As the drama focuses on a family and their problems, I guess you could call this drama a “Slice of Life” genre, but what sets it apart is its use of clever and colorful dialog to get its characters through each scene.
Every confrontation is a barrage of melodramatic prose and it is simply fascinating to watch these characters use words to bend their opponents to their will or have their opinions broken down in similar fashion!
Mitsuru (Toma Ikuta) is a 30-ish year old guy still living with his Mother Fusae (the still ever-elegant Mieko Harada) who runs a coffee shop called Polaris.
Coffee Shop Mama Fusae
Regulars Makimoto, Morozumi and Sonoda
After an attempt at starting a Specialty Coffee shop of his own fell through after a few months, Mitsuru has seemingly given up trying to get a job and has been living off his mother’s good will.
Coffee Shop Mama Fusae
Though Mitsuru is practically a recluse and makes his mother do even the smallest of errands (such as exchanging his small coins into bigger bills, LOL), Mom is content to have him around and doesn't mind spoiling him.
But when Ikuta’s older sister Ayako (Eiko Koike) announces that she is renovating her family home and will be moving back to the home for a few months with Husband Koji (Ken Yasuda) and daughter Harumi (Kaya Kiyohara) in tow, Mitsuru’s life gets turned upside down! Big Sis Ayako is well versed in her brother's laziness and aptitude for talking his way out of anything. She makes it her MISSION while she is there to get him out of the house and back to work!
And Mitsuru isn't the only one troubled: Koji is busy struggling with a mid-life crisis of his own as a new father and missing his former musical life in a rock band.
And daughter Harumi has been missing classes because of some situation at school with friends Rika (Rintaro Mizusawa) and Rina (Asuka Kawatoko) but won't say her reasons.
In both of these Mitsuru's outspoken behavior actually helps the situation, whether by having a beer with Koji at their favorite bar (where bartender Kaisei (Yosuke Sugino) and pretty waitress/musician Koyuki (Kinari) offer their support...
...Or heart-to-heart conversations with Harumi which fluctuate between sarcasm to sincerity, Mitsuru's bluntness works like a charm!
Everyone is at odds- but with the gift of gab, all feeling are put on the table and we see that with each careful conversation, people changing, if not for the better, than at least for the moment!
My GOSH, this is a dialog lovers dream! Every scene is filled with such brilliant conversation, and we get the whole spectrum, from angry, to ponderous, and even thoughtful and touching!
Ooh, and as a bonus we've even got luscious Kana Kurashina in a guest role looking LOVELIER than she's EVER been before, as a possible love interest for the addled Mitsuru...
I especially like the scenes with Mitsuru talking with his niece Harumi. As a troubled teenager she needs all the help she can get, and it’s really sweet seeing him use his gruff “I don't give a crap” attitude to actually help her feel better about herself and take on school once more!
Gotta say, Ore Wa Hanashi Wa Nagai is hands down my favorite show right now!!
Posted by zdoramaagain.blogspot.com
