision to...(Don't read if you haven't watched ep06)
disown Nao, it's understandable. She did to protect her other two daughters.
Japanese society is still pretty closed, if you have a criminal in your family,
it will spoil every chance you'll get, like marriage, finding job...
Even your kid will be pointed fingers for having a criminal as your aunt.
I'm sure what she did look very superficial, but that's the reality.
As somebody said, she probably had an intention to test Nao, too.
As for Rena's birth mother, Hitomi, (Don't read if you haven't watched ep08)
What she did was unforgivable, but what ep08 showed was also the reality of Japan,
and the society is also partially to be blamed as she said at the scene with Nao.
Japan has a long way to go in terms of supporting system for single mothers and
people's perception against them.
I'm sure every mother who has a kid and doesn't have much support system can
relate to her to some extent.
Kudos to the writers and directors who decided to use most of ep08 to show what
Hitomi went through.
Last edited by Chuks on Jun 5th, '10, 18:52, edited 1 time in total.

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Post by MaiKitty » Jun 5th, '10, 15:22

Chuks wrote:As for Nao's foster mother's decision to disown Nao, (Don't read if you haven't watched ep06)
It's understandable. She did to protect her other two daughters.
Japanese society is still pretty closed, if you have a criminal in your family,
it will spoil every chance you'll get, like marriage, finding job...
Even your kid will be pointed fingers for having a criminal as your aunt.
I'm sure what she did look very superficial, but that's the reality.
As somebody said, she probably had an intention to test Nao, too.
I understand why she had to do it. But that scene was heartbreaking. Especially after every thing that happened in episode 5. It's kind of ironic that Naos real mother comes to the rescue now, when the adoptive mother claimed that she is the one that loves Nao the most. But you're right the adoptive mother has much more to loose than Naos real mother, who probably won't live much longer, has no relatives and can risk it all.

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Post by recca_cool » Jun 5th, '10, 16:16

Chuks, warning about "if u did not watch ep 6" is a bit too late :P should be before XD

I agree about episode 6 comment, and I think it is applicable to most societies in the world ^^ especially the non-western ones.

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Post by seirin » Jun 5th, '10, 17:28

Chuks wrote: As for Rena's birth mother, Hitomi, (Don't read if you haven't watched ep08)
What she did was unforgivable, but what ep08 showed was also the reality of Japan,
and the society is also partially to be blamed as she said at the scene with Nao.
Japan has a long way to go in terms of supporting system for single mothers and
people's perception against them.
I'm sure every mother who has a kid and doesn't have much support system can
relate to her to some extent.
Kudos to the writers and directors who decided to use most of ep08 to show what
Hitomi went through.
I think she is a bit mental too. How can she did what she did to Reima and treat it like she's done no wrong? Let's just remember the happy times? Reima even called for help and she tried to kill the both of them but chickened out. Dude, she said help me, not kill me. Then it's back to her old life again for a whole year and now even she's abusing Reima instead of the BF until Reima is saved by Nao. Having no support from govt is one thing. But to the point of abusing your own child. She should have put the kid in the orphanage when she was about to do it.

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Post by Chuks » Jun 5th, '10, 18:29

seirin wrote:
I think she is a bit mental too. How can she did what she did to Reima and treat it like she's done no wrong? Let's just remember the happy times? Reima even called for help and she tried to kill the both of them but chickened out. Dude, she said help me, not kill me. Then it's back to her old life again for a whole year and now even she's abusing Reima instead of the BF until Reima is saved by Nao. Having no support from govt is one thing. But to the point of abusing your own child. She should have put the kid in the orphanage when she was about to do it.
Yeah, she became mental. I think she treated Rena like nothing happened
because she was scared to admit what she have done to Rena.
She is the same person who couldn't stop BF from abusing Rena in fear of
losing him.
If every mother had a sense to put their kids in orphanage before they hurt them,
there won't be any abuse cases. It's not that simple.
I'm not trying to justify Hitomi. What she did was very wrong,
and I'm not trying to defend abusers, but I think the mental of abuser is way more
complicated than we think, and the episode 8 portrayed it well.
And the episode also showed how easily one can become an abuser.

