I first fell in love with the classic Kome Kome Club song “Kimi ga iru Dakede” as the wonderful intro to the 1992 drama “Sugao No Mama De”starring Narumi Yasuda and Akina Nakamori. The tale of the two different-as-can-be friends always opened with the winsome song, and I particularly love the way the song ended, with Yumiko and Kana holding hands against a sunset as Kome Kome Club lead singer Tatsuya Ishii crooned out the final lines “Whaoooh~True Heart…Whaoooh~True Heart…!”
After seeing them perform the song live on a music show (I think it was Pop Jam) I loved the song so much that I just HAD to get a copy of it for myself! But I was in for a SHOCK when I discovered that the official released version of the song did NOT end on that magical “Whaoooh~True Heart”, but instead jumped into a refrain and then faded out on a La-la-la chorus! WHAAA!
I have to tell you: I.WAS.CRUSHED. This was the second time this happened to me, as Eguchi Yosuke’s theme song for his drama Kekkon Shiyouyo “Traveling Boy” did the SAME thing! I was robbed of that perfect, pure ending and given a la la la fade out! NoOOOOooooo....
In time I did get more or less used to it, as the song itself is one of Kome Kome Club’s very best songs ever, and as a consolation of sorts, I realized that I could always hear the “drama” version ending of the song…whenever Kome Kome Club performed the song LIVE on TV programs! Because while the official single version faded out, the drama one had a proper ending, making ita NATURAL to do onstage!
Over the years I've managed to get ahold of a few great renditions of the song by the K2C gang, but there was ONE performance that PARTICULARLY tickled me: A short version of the song on MUSIC FAIR with Tatsuya Ishii and actress-turned-singer Takako Matsu!
The premise of Music fair was to take two different artists, have them sing their classics, and then have the two acts collaborate on a few tunes. One of the ones they picked was Kimi ga Iru Dakede, and what a SWEET little rendition it was! Takako’s gentle voice perfectly contrasts with Ishii’s huge vocal, and when they swell up to that perfect “True Heart” ending I could have DIED!
In past years I’d tried to find that old VHS tape with the performance of Takako Matsu and Tatsuya Ishii, but could not locate it. Then, just the other day, i thought, “I wonder if anyone uploaded the performance to youtube?” Crossing my fingers I logged it on, and was THRILLED to see it there, clear as crystal…and as WONDERFUL as I remembered it!
Check It Out!
I would remark to my friend Golden later that if it had been the whole song, it would have been one of my favorite live performances EVER, sadly it was part of a greater medley in the show and as such was only given a verse and a chorus. But it was THIS performance that propelled Kimi ga Iru Dake De to become one of my all-time BIG faves from the group!
For a guy whose favorite Japanese actress of all time is Keiko Kitagawa I’m ashamed to say I’d never heard of her 2012 TV Asahi food-oriented drama “Mi wo Tsukushi Ryouricho” or its 2014 follow up either...
Perhaps it was that Japan television movies/specials don’t get as much attention with fansubs and communities than regular length dramas, but the show completely flew under my radar til NHK began airing a new 2017 version earlier this year!
Starring Haru Kuroki in the Keiko Kitagawa role of Mio, the drama picks up where the last special left off, and though I was unaware that it was the third in the series when I began watching it, so many past events and people were alluded to in the course of the show that I knew it HAD to be a sequel of some kind!
Not that it was confusing or any problem to watch- the show was very keen on making a new viewer very comfortable and informed about what was going on and who everyone was, and I picked up on the storyline easily!
Mi wo Tsukushi Ryouricho tells the tale of a girl without any family who comes to Edo from Osaka and becomes a cook, and though very skilled, her unusual cuisine style (as well as ignorance of Edo ways and customs) makes her journey a slow and difficult one.
She is employed by the kindly Taneichi (Fumiyo Kohinata) at his restaurant where he once served Soba…but with a bad back he has given the cooking reins over to his young charge. Though she is flustering the regular patrons with her unfamiliar dishes and ingredients, Taneichi believes in Mio and always supports her decisions and food choices.
If only they would TASTE her food then they would realize how special her cooking is, but no one wants to give the odd girl and her equally odd specials a chance. It’s only through clever means that she is able to ‘trick” the townspeople into tasting her dishes, and naturally once they eat it, they are fans for life!
Each episode shows her creating a new kind of dish to try, and with the mysterious and gruff samurai Komatsubara (Mirai Moriyama) to critique and guide her, she slowly but surely is able to make a small foothold in the town.
Now, I don’t know how Keiko Kitagawa was in her movies, but I have to say that I REALLY love Haru Kuroki in the role of Mio. I liked her character from the SECOND I saw her, and her sweet and gentle demeanor really soothed my soul and made for a really laid-back and relaxing experience! Now that Tsubaki Bunguten is over, I need a thoughtful and calming drama to watch at the end of my day, and it looks like this is the one!
It’s been awhile since I watched either an NHK asadora OR an NHK Taiga Drama, and Mi wo Tsukushi Ryourichi reminds me so much of those shows. In fact, what it REALLY makes me feel like I’m watching are the old 1980’s “Abarenbo Shogun” series, and I really, really loved those...When they show Mio outside of the restaurant looking out into the village, it takes me right back to those days! Very nostalgic feel!
Also very cute is that after the show is over, they set aside the last few minutes to have a cooking lesson, teaching the viewers how to prepare the meal that was featured in the week’s episode! Such a sweet little show!
PS: I Suppose I should really try to find and watch the original Keiko Kitagawa movie specials, but somehow I think that Haru Kuroki will always be Mio for me from now on...
