Ep 10 (Final) O.A. 18 June 05
Ratings: 13.3%
As a result of his real identity being revealed, the islanders treat Takahara (Takenouchi Yutaka) coldly with the exception of few. Jie comes to Yuzo and asks the latter to get Takahara to leave on his own accord. Ruri overhears this and gets angry at them for treating Takahara this way,
Ruri's mother, Nao comes to Hatomijima and asks to take Ruri back to Tokyo. Ruri feels that Nao is just doing this at whim since she deserted Ruri when she remarried and runs out of the house.
Ruri meets Takahara and he remarks that it will be good to return to somewhere which you really belong to. At the same time, Sanae-sensei is getting worried over how to set up the junior high school for Ruri and Izumi while Nao senses that Ruri and Yuzo are looking more like a family to her.
Ruri and Nao go on a walk and Nao remarks that Yuzo and Ruri are so close while her distance with Ruri is widening. However, when Ruri overhears Yuzo discussing with Megumi on whether he can still work for another few more years to bring up Ruri, she ponders whether her presence would be a burden to them. Ruri goes to Sanae and asks whether there is any hope of opening a junior high school on Hatomijima. Although Sanae tries to look positive, Ruri realises that the possibility is low due to a lack of students.
When Nao prepares to leave Hatomijima, Ruri rushes to the pier and rides the boat with her. At the same time, the islanders find out that Ruri had left the island with Nao and are waiting for her to return since she did not say goodbye to Yuzo and the rest. Ruri finally returns in the evening and apologizes for being unable to get the authorities to change their minds. Actually, Ruri had went to the ministry of education in Ishigaki to ask for the junior high school to be opened and wasn't going to return to Tokyo with Nao.
Takahara is leaving Hatomijima and everyone comes to see him off. He is touched by their concern and promises to be back again.
In March, Nao calls Ruri and tells her that there was an article on Hatomijima. The principal of the orphanage where Ruri used to be introduced a number of students to go there thus the junior high school can be opened.
Ruri makes it to the junior high school and to her surprise, Sanae who was supposed to be posted elsewhere, ends up teaching at Hatomi Junior High school. At the same time, Takahara becomes a hairstylist at a seaside salon and is reading Ruri's letter happily...
This is the first drama which finished this season. Well, it's an all ends well finale to the story although I thought that the twist about them being able to open the junior high school was quite... unconvincing. Trust them to come up with that just before the academic year ended in March...
Other than that, I thought that this drama was a refreshing change from the selection we have this season. It may seem plain, slow and boring just like Yasashii Jikan last season but human dramas tend to focus more on human interaction than making the plot interesting with lots of twists. And one common trait between the two would be the beautiful scenery.
However, some lacking aspects would be:
-The Takahara/Kawashima thread could have been further explored. It seems like everything ended so quickly. The suspense built up over so many episodes and the explanation just took less than 1 episode. Takenouchi Yutaka's airtime is so little and he rarely speaks. What a waste!
-The overly "perfect" ending. Of course, making Ruri leave the island serves no purpose since the title is Ruri no Shima but the junior high school issue just seems to make reality so "unrealistic". Imagine the trouble they took to set up the junior high school and in the end, everything gets done just because of an article.
Will assess how this drama ranks among the others which I've watched this season when everything finishes.
Thank you for reading the reviews so far and hope that you will enjoy the new season drama reviews too! Do post here if you have any comments on the drama!
Showing posts with label Ruri no Shima. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ruri no Shima. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Review of Ruri no Shima Ep 9
Ep 9 O.A. 11 June 05
Ratings: 12.3%
The police comes to take Kawashima away for an interrogation because someone had raised the alarm when he fought with Nonomura earlier on. When asked about his name, Kawashima admits that he's Takahara Makoto in front of everyone who is shocked as to why he wants to hide his identity.
At the same time, Mihoko, who is the younger sister of the real Kawashima Tatsuya comes to Hatomijima to look for Kawashima but he is away at the police station. Mihoko tells Jie and Yuzo that she is here just to find out what happened to her late brother and doesn't believe that Kawashima killed her brother. However, the rest of the villagers seem to have doubts about Kawashima and keeps making guesses since the time of his arrival at Hatomijima coincides with the period when the real Kawashima was discovered dead.
Ruri is upset over this and runs to Mihoko to find out about Kawashima's past.
The real Kawashima and Takahara were good friends who worked together to open a hair salon. However, they met with an accident one night and Kawahara's right hand was disabled as a result. Thus, he could no longer be a hairstylist and vented his frustration at Takahara since he felt that Takahara was responsible for the accident. In one of his suicide attempts, Kawashima became wheelchair-bound and kept asking Takahara to end his life.
Upon hearing this, Ruri snaps at Mihoko and accuses her of suspecting Kawashima (Takahara) of being the murderer since the real Kawashima couldn't walk. She also scolds her for being the culprit if Kawashima does not return to Hatomijima.
Mihoko decides to go to the police station to look for Kawashima but misses him since he goes back to Hatomijima with Yuzo. Although Ruri wants to believe Kawashima, she finds it hard to face him and tries to avoid him.
Out of fear that Kawashima may disappear from her sight, Ruri goes to find out the truth with Yuzo. Kawashima admits that he did bring his friend to the harbour since he wanted to look at the sea. However, the real Kawashima jumped into the sea and Kawashima (Takahara) tried to save him. He let go of Kawashima's hand because he wanted to free his friend of the misery he experienced. Kawashima mentions that he came to Hatomijima and used his friend's name because this was his hometown and he wants to live his life for the real Kawashima. Kawashima tells Ruri that he plans to go back to Tokyo and assume his real identity again before confessing what happened to the police. Ruri refuses to accept this and runs away crying...
Finally, we get to find out what has been bothering Kawashima (Takenouchi) so much... I can imagine how sad he must be when he let go of his friend's hand as he jumped into the sea to save him. The real Kawashima had asked Takahara, "Can you tell me what are the good things awaiting if I continue to live in this stage?" And he had asked point blank whether Takahara was willing to support him for the rest of his life which the latter was unable to answer. Besides that, he said that being forced to live on and having to depend on Mihoko and Takahara made him felt useless. Faced with such questions, Takahara decided to free his friend from the misery but ends up forcing himself to bear the burden. It's almost certain that he will leave Hatomijima by the next episode or else he would not be able to break free from this psychological barrier if he continues to be Kawashima Tatsuya.
There are a number of issues to be resolved e.g. whether the secondary school can be opened for Ruri and Izumi, Sanae-sensei's impending departure from Hatomijima and how Ruri will handle the departure of her best friend, Kawashima.