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Post by chokubi » Jun 6th, '10, 03:37

In episode 8:
The scene at 29:10 caught my attention.
It showed Hitomi spotting a guy looking like her dead husband coming out from his once-frequented restaurant with another family.
For a second, I thought Hitomi was hallucinating, but it seemed that Rena noticed them too.

So it brings the question of whether he was really dead or not, and why his death wasn't explained in this episode.
I'm intrigued at this point why (if he was actually alive) Hitomi would fake his death and hide the fact that he left her or something.
Because it opens up yet another avenue for this show to explore.
I also wonder if he would play an important role in a future episode.

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Post by Chuks » Jun 6th, '10, 04:46

chokubi wrote:In episode 8:
The scene at 29:10 caught my attention.
It showed Hitomi spotting a guy looking like her dead husband coming out from his once-frequented restaurant with another family.
For a second, I thought Hitomi was hallucinating, but it seemed that Rena noticed them too.

So it brings the question of whether he was really dead or not, and why his death wasn't explained in this episode.
I'm intrigued at this point why (if he was actually alive) Hitomi would fake his death and hide the fact that he left her or something.
Because it opens up yet another avenue for this show to explore.
I also wonder if he would play an important role in a future episode.
I searched the internet and found some people pointing out the official homepage
saying Hitomi divorced with Rena's father. Here.
So it was Rena's father they saw at the restaurant, and he had another
family after the divorce.

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Post by chokubi » Jun 6th, '10, 14:25

Chuks wrote:I searched the internet and found some people pointing out the official homepage
saying Hitomi divorced with Rena's father. Here.
So it was Rena's father they saw at the restaurant, and he had another family after the divorce.
Interesting!
I think it's kinda creative that they used their own website to supply clues to the drama itself, if they even intended it that way.
Given that this info didn't come from the drama itself, I now think that they probably wanted this portion of Hitomi's past to be left open-ended.
So... I guess it's safe to say that she faked her husband's death to make it "less complicated" for Rena? :scratchchin:

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Post by seirin » Jun 6th, '10, 18:13

chokubi wrote:
Chuks wrote:I searched the internet and found some people pointing out the official homepage
saying Hitomi divorced with Rena's father. Here.
So it was Rena's father they saw at the restaurant, and he had another family after the divorce.
Interesting!
I think it's kinda creative that they used their own website to supply clues to the drama itself, if they even intended it that way.
Given that this info didn't come from the drama itself, I now think that they probably wanted this portion of Hitomi's past to be left open-ended.
So... I guess it's safe to say that she faked her husband's death to make it "less complicated" for Rena? :scratchchin:
Or she can't face reality and escapes from it. She'll only remember the good and forget the bad like Rena does. And forgets she abused Rena.

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Post by Edohiguma » Jun 7th, '10, 14:19

Chuks wrote:
What she did was unforgivable, but what ep08 showed was also the reality of Japan,
and the society is also partially to be blamed as she said at the scene with Nao.
Japan has a long way to go in terms of supporting system for single mothers and
people's perception against them.
I'm sure every mother who has a kid and doesn't have much support system can
relate to her to some extent.
Kudos to the writers and directors who decided to use most of ep08 to show what
Hitomi went through.
I disagree. There are numerous cases like this in Germany and Germany has a great supporting system for single mothers. Yet it still happens. Why? Because of people.

The problem is not the system. The problem is not society (which has been used as an excuse for almost anything anyway.) The problem is the people who do things like that despite knowing it's wrong. Society is at fault? Or maybe she had a bad childhood (another convenient excuse to get rapists, killers and people who abuse children free these days)? Sure, drop all responsiblity for ones own actions, blame everybody else for ones own shortcomings except... oneself. Never try to better oneself, just carry on as usual and blame everybody else. That got us to where we are today. Soaring crime rates, a justice system that's utterly broken and spits on the victims (and rather protects the criminals.) If I was the father of the girl and would find out her mother was doing things like that? Have you ever seen an angry bear going totaly postal? Yeah, that'd be my reaction.

