Quick Review #81: Nankyoku Tairiku - Autumn 2011

Title: Nankyoku Tairiku / 南極大陸 (Antarctica)

Rating: 8.5 / 10

Recommended for: 

Those who want to watch a motivational story based on facts about how people overcame challenges posed by the harsh conditions in Antarctica and rebuild Japan in various ways during the days after WWII and/or are fans of stories about the bond between man and dogs

* Currently available on Netflix (subject to geographical location)

* Spoilers ahead!!!

Liked:

- While the drama was definitely not shot in Antarctica (given how far it is from Japan and the inaccessibility and danger of going there) but rather in Nemuro, Hokkaido, the harsh winter conditions would still have made this a very difficult piece of work to film for the crew, cast and the Sakhalin huskies featured. Just the Antarctica scenes took two and a half months to film while the entire drama was shot over 6 months and completed before it was aired. For the amount of effort put in, it was a visual feast to watch this drama for the beautiful snowy scenery without actually having to be there in person. Thumbs up for the cinematography!

- Considering that this is a dramatisation of an actual situation, the story was grounded in reality most of the time so it didn't come across as a far-fetched or overly idealistic portrayal of the Antarctica expedition or a blatant attempt to show Japan in a very patriotic or nationalistic light. Adding on to the difficulty of taking on such a dangerous mission at that time was the fact that it was just a decade after the end of WWII when Japan was trying to rebuild itself in many ways but it was still being viewed with suspicion and disdain by the international community. As such, not everything went well and there were some developments which were simply painful to sit through such as the unintentional "abandonment" of the huskies at the Showa Base. However, I think that was a good reflection of how life never goes the way you want it at times.

- For animal lovers especially those who like dogs or are big fans of stories featuring the strong bond between man and dog, a key component of this drama was how the first wintering squad depended a lot on their canine friends despite the initial misgivings by some members about the huskies' abilities. The scenes of how Kuramochi (Kimura Takuya) desperately tried to save his huskies but to no avail and was only reunited with the survivors one year later were really tear-jerking. I was especially impressed with these canine actors which were so spot-on with their actions, expressions and those soulful eyes. It's been said that filming with children and animals is extremely challenging so the high level of precision shown here by the canine actors was simply amazing. They were definitely an integral part of this drama's success.

- Acting was on the whole on a high level. And since this drama was aired more than 10 years ago, it also invoked some nostalgia because a lot had happened over the years - some actors are no longer so active in showbiz, gotten into trouble in various ways or had passed away. Given the star-studded cast, this is probably something that cannot be replicated anymore in present.

- Nakajima Miyuki's voice and the theme song were a perfect fit to bring out the grandeur and scale of this story.

Disliked: 

- The only part of the story which I found to be draggy was in the second half of Ep 9 when they were showing how difficult it was for the third Antarctica expedition to get the go-ahead and for Kuramochi to return to Antarctica to save his huskies. I got the point but there was simply no reason to keep going on and on about the same thing.

- While the drama featured the glorious and positive side of the bond between man and dog, the scenes showing the final fates of the abandoned huskies were very upsetting so you might have to be prepared for that. 

- Perhaps due to the fact that Sakai Masato's character was designed to be a very stern, stubborn and unyielding personality, his facial expressions and acting in two-thirds of the drama were so stiff and uncomfortable to watch. Likewise for Ayase Haruka whose character was sort of subdued and holding herself back on various fronts, her acting also felt stiff and boring at certain junctures. I wouldn't blame these on their acting abilities though but it would take a lot to make such unappealing characters become more palatable to the viewers.

- I liked Kimura's acting this time as a whole especially his scenes with the huskies although there were still undeniable traces of his usual stylish KimuTaku vibe seeping through at times. And I don't know if anyone else also felt the same way but Kuramochi somehow behaved and looked to be way more modern than the Showa era so this got me a bit bothered at times. While everyone else looked like they did belong to that time setting, Kimura stood out in a not-so-ideal manner so some people may not like that part of his performance.