In the next episode's trailer, we see Ruri's mother, Nao coming to Yuzo and asking to take back Ruri and Ruri walking around in an uniform i.e. she's in junior high school. More twists in the plot right till the end?
By the way, I find that this is the only episode which Takenouchi Yutaka's character speaks the most. He's been so quiet throughout the drama that I really miss his voice...
Ratings: 12.3%
The police comes to take Kawashima away for an interrogation because someone had raised the alarm when he fought with Nonomura earlier on. When asked about his name, Kawashima admits that he's Takahara Makoto in front of everyone who is shocked as to why he wants to hide his identity.
At the same time, Mihoko, who is the younger sister of the real Kawashima Tatsuya comes to Hatomijima to look for Kawashima but he is away at the police station. Mihoko tells Jie and Yuzo that she is here just to find out what happened to her late brother and doesn't believe that Kawashima killed her brother. However, the rest of the villagers seem to have doubts about Kawashima and keeps making guesses since the time of his arrival at Hatomijima coincides with the period when the real Kawashima was discovered dead.
Ruri is upset over this and runs to Mihoko to find out about Kawashima's past.
The real Kawashima and Takahara were good friends who worked together to open a hair salon. However, they met with an accident one night and Kawahara's right hand was disabled as a result. Thus, he could no longer be a hairstylist and vented his frustration at Takahara since he felt that Takahara was responsible for the accident. In one of his suicide attempts, Kawashima became wheelchair-bound and kept asking Takahara to end his life.
Upon hearing this, Ruri snaps at Mihoko and accuses her of suspecting Kawashima (Takahara) of being the murderer since the real Kawashima couldn't walk. She also scolds her for being the culprit if Kawashima does not return to Hatomijima.
Mihoko decides to go to the police station to look for Kawashima but misses him since he goes back to Hatomijima with Yuzo. Although Ruri wants to believe Kawashima, she finds it hard to face him and tries to avoid him.
Out of fear that Kawashima may disappear from her sight, Ruri goes to find out the truth with Yuzo. Kawashima admits that he did bring his friend to the harbour since he wanted to look at the sea. However, the real Kawashima jumped into the sea and Kawashima (Takahara) tried to save him. He let go of Kawashima's hand because he wanted to free his friend of the misery he experienced. Kawashima mentions that he came to Hatomijima and used his friend's name because this was his hometown and he wants to live his life for the real Kawashima. Kawashima tells Ruri that he plans to go back to Tokyo and assume his real identity again before confessing what happened to the police. Ruri refuses to accept this and runs away crying...
Finally, we get to find out what has been bothering Kawashima (Takenouchi) so much... I can imagine how sad he must be when he let go of his friend's hand as he jumped into the sea to save him. The real Kawashima had asked Takahara, "Can you tell me what are the good things awaiting if I continue to live in this stage?" And he had asked point blank whether Takahara was willing to support him for the rest of his life which the latter was unable to answer. Besides that, he said that being forced to live on and having to depend on Mihoko and Takahara made him felt useless. Faced with such questions, Takahara decided to free his friend from the misery but ends up forcing himself to bear the burden. It's almost certain that he will leave Hatomijima by the next episode or else he would not be able to break free from this psychological barrier if he continues to be Kawashima Tatsuya.
There are a number of issues to be resolved e.g. whether the secondary school can be opened for Ruri and Izumi, Sanae-sensei's impending departure from Hatomijima and how Ruri will handle the departure of her best friend, Kawashima.
In the next episode's trailer, we see Ruri's mother, Nao coming to Yuzo and asking to take back Ruri and Ruri walking around in an uniform i.e. she's in junior high school. More twists in the plot right till the end?
By the way, I find that this is the only episode which Takenouchi Yutaka's character speaks the most. He's been so quiet throughout the drama that I really miss his voice...
Monday, February 07, 2011
Review of Ruri no Shima Ep 8
Ep 8 O.A. 4 June 05
Ratings: 9.3% (the lowest ratings so far... personally, i think this episode is quite dry but the next one promises to be quite good )
The islanders are preparing for the Hounensai but Ruri has yet to recover from the sudden demise of Shomei and keeps brooding over why the rest can get on with their lives so easily. Ruri chats with Kame-basan and hears from her that according to the island's legend, when people die, they go to a place to live for 33 years before going to Heaven. This consoles Ruri who believes that Shomei is still somewhere looking over her.
At the same time, Jie's wife, Yoshie runs away from home because of the fact that Satoru is his illegitimate son. Satoru is upset that he caused Yoshie and Jie to fall out. The freelance journalist, Nonomura goes around accusing the islanders of being selfish to bring the children to Hatomijima just to keep the primary school running. Yuzo and Kawashima try to keep the children away from Nonomura and refuse to explain themselves.
Satoru falls sick and everyone is in a fluster as to what to do. Yoshie returns home to take care of Satoru and she reconciles with Jie later.
On the day of the Hounensai, Nonomura goes to pester the children again and ask them why they want to stay in Hatomijima. Yuzo tries to shelter them and requests Nonomura to back off. However, he continues to be aggressive thus Kawashima thrashes him. The children then reveal the reason why they wish to stay on which makes Nonomura contented and he stops pestering them.
Just as everyone think that the festival can go on as planned, the police come to look for Kawashima and ask for his name. He states that he's called Takahara Makoto and they bring him away for questioning...
This episode is a bit slow and lacks a major theme but the next episode will reveal more on Takahara/Kawashima's past. It appears from the trailer that he helped the real Kawashima to commit suicide... I'm looking forward to watching this to confirm my hunch...
Ratings: 9.3% (the lowest ratings so far... personally, i think this episode is quite dry but the next one promises to be quite good )
The islanders are preparing for the Hounensai but Ruri has yet to recover from the sudden demise of Shomei and keeps brooding over why the rest can get on with their lives so easily. Ruri chats with Kame-basan and hears from her that according to the island's legend, when people die, they go to a place to live for 33 years before going to Heaven. This consoles Ruri who believes that Shomei is still somewhere looking over her.
At the same time, Jie's wife, Yoshie runs away from home because of the fact that Satoru is his illegitimate son. Satoru is upset that he caused Yoshie and Jie to fall out. The freelance journalist, Nonomura goes around accusing the islanders of being selfish to bring the children to Hatomijima just to keep the primary school running. Yuzo and Kawashima try to keep the children away from Nonomura and refuse to explain themselves.
Satoru falls sick and everyone is in a fluster as to what to do. Yoshie returns home to take care of Satoru and she reconciles with Jie later.