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Post by Chuks » Jun 7th, '10, 23:28

Edohiguma wrote:
Chuks wrote:
What she did was unforgivable, but what ep08 showed was also the reality of Japan,
and the society is also partially to be blamed as she said at the scene with Nao.
Japan has a long way to go in terms of supporting system for single mothers and
people's perception against them.
I'm sure every mother who has a kid and doesn't have much support system can
relate to her to some extent.
Kudos to the writers and directors who decided to use most of ep08 to show what
Hitomi went through.
I disagree. There are numerous cases like this in Germany and Germany has a great supporting system for single mothers. Yet it still happens. Why? Because of people.

The problem is not the system. The problem is not society (which has been used as an excuse for almost anything anyway.) The problem is the people who do things like that despite knowing it's wrong. Society is at fault? Or maybe she had a bad childhood (another convenient excuse to get rapists, killers and people who abuse children free these days)? Sure, drop all responsiblity for ones own actions, blame everybody else for ones own shortcomings except... oneself. Never try to better oneself, just carry on as usual and blame everybody else. That got us to where we are today. Soaring crime rates, a justice system that's utterly broken and spits on the victims (and rather protects the criminals.) If I was the father of the girl and would find out her mother was doing things like that? Have you ever seen an angry bear going totaly postal? Yeah, that'd be my reaction.
All I can say is that watch the episode one more time and pay more attention to
the conversation between Nao and Hitomi.
If you still don't understand, then I have nothing to say.
It's easy to criticize people, but not easy to try to understand them.
People who don't get it don't get it, and I can't do anything about it.

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Post by verbish » Jun 8th, '10, 02:21

I have been a long-time lurker and after watching this amazing dorama have finally decided to come on board & share. :roll

First, I want to thank Chuks for all the translations – because of your hard work I can fully understand & appreciate everything about this show. I decided to give this dorama a try because the storyline seemed intriguing & I respect Matsuyuki Yasuko’s acting… Anyway,
I did not expect to be blown away by the first episode! It was so well-done! The scenery, acting, dialogue, how the story unfolded and ended, that one episode was almost like a film that could stand on its own. Even though the following episodes were filmed less artistically and the pacing was more typical of J-dramas, I am impressed by how the story is progressing and the development of each “mother” character – Nao, who likely never thought of becoming a mom; her sister who wants to be a mom but would never admit it; Hitomi who did a complete 180, going from loving to abusive mother; Nao’s adoptive mother, forced to choose between her adopted and biological children; and Nao’s real mom, forced to give up her child to ensure a better future for her. This show makes me question what it means to be a mother, and whether the bond between mother and child could ever really be broken.
About episode 8
I was glad Hitomi’s back story was explained. What happened to Hitomi was very sad. It’s like someone was slowly chipping away at her until she had nothing left of her spirit. She was a young, single mother with no emotional or financial support, and she just crumbled after a while, becoming hopeless and apathetic to the point where she was abusive even to her own child. I am not excusing her monstrous behavior either, but it is character plus environment that determine behavior. What would have happened if she had a loving supportive husband? Or even had her parents around? It doesn’t seem like she had anybody except for her loser abuser of a boyfriend.

After reading earlier posts, I did not realize that Rena’s parents divorced…I completely missed that the man outside the restaurant was Rena’s father. So strange that Hitomi pretended he died. I guess death (rather than divorce) would be more acceptable to Rena and the rest of Japanese society? I hope later episodes clear this up.
About Nao’s real mom,
Does anyone know why she went to prison?

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Post by Chuks » Jun 8th, '10, 15:53

verbish wrote: First, I want to thank Chuks for all the translations – because of your hard work I can fully understand & appreciate everything about this show. I decided to give this dorama a try because the storyline seemed intriguing & I respect Matsuyuki Yasuko’s acting… Anyway,
You're welcome. :)
Basically I agree with everything you said., from Matsuyuki's acting to the drama's pacing
and about ep08.
About Nao’s real mom,
Does anyone know why she went to prison?
Are you asking if what 15 years of sentence means?
If I'm understanding your question right, she committed a murder.
In Japan, when you kill somebody, you get sentenced from 5 to 15 years, 20 years if
you're guilty with additional crimes.

