Kazama Masamune was a high school student having a blissful love affair with a woman several years older than him. Then one day she leaves him behind and never comes back. With the promise of writing her everyday, each letter he writes goes unanswered. Six years later, he finds out the woman he has loved has passed away leaving a little girl behind which claims to be his own daughter.
Now Kazama’s life has done a complete 180 and suddenly has to take the role of being a father to a girl he never knew he had.
My Girl actually ended up a lot better than I had originally expected. Now, quick summary:
The episode opens up with Kazama Masamune (Masaki Aiba) and Yoko Tsukamoto (Yuka) madly in love with each other, enjoying young love under the cherry blossoms. Then, one day, she leaves him behind and we’re fast forward into the present, six years later. Kazama is now working at a photography studio, living a pretty normal life as a single man until one day he gets news that the woman he loved died.
Not only has she died, but she also left behind a child; a child that is apparently his. The girl he had met in the park a day ago. Fast fowarding a bit, after getting the box of unread letters he sent to Yoko back, he takes time out to try and get to know his apparent estranged daughter. They spend time together, at the park, until one of the kindergarten teachers approaches him for ” acting suspiciously ” around Koharu, Masamune’s estranged daughter.
Anyway, a few more things happen inbetween and at the end, when Masamune is frustrated with his situation and trying to deny, yet cope, with his situation he stumbles over a letter from Yoko which was never sent to him. In the letter she pours out her feelings, why she did what she did, and how she’s alone and scared. It’s this letter that breaks him and he eventually comes to terms, meeting with Koharu again in the park, having a discussion with her, and then…
” Would you like to live with me? ”
” Yes! ”
… It took me a few days to write this review. One, procrastination. Two, full time job. So if there’s misleading part, its because I probably forgot what happened as the days went on. But, I have to say, I did enjoy My Girl. I didn’t have much expectation from it, considering I heard Aiba’s performance was less than spectacular but for some reason it wasn’t that bad. It actually was surprisngly good.
Aiba’s performance doesn’t qualify him for an oscar, and he’s definitely no Junnichi Okada, but for what it’s worth Aiba really made me look at him at a different light. Not the Aibaka everyone knows him as, the bumbling idiot who will fall into holes and fight with monkeys, but as a young adult coping with a sudden life change. Shingo Murakami of Kanjani8, who has supporting male lead billing in this drama, only had a total of a minute of screen time as the kindergarten teacher so I couldn’t tell if he has improved as an actor or not.
But after watching Arigatou, Okan and then seeing his performance in Neverland, I doubt I’m going to see a miracle change within a year. That, and, I still can’t get the Eito Renjyaa skit out of my head where he has these over the top monologues. It’s ingrained into my minddddddddddd. Hina can’t sing, he can’t act, but he can dance and has a nice body so it balances off.
I think the person who really stole the show for me was the young girl playing Aiba’s estranged daughter, which I forgot her name. She is simply perfect for this role.
I’m not disappointed and that’s a good thing. Hopefully things stay that way.
Screencaps coming later.