On the day of the Hounensai, Nonomura goes to pester the children again and ask them why they want to stay in Hatomijima. Yuzo tries to shelter them and requests Nonomura to back off. However, he continues to be aggressive thus Kawashima thrashes him. The children then reveal the reason why they wish to stay on which makes Nonomura contented and he stops pestering them.
Just as everyone think that the festival can go on as planned, the police come to look for Kawashima and ask for his name. He states that he's called Takahara Makoto and they bring him away for questioning...
This episode is a bit slow and lacks a major theme but the next episode will reveal more on Takahara/Kawashima's past. It appears from the trailer that he helped the real Kawashima to commit suicide... I'm looking forward to watching this to confirm my hunch...
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Review of Ruri no Shima Ep 7
Ep 7 O.A. 28 May 05
Ratings: 11.9%
The annual Hounensai (Harvest Festival) is approaching and the islanders start to prepare for this event.
Ruri is glad to have company in school now that the island chief, Jie has adopted a 7-year-old boy Satoru. To Ruri, it's as if she has a little brother to take care of. Ruri tells Satoru about the plan to perform the shamisen during the festival. Actually, Satoru is Jie's son with another woman but he lies to everyone that Satoru is the son of a distant relative.
At the public hall to discuss plans for the festival, a freelance journalist, Nonomura who had come to the island recently asked Jie whether the islanders were being selfish to get kids to the island in order to protect their primary school. Jie tries to divert the topic but his friend, Shohei wants him to explain to Nonomura on this matter. At the same time, Shomei comes and wants them to listen to what his daughter Izumi wrote in her letter but nobody is free to listen to him.
Jie's wife, Yoshie notices subtle similarities between Jie and Satoru. She starts to wonder if they are father and son. She asks Shohei about this and he unwittingly lets the cat out of the bag. As a result, Yoshie starts to ignore Jie and this makes Satoru unhappy as he feels that they quarrelled because of him.
While preparing for the festival, a typhoon is approaching and everyone prepares to secure their homes. Kawashima is waiting at home for Shomei who has yet to return. Actually, Shomei's trying to save the wandering lambs in the storm. The storeroom bearing the items for the festival has a broken door and in order to prevent the rain from spoiling them, Shomei blocks the door in the storm and ends up being hit from a fallen lamp post. It is only till some time later before Kawashima manages to find him but it is too late...
Ruri is very upset at losing one of her best friends and cannot seem to accept the truth. Kawashima finds Izumi's letter in Shomei's pocket and they find out that Izumi is persuading her mother to return to Hatomijima. However, Shomei passed away before they could reunite...
Ratings: 11.9%
The annual Hounensai (Harvest Festival) is approaching and the islanders start to prepare for this event.
Ruri is glad to have company in school now that the island chief, Jie has adopted a 7-year-old boy Satoru. To Ruri, it's as if she has a little brother to take care of. Ruri tells Satoru about the plan to perform the shamisen during the festival. Actually, Satoru is Jie's son with another woman but he lies to everyone that Satoru is the son of a distant relative.
At the public hall to discuss plans for the festival, a freelance journalist, Nonomura who had come to the island recently asked Jie whether the islanders were being selfish to get kids to the island in order to protect their primary school. Jie tries to divert the topic but his friend, Shohei wants him to explain to Nonomura on this matter. At the same time, Shomei comes and wants them to listen to what his daughter Izumi wrote in her letter but nobody is free to listen to him.
Jie's wife, Yoshie notices subtle similarities between Jie and Satoru. She starts to wonder if they are father and son. She asks Shohei about this and he unwittingly lets the cat out of the bag. As a result, Yoshie starts to ignore Jie and this makes Satoru unhappy as he feels that they quarrelled because of him.
While preparing for the festival, a typhoon is approaching and everyone prepares to secure their homes. Kawashima is waiting at home for Shomei who has yet to return. Actually, Shomei's trying to save the wandering lambs in the storm. The storeroom bearing the items for the festival has a broken door and in order to prevent the rain from spoiling them, Shomei blocks the door in the storm and ends up being hit from a fallen lamp post. It is only till some time later before Kawashima manages to find him but it is too late...
Ruri is very upset at losing one of her best friends and cannot seem to accept the truth. Kawashima finds Izumi's letter in Shomei's pocket and they find out that Izumi is persuading her mother to return to Hatomijima. However, Shomei passed away before they could reunite...
Saturday, February 05, 2011
Review of Ruri no Shima Ep 6
Ep 6 O.A. 21 May 05
Ratings: 12.3%
Although I thought that we would know more about Kawashima, they only revealed a little... I still don't know why he's intent on hiding his identity. Does he have something to do with the death of the real Kawashima Tatsuya?
Kawashima receives a call from the Tokyo police and is quite scared as he thinks that it may have to do with his friend's death. However, they are looking for him because Shomei has been admitted to the hospital. Kawashima decides to fetch Shomei back even though he's apprehensive about going back to Tokyo. Ruri hides in the boat and makes Kawashima bring her along as she's worried about Shoumei.
When Yuzo finds that Ruri has tagged along, he borrows money from the village chief, Arakaki to go to Tokyo too. Arakaki raises the idea of adopting another child and asks Yuzo for his opinion. He agrees that it would be good for Ruri to have someone close to her age living on the island and rushes to Tokyo.
Kawashima and Ruri meet Shomei who is disappointed at not being able to meet his daughter Izumi. As such, Ruri promises to bring Izumi to the hospital to visit Shomei but Izumi refuses to do so, saying that she is not related to Shomei by blood. And she uses "ano hito" (that person) to refer to Shomei which reminds Ruri of what she used to say when referring to her mother.
At the same time, Koji decides to confront Natsumi on whether she really regrets marrying him. After an argument, they finally understand how they feel for each other and reconcile.
Ruri decides to find Izumi again so that she can visit Shomei. Yuzo happens to see someone calling Kawashima by the name of Takahara and asks him about his identity. Kawashima finds it hard to talk about his past and says that he just wants to start a new life on Hatomijima. Yuzo does not probe further and has no intention of revealing this secret to anyone. However, he tells Kawashima not to leave Ruri suddenly since she's very dependent on him as a good friend.
Ruri goes to Izumi's school and reads out the letters that Shomei wrote to her but were returned subsequently when she moved house. Izumi goes to the hospital and reveals that she did read some of his letters but couldn't reply to Shomei because she didn't want to make her mother upset. Shomei returns home happily with Ruri, Yuzo and Kawashima after seeing Izumi.