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Post by chokubi » Jun 8th, '10, 15:54

verbish wrote:I guess death (rather than divorce) would be more acceptable to Rena and the rest of Japanese society?
It's either that or as what seirin said, it's one of her escapism tendencies in fooling no one but her own self. Or even a bit of both.
I hope later episodes clear this up.
This is subjective for sure but I personally feel that ep8 might be the first and last time Hitomi's ex-husband will be mentioned.

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Yabai !!

Post by Tadanga » Jun 9th, '10, 20:04

I have a bad feeling about this.
Episode 09 Image
Episode 10 Image

I'm putting my helmet on for this and I strongly suggest you do the same.
This is gonna be one of those nightmare rides.

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Post by seirin » Jun 16th, '10, 07:13

Rena's mom is turning out to be the most detestable character in the drama. I hope the reporter writes an article about her and the police puts her in jail too.

IMO, she doesn't deserve any pity. She needs a shrink.

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Post by chokubi » Jun 16th, '10, 16:03

seirin wrote:Rena's mom is turning out to be the most detestable character in the drama. I hope the reporter writes an article about her and the police puts her in jail too.

IMO, she doesn't deserve any pity. She needs a shrink.
I would too, if it weren't for episode 8. Because after watching it, I felt that I could empathize with her, and why/how she became like that.
Maybe it was the way that episode was written, but I thought it really got across the message of how...
"love and hate is separated by a fine line".
But I agree with you that she needs a shrink. ; )

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Post by seirin » Jun 16th, '10, 23:32

After ep9, I don't think you will feel any sympathy for her. She's like the type of girl you help who doesn't appreciate it and bites you back. She's ungrateful.

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Post by lynchmob72 » Jun 18th, '10, 02:10

Man, the end of Ep 7 was kind of epic. I won't post any spoilers, but now i'm itching for ep 8.

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Post by seirin » Jun 18th, '10, 05:55

After some thought, I really don't have any sympathy for Rena's mom at all. Having a hard time is not an excuse at all. There are always other options.

I think when they showed Rena and her mom's past. Besides shedding light on how she was a good mother before. I think they wanted to show the mother and daughter relationship in the past. That was probably why, although Rena was being abused, she never said anything. She was protecting her mom. Like other abused children, if they don't speak up and ask for help, adults can't help them. But the abused child won't ask for help because they probably blame themselves or else are protecting/feel indebted to their parents because they might get abandoned or else their parents might go to jail. So they don't say anything.

Abused children doesn't mean they've been abused all their life. I think maybe they were once loved, but things changed. And they can't ask for help because they feel they would be condemning their parents to jail. Similar to the kid who was beaten to death. He didn't speak out against his father either.

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Post by Tadanga » Jun 19th, '10, 00:58

The incredible ride is almost over.

Episode 10
Just when I thought this would end like too many other dramas do : a huge morale lesson, Mother treated us to yet another incredibly emotional twist.
The superb cast pulls it off seamlessly but I am in awe.
Ukkari-san finally letting her feelings out as a mother on her deathbed.
Tsugumi (faking Rena at the orphanage) calling home to ask Nao to kidnap her again.
Simply extraordinary.
Next week's finale promises to be grand.

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Post by verbish » Jun 19th, '10, 02:55

Chuks wrote:
Are you asking if what 15 years of sentence means?
If I'm understanding your question right, she committed a murder.
In Japan, when you kill somebody, you get sentenced from 5 to 15 years, 20 years if
you're guilty with additional crimes.
Thank you Chuks for clearing this up.

This is one of the best dorama I've seen. After watching #10, I was also surprised by the ending
showing Tsugumi asking Nao to kidnap her again. Kawaii sou~
I cannot predict how this will end - hopeful? realistic? cliffhanger? I am hoping for a happy ending, where Nao's adoptive mother somehow saves the day with her powerful connections, but I doubt this will happen.

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Post by Chuks » Jun 19th, '10, 03:07

Tadanga wrote:The incredible ride is almost over.

