Title: ヤスコとケンジ Yasuko to Kenji
English Title: Yasuko and Kenji
Country: Japan
Language: Japanese
Year: 2008
Episode: 10
Cast:
- 松岡昌宏 Matsuoka Masahiro
- 広末涼子 Hirosue Ryoko
- 多部未華子 Tabe Mikako
- 大倉忠義 Okura Tadayoshi
- 山口紗弥加 Yamaguchi Sayaka
- 内山信二 Uchiyama Shinji
- 渡部豪太 Watabe Gota
- 嶋大輔 Shima Daisuke
- 小嶋陽菜 Kojima Haruna
- 櫻井淳子 Sakurai Atsuko
SYNOPSIS
Tokio - 雨傘 Amagasa (Umbrella)Oki Kenji's parents died in an accident ten years ago. At the time, Kenji used to be a leader of a gang but he changed his ways in order to support his younger sister Oki Yasuko and he now writes shōjo manga. He seems like a timid guy wearing glasses but his violent side comes out whenever he thinks Yasuko is in danger and needs his protection.
Tsubaki Jun transfers to Yasuko's school and she immediately falls in love with him. Jun is good-looking, intelligent, and gentle; he always helps Yasuko whenever she gets in trouble.
Jun's older sister Tsubaki Erika manages a flower shop. They used to live in Yasuko's neighborhood ten years ago and they decided to move back. Erika appears gentle and feminine but she also has a violent side considering that she used to be a leader of a gang. Erika's first love happens to be Kenji, Yasuko's older brother.
REVIEW
I like family dramas and this is essentially the main reason why I watched Yasuko to Kenji. I think Oki Kenji means well and he just really wants to protect his sister, but the way he does things is questionable possibly because he doesn't know any better.
In a way, I find it weird that he doesn't understand Oki Yasuko considering that his profession is writing shōjo manga and his novels are supposed to be very popular with the target audience. But then again, when I think about it, I suppose it is still possible for him to make mistakes. After all, parents and siblings do sometimes misunderstand even though they are the ones who supposedly know us better than anyone else.
I don't really know much about gangs but they are portrayed as having distinct hairstyles and fashion. It seems also as if they are always up for a fight, sometimes even going around looking for a fight. I think the drama is going into extremes with the image of a gang leader in order to show the difference between Kenji as an ordinary guy and Kenji when he becomes angry.
But this drama is actually more about Yasuko's growth as a person; she finally appreciates her brother's love and affection for her and she falls in love with a classmate. Yasuko is flawed but she's someone you would want to root for because you just know she'll become a better person in the end.
The drama's romantic pairs are neatly tied together; with Yasuko falling in love with Jun and Yasuko's older brother Kenji rekindling flames with Tsubaki Erika, his first love and Tsubaki Jun's older sister.
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ヤスコとケンジ Yasuko to Kenji