When Ruri and Yuzo returns home, they see a little boy in their house and are rather surprised at his appearance...
Ratings: 12.3%
Although I thought that we would know more about Kawashima, they only revealed a little... I still don't know why he's intent on hiding his identity. Does he have something to do with the death of the real Kawashima Tatsuya?
Kawashima receives a call from the Tokyo police and is quite scared as he thinks that it may have to do with his friend's death. However, they are looking for him because Shomei has been admitted to the hospital. Kawashima decides to fetch Shomei back even though he's apprehensive about going back to Tokyo. Ruri hides in the boat and makes Kawashima bring her along as she's worried about Shoumei.
When Yuzo finds that Ruri has tagged along, he borrows money from the village chief, Arakaki to go to Tokyo too. Arakaki raises the idea of adopting another child and asks Yuzo for his opinion. He agrees that it would be good for Ruri to have someone close to her age living on the island and rushes to Tokyo.
Kawashima and Ruri meet Shomei who is disappointed at not being able to meet his daughter Izumi. As such, Ruri promises to bring Izumi to the hospital to visit Shomei but Izumi refuses to do so, saying that she is not related to Shomei by blood. And she uses "ano hito" (that person) to refer to Shomei which reminds Ruri of what she used to say when referring to her mother.
At the same time, Koji decides to confront Natsumi on whether she really regrets marrying him. After an argument, they finally understand how they feel for each other and reconcile.
Ruri decides to find Izumi again so that she can visit Shomei. Yuzo happens to see someone calling Kawashima by the name of Takahara and asks him about his identity. Kawashima finds it hard to talk about his past and says that he just wants to start a new life on Hatomijima. Yuzo does not probe further and has no intention of revealing this secret to anyone. However, he tells Kawashima not to leave Ruri suddenly since she's very dependent on him as a good friend.
Ruri goes to Izumi's school and reads out the letters that Shomei wrote to her but were returned subsequently when she moved house. Izumi goes to the hospital and reveals that she did read some of his letters but couldn't reply to Shomei because she didn't want to make her mother upset. Shomei returns home happily with Ruri, Yuzo and Kawashima after seeing Izumi.
When Ruri and Yuzo returns home, they see a little boy in their house and are rather surprised at his appearance...
Friday, February 04, 2011
Review of Ruri no Shima Ep 5
Ep 5 O.A. 14 May 05
Ratings: 13.3%
As usual, a good episode where we have improvements in the relationships between some people slowly but surely. However, there are also new potential conflicts coming up between some people.
First of all, Mizuki (Igawa Haruka) discovers that she is pregnant but her boyfriend, Shigeru refuses to take responsibility. Actually, the islanders are very happy over this since it would mean that there will be someone to attend the primary school in future once Mizuki's child is born. However, the cold attitude by Shigeru makes Mizuki disappointed and she decides to leave the island but he rushes to stop her at Ruri's persuasion.
Somehow, I have this to say about the scene which Shigeru swam towards the boat to stop Mizuki. As she was pulling him up, she also fell in the sea. Well, didn't the story state that she is pregnant? Then why let her fall into the sea too? Forgive me for being fussy on such details but I think letting Mizuki fall into the sea seems to be illogical and redundant.
Anyway, this matter somehow makes Ruri feel like it concerns her. Maybe she feels for the unborn child who seems to be unwanted by the parents just like she feels discarded by her mother, Nao. And when Mizuki is left to fend for herself in the beginning and the look of loneliness in her eyes makes Ruri feel the pain as she has been lonely for most of her life. That's why she's willing to do so much to get Mizuki and Shigeru to patch up.
On the other hand, another couple on the island, Natsumi (the employee of the provision shop) and her husband, Koji are having problems. The village chiefs keep hurrying them to have babies but they have a problem. When Natsumi was trying to convince Mizuki to keep her baby, she reveals that she was pregnant once but aborted the baby thus resulting in her inability to have babies. And she regrets marrying Koji which is overheard by him. Since then, Koji has been unusually cold towards Natsumi who cannot comprehend the sudden change in behaviour.
Ruri is learning the sansen (a musical instrument with 3 strings) in order to make Yuzo happy. And through this learning experience, the village chief offers to teach her how to play while Sanae helps Ruri to keep this a secret from Yuzo. Seems like Sanae and Ruri are getting closer ever since that episode when Ruri fell into the hole.
At the same time, Shomei who had gone to Tokyo to meet his daughter, Izumi fails to see her since his ex wife says that he has no right to see her as he beat her up in the past whenever he was drunk. And Shomei ends up being walloped by the street gangsters when he bumps into one of them...
The next episode will see more light being shed on Kawashima aka. Takahara's(Takenouochi Yutaka) past since the police from Tokyo are looking for him. Ruri and Yuzo are also in Tokyo to bring Shomei back so it should be quite interesting to see what exactly Kawashima is running away from.
Ratings: 13.3%
As usual, a good episode where we have improvements in the relationships between some people slowly but surely. However, there are also new potential conflicts coming up between some people.
First of all, Mizuki (Igawa Haruka) discovers that she is pregnant but her boyfriend, Shigeru refuses to take responsibility. Actually, the islanders are very happy over this since it would mean that there will be someone to attend the primary school in future once Mizuki's child is born. However, the cold attitude by Shigeru makes Mizuki disappointed and she decides to leave the island but he rushes to stop her at Ruri's persuasion.
Somehow, I have this to say about the scene which Shigeru swam towards the boat to stop Mizuki. As she was pulling him up, she also fell in the sea. Well, didn't the story state that she is pregnant? Then why let her fall into the sea too? Forgive me for being fussy on such details but I think letting Mizuki fall into the sea seems to be illogical and redundant.
Anyway, this matter somehow makes Ruri feel like it concerns her. Maybe she feels for the unborn child who seems to be unwanted by the parents just like she feels discarded by her mother, Nao. And when Mizuki is left to fend for herself in the beginning and the look of loneliness in her eyes makes Ruri feel the pain as she has been lonely for most of her life. That's why she's willing to do so much to get Mizuki and Shigeru to patch up.
On the other hand, another couple on the island, Natsumi (the employee of the provision shop) and her husband, Koji are having problems. The village chiefs keep hurrying them to have babies but they have a problem. When Natsumi was trying to convince Mizuki to keep her baby, she reveals that she was pregnant once but aborted the baby thus resulting in her inability to have babies. And she regrets marrying Koji which is overheard by him. Since then, Koji has been unusually cold towards Natsumi who cannot comprehend the sudden change in behaviour.