Episode 10
Just when I thought this would end like too many other dramas do : a huge morale lesson, Mother treated us to yet another incredibly emotional twist.
The superb cast pulls it off seamlessly but I am in awe.
Ukkari-san finally letting her feelings out as a mother on her deathbed.
Tsugumi (faking Rena at the orphanage) calling home to ask Nao to kidnap her again.
Simply extraordinary.
Next week's finale promises to be grand.
I totally agree.
As Tadanga said, the cast is just incredible.
I don't feel like I'm watching a drama, but peeking into somebody's life.
Nao's foster mother's expression at the hospital, I re-winded a couple of times
to just admire how natural she is.
And at the phone conversation scene at the end, Rena was just amazing.
I don't understand how a five (will be six on 23rd) year old can pull it off like that.
I can't wait to watch the final episode.

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WOW!!!

Post by garwynn » Jun 24th, '10, 03:10

...Just finished watching the finale and while some things are expected, they're not done throwing everyone for a loop yet!! This is one of the best stories I have seen in a long time come from Japan.. and the timing could not have been better. Bravo!

Until the RAWs are available, here's a link to a decent streaming version:

http://videonavi.blog66.fc2.com/blog-entry-2284.html

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Post by seirin » Jun 25th, '10, 06:31

I just saw the last episode. So...what happened? :blink
The last scene had 2 people holding hands and each had a cream soda. So does that mean Tsugumi looks for Nao again when she grows up?

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Post by qnuy » Jun 25th, '10, 08:16

I've watched until episode 8 last night and I cried a lot, especially in episode 6 T_T

thanks for subbing this

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Post by garwynn » Jun 25th, '10, 09:12

seirin wrote:I just saw the last episode. So...what happened? :blink
The last scene had 2 people holding hands and each had a cream soda. So does that mean Tsugumi looks for Nao again when she grows up?
Yes, that's what it's supposed to be...

My better half had to explain the nuances in the letter to me in order to really understand. Since they can't meet by law until Rena (Tsugumi) turns 20, it is the nuances in the letter that get picked up in that final 10 seconds or so. It's a combination of the thoughts on how Nao thinks Rena may be at 20 as well as her suggestions on how they can know and meet each other when the time comes.

By the way, did you catch why Nao's Mother went to prison?
What a shocker! But was it intentional or accidental?
(We didn't catch if they mentioned)


Can't wait for all of the subs to come out, I will be introducing this show to a lot of people.

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Post by verbish » Jun 25th, '10, 19:41

I liked the ending, I thought it was both realistic & hopeful. II cannot stop thinking about this dorama.
garwynn wrote:

By the way, did you catch why Nao's Mother went to prison?
What a shocker! But was it intentional or accidental?
(We didn't catch if they mentioned)


MAJOR SPOILER WARNING BELOW:
My Japanese is not that good, but yes, I was shocked too - it seems that the murder was not actually committed by Nao's mother, but by Nao herself! Ukkari-san protected her daughter all that time, all the way to her deathbed. I just wasn't sure who was killed.

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Post by garwynn » Jun 25th, '10, 22:47

verbish wrote:I liked the ending, I thought it was both realistic & hopeful. II cannot stop thinking about this dorama.

MAJOR SPOILER WARNING BELOW:
My Japanese is not that good, but yes, I was shocked too - it seems that the murder was not actually committed by Nao's mother, but by Nao herself! Ukkari-san protected her daughter all that time, all the way to her deathbed. I just wasn't sure who was killed.
According to my better half, it was Nao's father - although I believe this is to be assumed.
Apparently they also were in an abusive household, which is why everyone naturally thought it was her mom. I'll be watching it again to try and catch more...

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Post by Chuks » Jun 26th, '10, 04:07

On final episode,
I was searching internet and looks like some Japanese people weren't happy with
the ending while others were happy that the drama kept it realistic.
I have mixed feelings, but if the drama ended like the way most of viewers
wanted, which is Nao and Tsugumi living together, that would be betraying
the viewers, because it's not realistic.
First of all, Nao can't adopt Tsugumi since she kidnapped her once.
And even though Tsugumi's mother, Hitomi was charged with negligence,
she is still Tsugumi's legal parent, so she can prevent Nao from seeing
Tsugumi if she wants.
The drama didn't explain why Nao waited to see Tsugumi until 20 years old, but
one possible reason is that since 20 years old is when she becomes a legal adult,
Tsugumi will be able to make decisions on her own by then.

In my opinion, the purpose of this drama wasn't entertaining, but making
people think what is abuse, why people abuse, and how society and law)should
change to serve abused kids better.
Well made. Just amazing.

