Title: わが家の歴史 Wagaya no Rekishi
English Title: The History of My Home
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese
Year: 2010
Episode: 03
Cast:
- 柴咲コウ Shibasaki Kō
- 佐藤浩市 Sato Koichi
- 加藤清史郎 Kato Seishiro
- 松本潤 Matsumoto Jun
- 佐藤隆太 Sato Ryuta
- 堀北真希 Horikita Maki
- 榮倉奈々 Eikura Nana
- 西田敏行 Nishida Toshiyuki
- 富司純子 Fuji Junko
- 佐藤浩市 Sato Koichi
- 加藤清史郎 Kato Seishiro
- 天海祐希 Amami Yuki
- 大泉洋 Oizumi Yo
- 長澤まさみ Nagasawa Masami
- 大泉洋 Oizumi Yo
- 玉山鉄二 Tamayama Tetsuji
- 山本耕史 Yamamoto Koji
- 鈴木砂羽 Suzuki Sawa
- 高田純次 Takada Junji
- 阿南健治 Anan Kenji
- 中尾明慶 Nakao Ariyoshi
- 藤原竜也 Fujiwara Tatsuya
- 小栗旬 Oguri Shun
SYNOPSIS
Yame Tokijiro married Yame Maki and they have five children. They were quite rich but circumstances lead to the family being poor around 1932.
Yame Masako is the eldest child of the Yame family. She stopped going to school when she was young in order to support her large family. She worked at a club as a hostess. Masako became the mistress of the club's president Onizuka Taizo, and the Taizo supported her entire family since then.
Yame Yoshio is the second child and the first son of the Yame family. He has a weak disposition ever since he was young. Intelligent and studious, he went to Tokyo University for his college education.
Yame Muneo is the third child of the Yame family. Although he was quite naughty when he was young, he grew up as a responsible adult. He does various odd jobs to help his older sister Masako to support their family.
Yame Namiko is the fourth child of the Yame family. She has a quiet disposition and is quite mature for her age. She loves reading.
Yame Fusako is the youngest child of the Yame family. She loves drawing and she dreams of becoming a comic artist in the future.
REVIEW
Wagaya no Rekishi chronicled the lives of the Yame family over a few years as they go through life's ups and downs. The family endured many hardships but they thrived and they have remained together until the end.
The drama was set in the 1940s to 1960s. It was fascinating to see how the Japanese people lived then through the characters in Wagaya no Rekishi. Some of the famous and influential people who lived at the time were also presented in the narrative.
Yame Masako had to work in a club and she supposedly fell in love with her married boss so she consented to be his mistress. Although she clearly said she loves the club's president Onizuka Taizo, I don't think she was telling the truth. I have a feeling that she chose to become a mistress not because of love for her boss but because of love for her family.
I hate that the production justified Masako's illicit relationship with her boss by the fact that Taizo is estranged from his wife and they don't have any children. No matter how troubled Taizo's marriage is, the fact of the matter is that he is still married legally to someone else.
I don't understand why Masako's family accepted her unconventional arrangement with Taizo. Only her mother Yame Maki was upset with the situation and her brother Yame Yoshio was slightly bothered with it, but their opinion is in the minority. I know they benefited from Masako's relationship with Taizo but I would think they would be disapproving and they would only tolerate it because of their circumstances.
Masako's sort of marriage with Taizo, even though it seemed real enough to her and her family, is not real enough for society. After Taizo's death, he obviously cannot support Masako and her family anymore. And because Masako isn't legally married to him, there is no recourse for her to get an inheritance or gain any access whatsoever to his wealth.
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わが家の歴史 Wagaya no Rekishi