Ruri is learning the sansen (a musical instrument with 3 strings) in order to make Yuzo happy. And through this learning experience, the village chief offers to teach her how to play while Sanae helps Ruri to keep this a secret from Yuzo. Seems like Sanae and Ruri are getting closer ever since that episode when Ruri fell into the hole.
At the same time, Shomei who had gone to Tokyo to meet his daughter, Izumi fails to see her since his ex wife says that he has no right to see her as he beat her up in the past whenever he was drunk. And Shomei ends up being walloped by the street gangsters when he bumps into one of them...
The next episode will see more light being shed on Kawashima aka. Takahara's(Takenouochi Yutaka) past since the police from Tokyo are looking for him. Ruri and Yuzo are also in Tokyo to bring Shomei back so it should be quite interesting to see what exactly Kawashima is running away from.
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Review of Ruri no Shima Ep 4
Ep 4 O.A. 7 May 05
Ratings: 13.0%
The mood of the episode is quite different from the last which was rather emotionally heavy. This time round, there is a group of 5 students from Naha (capital of Okinawa) who are in Hatomijima for a study tour and Ruri is supposed to be with them when Sanae-sensei brings them around. Yuzo worries whether Ruri will be bullied by those kids for not having her real parents around but she assures him that she is fine. He also gives her a white dress which she puts on happily to go to school. She is on cloud nine when Kawashima praises her for looking pretty in that dress. And this episode also marks an improvement in Ruri's acceptance of Yuzo and his wife as her parents when she tells the Naha kids that her father catches squid (i.e. referring to Yuzo).
Somehow, I get the feeling that Ruri seems to like Kawashima a lot after all these times when he stood by her when she was having problems. Her first love? Being praised by the person you like would no doubt make you feel elated. I share her joy...
Anyway, the islanders regard this visit from the Naha students as a chance to promote Hatomijima to them in the hope that more would come here to study. Seems like those chief islanders can't wait to get someone to replace Ruri. I know she made a bad impression on them when she created trouble on the first day she arrived at Hatomijima but to behave like that towards a child as if she's unwelcome is very hurting. Well, those kids from Naha are not too friendly and one of them in particular, Teppei keeps making trouble for Ruri and even spills curry on that white dress she is wearing. Ruri is so angry that she wants to thrash Teppei but Sanae slaps him on her behalf because she couldn't stand his attitude.
That night, Teppei tries to run away in order to make trouble for Sanae and Ruri goes after him to make him drop the idea. Although Ruri and Sanae are usually hostile to each other, Ruri certainly doesn't dislike Sanae that much and doesn't want her to get sacked. On the other hand, I think she can sense that Sanae can't wait to leave Hatomijima and stop being her teacher so there is this rejection feeling in Ruri towards Sanae too.
Ruri and Teppei fall into a hole in the forest but are saved by Kawashima and Sanae who had come looking for them. As a result of this incident, Ruri and Sanae seems to have resolved their differences where the latter tells her to place more trust in her as the teacher. And Sanae drops the idea of leaving Hatomijima for the time being, most probably due to Ruri.
I think Sanae started looking at Ruri in a different light after seeing her mother, Nao and realized that she did not behave the way she did because she was just plain rebellious. It is the constant sense of betrayal and abandon from her mother that resulted in Ruri not being able to trust adults. And because of this incident, it has brought them closer but probably they aren't going to be best friends yet.
Something's been bothering me. If Hatomijima is really that secluded and backward as what they say, how come handphones can work there? Did NTT build some transmission towers there? I don't see the islanders watching too much TV either...
Ratings: 13.0%
The mood of the episode is quite different from the last which was rather emotionally heavy. This time round, there is a group of 5 students from Naha (capital of Okinawa) who are in Hatomijima for a study tour and Ruri is supposed to be with them when Sanae-sensei brings them around. Yuzo worries whether Ruri will be bullied by those kids for not having her real parents around but she assures him that she is fine. He also gives her a white dress which she puts on happily to go to school. She is on cloud nine when Kawashima praises her for looking pretty in that dress. And this episode also marks an improvement in Ruri's acceptance of Yuzo and his wife as her parents when she tells the Naha kids that her father catches squid (i.e. referring to Yuzo).
Somehow, I get the feeling that Ruri seems to like Kawashima a lot after all these times when he stood by her when she was having problems. Her first love? Being praised by the person you like would no doubt make you feel elated. I share her joy...
Anyway, the islanders regard this visit from the Naha students as a chance to promote Hatomijima to them in the hope that more would come here to study. Seems like those chief islanders can't wait to get someone to replace Ruri. I know she made a bad impression on them when she created trouble on the first day she arrived at Hatomijima but to behave like that towards a child as if she's unwelcome is very hurting. Well, those kids from Naha are not too friendly and one of them in particular, Teppei keeps making trouble for Ruri and even spills curry on that white dress she is wearing. Ruri is so angry that she wants to thrash Teppei but Sanae slaps him on her behalf because she couldn't stand his attitude.
That night, Teppei tries to run away in order to make trouble for Sanae and Ruri goes after him to make him drop the idea. Although Ruri and Sanae are usually hostile to each other, Ruri certainly doesn't dislike Sanae that much and doesn't want her to get sacked. On the other hand, I think she can sense that Sanae can't wait to leave Hatomijima and stop being her teacher so there is this rejection feeling in Ruri towards Sanae too.
Ruri and Teppei fall into a hole in the forest but are saved by Kawashima and Sanae who had come looking for them. As a result of this incident, Ruri and Sanae seems to have resolved their differences where the latter tells her to place more trust in her as the teacher. And Sanae drops the idea of leaving Hatomijima for the time being, most probably due to Ruri.
I think Sanae started looking at Ruri in a different light after seeing her mother, Nao and realized that she did not behave the way she did because she was just plain rebellious. It is the constant sense of betrayal and abandon from her mother that resulted in Ruri not being able to trust adults. And because of this incident, it has brought them closer but probably they aren't going to be best friends yet.
Something's been bothering me. If Hatomijima is really that secluded and backward as what they say, how come handphones can work there? Did NTT build some transmission towers there? I don't see the islanders watching too much TV either...
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Review of Ruri no Shima Ep 3
Ep 3 O.A. 30 Apr 05
Ratings: 13.2%
An emotionally heavy episode, I would say.
From the last episode, we know that Ruri's mother, Nao comes to Hatomijima to look for Ruri. However, her appearance is not a simple visit after all as Yuzo realizes it after knowing what's she's like when he saw her in Tokyo. There's no way she could have come all the way to Hatomijima just to see Ruri. That is why he is wary about letting Ruri hear what they have to say and sends her off to school. Ruri has a lot of questions to ask Nao as to why she appeared and becomes very lethargic in class. Sanae-sensei doesn't understand why Ruri is behaving like that and even asks her to write a composition on her mother.