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Post by garwynn » Jun 26th, '10, 15:52

Chuks wrote:On final episode,
I was searching internet and looks like some Japanese people weren't happy with
the ending while others were happy that the drama kept it realistic.
I have mixed feelings, but if the drama ended like the way most of viewers
wanted, which is Nao and Tsugumi living together, that would be betraying
the viewers, because it's not realistic.
First of all, Nao can't adopt Tsugumi since she kidnapped her once.
And even though Tsugumi's mother, Hitomi was charged with negligence,
she is still Tsugumi's legal parent, so she can prevent Nao from seeing
Tsugumi if she wants.
The drama didn't explain why Nao waited to see Tsugumi until 20 years old, but
one possible reason is that since 20 years old is when she becomes a legal adult,
Tsugumi will be able to make decisions on her own by then.

In my opinion, the purpose of this drama wasn't entertaining, but making
people think what is abuse, why people abuse, and how society and law)should
change to serve abused kids better.
Well made. Just amazing.
Chuks,

First off, thanks for subbing this. I'm still missing some of the parts here and there and it's great to catch those once the subs get released. And now...

The points that you made in your comment are EXACTLY why I feel this is one of the best dramas to come out in years. Probably the last one that moved me like this was "Sekai no Chuushin de Ai wo Sakebu".

More important was the fact that this fictional story faces a REAL issue in Japan - one that both the Yomiuri and Asahi Shimbun has been discussing in greater amounts since the case last year of the American arrested for kidnapping his child in Japan. I do agree with you that the creator of the story is trying to bring this to light as Japan is behind the curve in some ways of protecting children. It's a shame too, because you see stories like this in America - such as "The Blind Side" - and you know that it really does happen. Sometimes the story is truly like a dream... and others, like in "Mother", are a bittersweet story.
We believe she had to wait until Rena is 20 to see each other again. It is as you presumed - once she is a legal adult, she is free to do what she wants. It's similar to situations where divorced parents don't want the kids to see one of the parents.... and yet the child(ren) may choose to find them once they are adults.

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Post by James_yka » Jun 26th, '10, 17:22

garwynn wrote:
verbish wrote:I liked the ending, I thought it was both realistic & hopeful. II cannot stop thinking about this dorama.

MAJOR SPOILER WARNING BELOW:
My Japanese is not that good, but yes, I was shocked too - it seems that the murder was not actually committed by Nao's mother, but by Nao herself! Ukkari-san protected her daughter all that time, all the way to her deathbed. I just wasn't sure who was killed.
According to my better half, it was Nao's father - although I believe this is to be assumed.
Apparently they also were in an abusive household, which is why everyone naturally thought it was her mom. I'll be watching it again to try and catch more...
I would agree with you... from what i can understand from my poor Japanese...
Nao tried to protect his mom when being attacked by his father...
Cos as her mom old friend did hint the reporter about it too.

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Post by chokubi » Jun 26th, '10, 17:30

Based on some of the discussions going on in here and others parts of the subs thread, I noticed how the supposed open-ended parts/scenes of the story can leave different interpretations, expectations and outlook on the story and characters themselves.
Sometimes even completely unnoticeable too.

For instance:
The "waiting till 20 part" left me wondering if there's an actual law that prevented Nao and Tsugumi from legally meeting each other in the meantime.
My currently ruling is that there's no such law, so that part becomes puzzling why the choice to wait for that long.
(And I guess it's why it left some of the Japanese audience a little unhappy too.)

Then there was the scene of Nao seemingly faking a wound around her eye, which lead me to investigate how she actually did.

The reporter's actions were also up for debate during the episodes where he blackmailed Nao, then backed out it.

And the list goes on. (It really does.)
Just as interesting as it sounds, I'm personally quite impressed that this drama has such a quality, making it so re-watchable.

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Post by seirin » Jun 26th, '10, 21:38

chokubi wrote:
The "waiting till 20 part" left me wondering if there's an actual law that prevented Nao and Tsugumi from legally meeting each other in the meantime.
My currently ruling is that there's no such law, so that part becomes puzzling why the choice to wait for that long.
(And I guess it's why it left some of the Japanese audience a little unhappy too.)

I'm unclear on this too since I don't know the law. But since Nao did kidnap Rena, I don't think the law would let her see Rena.

Then there was the scene of Nao seemingly faking a wound around her eye, which lead me to investigate how she actually did.

Did you mean the time when Nao was trying to get Rena into school? It's not faked. She hit herself with a vase or something to cause the wound.

The reporter's actions were also up for debate during the episodes where he blackmailed Nao, then backed out it.
The reporter seems to have debts still. But I don't know how he's able to clear them. He was gonna use her story to write a book, but from the last episode, he threw his research for his book into the garbage.
.

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Post by James_yka » Jun 27th, '10, 16:16

The "waiting till 20 part" left me wondering if there's an actual law that prevented Nao and Tsugumi from legally meeting each other in the meantime.
My currently ruling is that there's no such law, so that part becomes puzzling why the choice to wait for that long.
(And I guess it's why it left some of the Japanese audience a little unhappy too.)

I think mayb there is a law that forbid Nao to see Tsugumi until legal age.
Cos i remember a similar case but different situation.


Then there was the scene of Nao seemingly faking a wound around her eye, which lead me to investigate how she actually did.

The night before, she took a jam jar into the toilet, i suspect she did the wound with it.

The reporter's actions were also up for debate during the episodes where he blackmailed Nao, then backed out it.

Other than paying his own debt, he was trying to see what will Nao do if she was put into the same situation as him last time.
As he wasnt able to blackmail Nao, he also didnt report Nao to the police.
Cos he want to see how will her journey end, the journey which he didnt choose.
I just not sure about 1 thing... on Episode 8, Does Rena father died or just ran away with another woman ? Cos from timing 02:33, the father looks exactly as the person on 29:20...

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Post by seirin » Jun 28th, '10, 23:11

James_yka wrote:
I just not sure about 1 thing... on Episode 8, Does Rena father died or just ran away with another woman ? Cos from timing 02:33, the father looks exactly as the person on 29:20...
Rena's father is not dead. Her parents are divorced. From the looks of the children (one looks almost to be Rena's age), he seemed to have another woman so he divorced her.

Rena's mom probably couldn't accept it or didn't want others to know she was dumped so she said he's dead.

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Post by syx86 » Jun 29th, '10, 01:22

I just finished watching this superb tearjerking series too. Same genre type as "Aishiteru". I'm loving it.
So, in the end, I see Tsugumi and Nao sitting together, drinking that green ice cream soda. She waited 12 years... to see Tsugumi once again. Good drama and good theme song!

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Post by Chuks » Jun 29th, '10, 03:51

garwynn wrote: Chuks,

First off, thanks for subbing this. I'm still missing some of the parts here and there and it's great to catch those once the subs get released. And now...

The points that you made in your comment are EXACTLY why I feel this is one of the best dramas to come out in years. Probably the last one that moved me like this was "Sekai no Chuushin de Ai wo Sakebu".
You're welcome, garwynn. :)
I watched Sekai no Chushin, too. Yamada Takayuki is such a good actor.

One more thing I want to point out on final episode,
There might be some kind of restrictions while Nao's sentence is suspended, but
I don't think there's a law to prevent Nao and Rena seeing each other, unless Hitomi
files restraining order against Nao.
But I heard usually foster care institutions don't allow children to see adults besides
their immediate family.

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Post by 20centuryboy » Jul 7th, '10, 08:51

Great drama! thanx for taking this project.

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Post by Tadanga » Jul 19th, '10, 18:47

This dorama has touched me in so many ways.
To keep this incredible feeling with me, I have started my own Suki Na Mono Note.