Nao tells Yuzo that she's pregnant and will be getting married soon. As such, she would like to remove Ruri's records from hers as Nao's future husband does not know about Ruri. Yuzo is quite upset with Nao who sees Ruri as just a name which she can remove anytime even though Ruri is her own flesh and blood. Nao says that she will break the news to Ruri directly and asks Yuzo to take in Ruri officially as his daughter by putting her name in their family register.
Sanae finally realizes Ruri's complicated feelings towards Nao and sees her in a different light. She seems to be genuinely concerned about Ruri's plight and tries to help if there is an opportunity. Seems like Nao's visit does have a good effect afterall since it helps Sanae to see Ruri differently and bridges the differences between them.
When Nao finally breaks the news to Ruri, she fights back her tears and wishes Nao happiness. It is heartbreaking to see a kid like her going through such an ordeal and you would really sympathise with her. Ruri is so upset that she skips school after Nao leaves but when Kawashima and Shoumei (the guy who is a bit bonkers after alcohol poisoning when his wife and daughter left him) brings her to the beach to watch the birth of the turtles, Ruri manages to pick herself up and go on with life although she is still hurting from her mother abandoning her again.
In my opinion, Nao is really a terrible mother. No doubt she has the right to pursue her happiness. However, by saying that she wants to remove Ruri's name from her own register, it's like treating Ruri as a blemish in her life where she can just erase off at her own will. Ruri is a human being who has feelings. No wonder she feels betrayed and abandoned at the thought of this. Yuzo also has a legitimate reason for being angry at Nao for treating Ruri like some rubbish to be dumped and I think he's really a kind fatherly figure who loves Ruri like his own daughter.
And by watching how the turtles struggle to crawl to the sea soon after being born, Ruri seems to draw strength from this and realises that she has to move on with life even though Nao is gone from her life. I think the staff of this drama really put in a lot of effort in this particular scene because they showed in detail how the turtles climb out from the sand to the beach in fumbling steps. God knows how long they waited to capture this heartwarming scene on film?
It's getting better by each episode but the only grouse I have is that Takenouchi Yutaka appears so little in each episode... I would love to see more of him... Oh, before I forget, there is another revelation about his character and the supposedly real Kawashima where he actually was with the real one sitting in a wheelchair at the harbour. So something did happen between them which led to him falling into the sea and the real Kawashima dying....
Ratings: 13.2%
An emotionally heavy episode, I would say.
From the last episode, we know that Ruri's mother, Nao comes to Hatomijima to look for Ruri. However, her appearance is not a simple visit after all as Yuzo realizes it after knowing what's she's like when he saw her in Tokyo. There's no way she could have come all the way to Hatomijima just to see Ruri. That is why he is wary about letting Ruri hear what they have to say and sends her off to school. Ruri has a lot of questions to ask Nao as to why she appeared and becomes very lethargic in class. Sanae-sensei doesn't understand why Ruri is behaving like that and even asks her to write a composition on her mother.
Nao tells Yuzo that she's pregnant and will be getting married soon. As such, she would like to remove Ruri's records from hers as Nao's future husband does not know about Ruri. Yuzo is quite upset with Nao who sees Ruri as just a name which she can remove anytime even though Ruri is her own flesh and blood. Nao says that she will break the news to Ruri directly and asks Yuzo to take in Ruri officially as his daughter by putting her name in their family register.
Sanae finally realizes Ruri's complicated feelings towards Nao and sees her in a different light. She seems to be genuinely concerned about Ruri's plight and tries to help if there is an opportunity. Seems like Nao's visit does have a good effect afterall since it helps Sanae to see Ruri differently and bridges the differences between them.
When Nao finally breaks the news to Ruri, she fights back her tears and wishes Nao happiness. It is heartbreaking to see a kid like her going through such an ordeal and you would really sympathise with her. Ruri is so upset that she skips school after Nao leaves but when Kawashima and Shoumei (the guy who is a bit bonkers after alcohol poisoning when his wife and daughter left him) brings her to the beach to watch the birth of the turtles, Ruri manages to pick herself up and go on with life although she is still hurting from her mother abandoning her again.
In my opinion, Nao is really a terrible mother. No doubt she has the right to pursue her happiness. However, by saying that she wants to remove Ruri's name from her own register, it's like treating Ruri as a blemish in her life where she can just erase off at her own will. Ruri is a human being who has feelings. No wonder she feels betrayed and abandoned at the thought of this. Yuzo also has a legitimate reason for being angry at Nao for treating Ruri like some rubbish to be dumped and I think he's really a kind fatherly figure who loves Ruri like his own daughter.
And by watching how the turtles struggle to crawl to the sea soon after being born, Ruri seems to draw strength from this and realises that she has to move on with life even though Nao is gone from her life. I think the staff of this drama really put in a lot of effort in this particular scene because they showed in detail how the turtles climb out from the sand to the beach in fumbling steps. God knows how long they waited to capture this heartwarming scene on film?
It's getting better by each episode but the only grouse I have is that Takenouchi Yutaka appears so little in each episode... I would love to see more of him... Oh, before I forget, there is another revelation about his character and the supposedly real Kawashima where he actually was with the real one sitting in a wheelchair at the harbour. So something did happen between them which led to him falling into the sea and the real Kawashima dying....
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Review of Ruri no Shima Ep 2
Ep 2 O.A. 23 Apr 2005
Ratings: 11.8%
No doubt, a big drop in ratings from the debut episode which is unexpected (at least to me) but I feel that this drama has a potential to get better as it progresses.
Things will definitely be smooth-sailing for Ruri and the people around her. It's not a simple case of a child comes to the island to live and all the problems facing the island would go away. First of all, Ruri had earned a bad reputation for herself when she went wild during her welcome party and crashed the boat into the clif. Thus, her teacher's attitude towards her is rather hostile while the village chief thinks little of her and keeps bugging Yuzo to send Ruri back to Tokyo and get another child from Okinawa main island instead.
Actually, due to the fact that Ruri has never been loved as a child, she is rather pessimistic about relationships and keeps everyone at bay without opening her heart to them. No doubt she believes that Yuzo and his wife, Megumi treat her well and care for her, she cannot express herself well enough. Coupled with the fact that she's still in the transition period of trying to adjust to life on the island which has a serious lack of facilities available in urban Tokyo, her frustration coupled with the distrust for the people around her makes Ruri try to be difficult. By creating trouble for the islanders, she hopes that Yuzo will send her back to Tokyo. I don't think she wants to go back anyway since her mother didn't care to come to the school term beginning ceremony but she is having doubts whether she can fit the role of helping the island with her presence and probably thinks that it would be best for Yuzo to get someone more obedient and lovable than her.
However, when Ruri realizes that Yuzo is trying very hard to convince the other islanders about letting her stay and he had to work to pay off the repair bill for the boat Ruri smashed, I guess this finally lets her know that she is being loved by someone and this would no doubt boost her self-worth. Just at this time, her mother comes to the island and it's going to create more confusion and tension within Ruri on how to accept her mother's presence.
On the other hand, Kawashima's real name should be Takahara and he's a hairstylist according to the video we saw in this episode. He is definitely acquainted with the deceased Kawashima Tatsuya but it's still not clear why he attempted suicide in Ep 1 and took on the name Kawashima as well as staying on the island and not going back to Tokyo. Takenouchi's character is full of question marks and he speaks very little in this drama. I think more information about him would be out as the drama progresses but I really hope to see more of him.
This drama, Anego and Koi ni Ochitara are my definite titles on the to-watch list. NTV's two offerings this season has got my total attention while for last season, I struck off Gokusen 2 and 87% from my list right from the beginning. Although NTV dramas do not usually get very high ratings, (Gokusen was one of the exceptions) they do have a number of good dramas from past seasons and it seems like they do very well in adapted stories. Both Ruri no Shima and Anego are adapted from best-selling novels. Note the similarity? Last year's hit, Hikari to tomo ni was adapted from a manga of the same title along with other past manga-to-drama titles like Kindaichi, Ginro, Psychometrer Eiji. They have a knack for creating magic from adapted stories, I guess.
Ratings: 11.8%
No doubt, a big drop in ratings from the debut episode which is unexpected (at least to me) but I feel that this drama has a potential to get better as it progresses.
Things will definitely be smooth-sailing for Ruri and the people around her. It's not a simple case of a child comes to the island to live and all the problems facing the island would go away. First of all, Ruri had earned a bad reputation for herself when she went wild during her welcome party and crashed the boat into the clif. Thus, her teacher's attitude towards her is rather hostile while the village chief thinks little of her and keeps bugging Yuzo to send Ruri back to Tokyo and get another child from Okinawa main island instead.
Actually, due to the fact that Ruri has never been loved as a child, she is rather pessimistic about relationships and keeps everyone at bay without opening her heart to them. No doubt she believes that Yuzo and his wife, Megumi treat her well and care for her, she cannot express herself well enough. Coupled with the fact that she's still in the transition period of trying to adjust to life on the island which has a serious lack of facilities available in urban Tokyo, her frustration coupled with the distrust for the people around her makes Ruri try to be difficult. By creating trouble for the islanders, she hopes that Yuzo will send her back to Tokyo. I don't think she wants to go back anyway since her mother didn't care to come to the school term beginning ceremony but she is having doubts whether she can fit the role of helping the island with her presence and probably thinks that it would be best for Yuzo to get someone more obedient and lovable than her.
However, when Ruri realizes that Yuzo is trying very hard to convince the other islanders about letting her stay and he had to work to pay off the repair bill for the boat Ruri smashed, I guess this finally lets her know that she is being loved by someone and this would no doubt boost her self-worth. Just at this time, her mother comes to the island and it's going to create more confusion and tension within Ruri on how to accept her mother's presence.
On the other hand, Kawashima's real name should be Takahara and he's a hairstylist according to the video we saw in this episode. He is definitely acquainted with the deceased Kawashima Tatsuya but it's still not clear why he attempted suicide in Ep 1 and took on the name Kawashima as well as staying on the island and not going back to Tokyo. Takenouchi's character is full of question marks and he speaks very little in this drama. I think more information about him would be out as the drama progresses but I really hope to see more of him.
This drama, Anego and Koi ni Ochitara are my definite titles on the to-watch list. NTV's two offerings this season has got my total attention while for last season, I struck off Gokusen 2 and 87% from my list right from the beginning. Although NTV dramas do not usually get very high ratings, (Gokusen was one of the exceptions) they do have a number of good dramas from past seasons and it seems like they do very well in adapted stories. Both Ruri no Shima and Anego are adapted from best-selling novels. Note the similarity? Last year's hit, Hikari to tomo ni was adapted from a manga of the same title along with other past manga-to-drama titles like Kindaichi, Ginro, Psychometrer Eiji. They have a knack for creating magic from adapted stories, I guess.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Review of Ruri no Shima Ep 1
Ep 1 O.A. 16 Apr 05 2100 - 2224
Ratings: 16.0%
Simply breathtaking...I mean the scenery. It's hard to believe that there's such a beautiful place where the sea is so clear and the entire place so serene. One thing I'm starting to worry about is whether this drama will bring a tourism boom to that island. It's better to leave things the way they are since many people around may spoil the tranquility but I would definitely want to visit this place if I have the chance. Just by admiring the scenery, it's worth my time spending more than an hour watching the debut episode.
Narumi Riko (i believe she's a newcomer) is pretty good as Ruri who is a complex mix of emotions. The curly hair she has at the beginning makes her look so mature and you would never believe that she's just 11 years old. She did not perm her hair like that just because she wants to be rebellious but rather her mother used to have this hairstyle and she wanted to be like her. Although Ruri can be rather quick-tempered, she's very kind at heart and would feel upset when Yuzo (Ogata Ken) cries for her or sprains his foot while chasing after her. She's not as bad as she seems but her rebellious behaviour is just to cover up her insecurities and protect herself from being hurt again. Just as what Ruri told Yuzo, she did try to throw tantrums like a kid and seek attention from her mother but it was of no use. As such, she has no choice but to force herself to grow up so as to protect herself. It's quite sad for a child to feel that way where she should still be pampered by her parents and doted on. In addition, much as she tells herself that she is trying to erase her unhappy childhood by leaving her mother, she cannot let go of her feelings so easily and decides to take her time instead of forcing herself.
Besides watching how Ruri opens up to the people around her, another highlight would be Takenouchi Yutaka. He has a beard again (i prefer him clean shaven though ) and his character, Kawashima Tatsuya is apparently a mystery. This is definitely not his real name and he came all the way to Hatomijima to commit suicide but the attempt failed because he saved Ruri from drowning and became her friend. This made him continue to live on for the sake of that someone called Kawashima Tatsuya who died in Tokyo from drowning. The two might forge a friendship and things might turn bad for them when the truth unravels...