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Post by MaiKitty » Jul 24th, '10, 15:05

I just finished watching Mother. The last episode was great. I loved the ending.
Even though it was sad, I wanted them to stay together no matter what, but I LOVE the realistic ending more. It is just so much more heart breaking but still so positive.
I think I never cried so much watching any drama. There were only 2 episodes where I didn't have tears in my eyes and for 11 I bawled my eyes out. So for me the only drama that can compare to Mother is Aishiteru. When I think about it, nothing moves as much as Mother/Child and family stories. Thinking about the mentioned Sekai no Chuushin de Ai wo Sakebu or 1 Litre of Tears or Mioka, they just don't compare, because, imho, they're very predictable and from moment one they scream at you "I'm a sad, sad drama. Go on, cry!" I didn't shed 1 single tear through 1 Litre of Tears, it didn't move me at all. All these stories just don't compare to a drama like Mother and the wonderful acting. (I enjoyed Sekai no Chuushin de Ai wo Sakebu, though. But for me Byakuyako is much better)

Mother is the kind of drama, though, which I'll surely not watch again in the near future. Watching dramas is always the best the first time around. But for me it's the same with Aishiteru. I cannot stand the emotional rollercoaster and will only come back to it after a few years, I suppose.

Anyway thank you Chuks for subbing it, you did a great job!

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Post by BukHooKee » Jul 24th, '10, 22:23

I had watched the jdrama "First Kiss" a while back and I really liked Matsuyuki Yasuko who played a doctor in that drama. She was the reason I watched this drama "Mother" and made the drama what it was. Sometimes I'll watch a drama cause of the story but it is the characters/actors that make it come alive. Her gentleness and voice makes me wish I had a mother like that, even though I'm a grown man now. Perhaps you're wondering why I find this drama interesting or appealing, well that's because I lost my mother at a young age and even when she was alive, I felt that I didn't really have a mother. I've seen most of the drama's mentioned in this thread but I've enjoyed Mother the most out of all that I have seen so far this year and I watch a lot of drama (about 2/3 series per week). The only jdrama that made me cry every episode was 1 litre of tears even though I tried not to but they were tears of helplessness. There were a few parts of Mother that made me have tears but it felt good, perhaps healing from the past. Maybe I wish I had a mother who would fight for me. I hope there is a sequel or something similar cause it felt unfinished. I hope I don't have to wait 12 years. Reminds me of my last gf about 10 years ago who told me I don't need a gf but rather a mother, dam that biotch, haha...

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Post by Chuks » Jul 24th, '10, 23:28

MaiKitty wrote:
Even though it was sad, I wanted them to stay together no matter what, but I LOVE the realistic ending more. It is just so much more heart breaking but still so positive.
I think I never cried so much watching any drama. There were only 2 episodes where I didn't have tears in my eyes and for 11 I bawled my eyes out. So for me the only drama that can compare to Mother is Aishiteru. When I think about it, nothing moves as much as Mother/Child and family stories. Thinking about the mentioned Sekai no Chuushin de Ai wo Sakebu or 1 Litre of Tears or Mioka, they just don't compare, because, imho, they're very predictable and from moment one they scream at you "I'm a sad, sad drama. Go on, cry!" I didn't shed 1 single tear through 1 Litre of Tears, it didn't move me at all. All these stories just don't compare to a drama like Mother and the wonderful acting. (I enjoyed Sekai no Chuushin de Ai wo Sakebu, though. But for me Byakuyako is much better)!
I agree with you on pretty much everything.
I totally understand what you mean by "they scream at you "I'm a sad, sad drama. Go on, cry!" " and Mother didn't go too dramatic. The dialogs were simple,
yet deep, and their acting was so natural. The screenwriter didn't write Nao nor Tsugumi as heroines of tragedy, and that's why we could sympathize with them.
The drama was realistic till the end.
(I also liked Byakuyako better than Sekai.)

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kimutaku144
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Joined: Dec 23rd, '05, 11:50

Post by kimutaku144 » Jul 26th, '10, 03:37

I just start watching it and purposely wait to watch this until all subs available :D I only wish I'm in my holiday so I can watch it straight hehehehehee...

I haven't read all the comments because I don't want to get spoiler.

thanks to Chuks and his/her team for the subs.

lynchmob72
Posts: 180
Joined: Aug 28th, '07, 23:43

Post by lynchmob72 » Jul 26th, '10, 04:57

There are only 2 doramas that made me ball like a little school girl. Keep in mind that i am not a girl lol. However, if Mother didn't make you shed a tear, you have a heart of stone, and i don't wish to know you.

The only other drama to make me shed a tear was one litre of tears. I balled on that one also lol. I can't help the fact that i'm human.

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