Konishi Manami gets on my nerves as a teacher who seems really unwilling to stay on the island but why was she here in the first place? Another actress, Igawa Haruka used to be quite hot a few years back (remember the hoo-ha when she acted with KimuTaku? ) and now she's reduced to obasan-looking roles. The geinoukai is truly harsh and only the fittest survive...
Among the dramas which made their debut so far, I must say that this is the one which I enjoyed the most. I still have a number of dramas to watch though but I'm keeping this on my to-watch list with Koi ni Ochitara. I'm looking forward to see how the plot would develop as well as admire the beautiful scenery again...
Ratings: 16.0%
Simply breathtaking...I mean the scenery. It's hard to believe that there's such a beautiful place where the sea is so clear and the entire place so serene. One thing I'm starting to worry about is whether this drama will bring a tourism boom to that island. It's better to leave things the way they are since many people around may spoil the tranquility but I would definitely want to visit this place if I have the chance. Just by admiring the scenery, it's worth my time spending more than an hour watching the debut episode.
Narumi Riko (i believe she's a newcomer) is pretty good as Ruri who is a complex mix of emotions. The curly hair she has at the beginning makes her look so mature and you would never believe that she's just 11 years old. She did not perm her hair like that just because she wants to be rebellious but rather her mother used to have this hairstyle and she wanted to be like her. Although Ruri can be rather quick-tempered, she's very kind at heart and would feel upset when Yuzo (Ogata Ken) cries for her or sprains his foot while chasing after her. She's not as bad as she seems but her rebellious behaviour is just to cover up her insecurities and protect herself from being hurt again. Just as what Ruri told Yuzo, she did try to throw tantrums like a kid and seek attention from her mother but it was of no use. As such, she has no choice but to force herself to grow up so as to protect herself. It's quite sad for a child to feel that way where she should still be pampered by her parents and doted on. In addition, much as she tells herself that she is trying to erase her unhappy childhood by leaving her mother, she cannot let go of her feelings so easily and decides to take her time instead of forcing herself.
Besides watching how Ruri opens up to the people around her, another highlight would be Takenouchi Yutaka. He has a beard again (i prefer him clean shaven though ) and his character, Kawashima Tatsuya is apparently a mystery. This is definitely not his real name and he came all the way to Hatomijima to commit suicide but the attempt failed because he saved Ruri from drowning and became her friend. This made him continue to live on for the sake of that someone called Kawashima Tatsuya who died in Tokyo from drowning. The two might forge a friendship and things might turn bad for them when the truth unravels...
Konishi Manami gets on my nerves as a teacher who seems really unwilling to stay on the island but why was she here in the first place? Another actress, Igawa Haruka used to be quite hot a few years back (remember the hoo-ha when she acted with KimuTaku? ) and now she's reduced to obasan-looking roles. The geinoukai is truly harsh and only the fittest survive...
Among the dramas which made their debut so far, I must say that this is the one which I enjoyed the most. I still have a number of dramas to watch though but I'm keeping this on my to-watch list with Koi ni Ochitara. I'm looking forward to see how the plot would develop as well as admire the beautiful scenery again...
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Preview of Ruri no Shima - Spring 2005
Cast:Fujisawa Ruri (Narumi Riko)
Kawashima Tatsuya (Takenouchi Yutaka)
Nakama Yuzo (Ogata Ken)
Fujisawa Nao (Nishida Naomi)
Shimabukuro Sanae (Konishi Manami)
Nakajima Mizuki (Igawa Haruka)
The story takes place on a tiny island about 2000km from Tokyo and is one of the archipelago of islands southern of Okinawa. This place is so small that you would need less than 1 hour to finish walking around the coast. On this island, there are no police station, convenience stores, banks or hospitals and other amenities which are readily available in modern Japan. It seems as if the island has been forgotten and forsaken by the rest of the world and the population of 50 inhabitants on this island go about their simple lives at a leisurely pace where you can see cattle roaming around in the fields.
At the centre of this story, is a school which is on the verge of closure due to the lack of students from the small population. A little girl, Ruri, 11 years old comes from urban Tokyo to this island. Her father had died many years ago and her mother, Nao dumped her in the orphanage because she did not want to shoulder the responsibility of bringing up Ruri. In order to get over the sense of betrayal and abandon by her mother, Ruri goes to the island at the persuasion of Yuzo and begins a tale of finding her worth in life and influencing the people around her. She also meets Tatsuya who came to the island on the same day as her who seems to have a very sad past and would not talk about his background...
Preview of Episode 1 - 16 Apr 2005 (2100-2224) 30mins extra version
With a population of 49 adults and 1 child, at the southern end of Japan, there is a small island, Hatomijima whereby you only need less than one hour to walk around the entre island.
On Hatomijima, there are no hospitals, police stations, banks, convenience stores and other modern day amenities. What the island has is countless of beautiful hibiscus and being surrounded by coral reefs.
On such a beautiful island, a problem concerning the island's survival happens. The only child on the island is moving to the city thus the primary school on the island is due to be shut down. Once the school is shut down, Hatomijima will become a deserted island soon as the average age of the inhabitants is 63.5 years and the young have moved to the cities. The islanders start to get flustered and try hard to get their children to move back to the island.
7 days remain before the primary school would be closed. Nakama Yuzo (Ogata Ken) who is going to be 60 soon, decides to ask his daughter, Takako (Junna Risa) to bring her 7-year old child back to the island from Tokyo but she rejects his suggestion. As a result, Yuzo goes to Okinawa to seek a child for adoption but to no avail. However, he is given a suggestion to check out the orphanages to adopt a child which would require the parents/guardian's consent to bring him/her to Hatomijima.
Yuzo happens to meet a 11-year old girl, Fujisawa Ruri (Narumi Ruko) who ran out of the orphanage. She doesn't look like the usual primary 6 student and seems to be more mature than her peers since her father died and her mother dumped her in the orphanage.
Yuzo goes to Ruri's mother, Nao (Nishida Naomi) to seek approval to bring Ruri back to Hatomijima. However, Nao seems to be unconcerned about Ruri and tells Yuzo that he can bring Ruri away and she "doesn't want to restrict her child". In other words, she cannot be bothered about what happens to Ruri. Yuzo is so angry at Nao's nonchalant attitude but Ruri tells him not to be bothered since Nao has always been like that. However, Yuzo's genuine concern for an unrelated person like her touches Ruri and she feels needed for the first time in her life.
Yuzo then brings Ruri to Hatomijima where a stranger, Kawashima Tatsuya also joins them in the same boat...
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