Inu wo Kau to iu Koto : Final Thoughts

So, I finally finished this drama. It took me a while to do it but I did it… and I can say I have no regrets picking up this drama.

Like I had wrote in my initial review, this drama fleshes out this family’s lives in such a natural way that you don’t feel so overwhelmed by needless, unrealistic, drama. Yes, bad things happen in almost near succession, but everyone’s reactions to these problems are not over the top ridiculous that take you out of the moment. You can actually see Yuuji quitting his job and Sachiko freaking out because they don’t make enough money as it is for him to even consider that. You see the effects of a hard economy on a poor, young, family and then you watch as they work through those problems all the while become emotionally attached to a furry ball of joy. That, for some reason, is what makes this drama great.

This scene had me bawling

Some always wonder why I hate Freeter, Ie wo Kau. Sometimes, when talking with them, I sometimes began to wonder why I hated the drama after a while. But this drama reminded me of everything that I felt went wrong with Freeter. This drama had their characters grow through their problems, what you saw them in the first episode is not what they are by the final episode. Everyone grows and learns from their problems and mistakes. Freeter lacked that. There was no character growth, no repercussions, and no development. Things happened to that family and they just coasted right by hoping for it to get better for eleven episodes. That had annoyed me to no end; crying and complaining about the situation doesn’t resolve the problem, doing something and changing who you are helps change the problem. Because, sometimes, it isn’t the situation that is the problem but you are the problem.

Anyway, Ryo Nishikido is at his finest in this drama. I like Ryo in this drama. I thought he would have sucked and not sold his character to me but he did. So, I’m slow clapping as I type this. Ryo’s character, Yuuji, is a young guy. He’s carefree and still immature in his ways, but he’s a provider and he acknowledges this fact that he must provide for the family that he loves. Yes, he has dreams, but he realizes that life did not go his way and he must now take on this new path. Even when fate comes knocking on his door again, he stays true to his family. Ryo managed to sell this and then some, which says a lot considering his growth as an actor.

He has managed to play a (vapid) villain, annoying younger brother with a god hand, a cancer patient, a revenge filled weapons expert,  a hot headed assassin, a time traveling samurai, and now a poor father. With a lot of Johnny’s, they seem to stay in this one mode (Yokoyama, Ninomiya) and they get these characters that fit that mold, but its refreshing to see some Johnny’s like Nishikido break those molds and actually sell the character.

I will have to admit that I enjoy watching Nishikido as an actor.

His chemistry with Asami is great. Or rather, Asami and Ryo compliment each other in this drama. It is interesting, considering how nearly three years ago Ryo was playing the villain to her character and the rest of her room mates in Last Friends and now they’re playing as a madly in love married couple with children. They sell that they’re a married couple and as you keep watching you eventually believe it. You can see them as a married couple and as the drama continues, where you begin to see more intimate moments between them, it just flows. It’s fluid. It’s natural. Not to forget that Asami is a great actress in itself, though used to seeing her playing these more light hearted characters, its refreshing to see her take that energy and channel it into a dotting, caring, mother and wife.

And we can’t forget the two young children that play Mako and Masaru. They are absolutely amazing and enjoyable to watch. Mako’s actress steals the show with her charming personality and attachment to Sky, the young Pomeranian they’ve adopted. Also, every side character adds some layer to this family that brings it full circle. At the end, you can’t help but smile when they’re all at the table eating sukiyaki and laughing, remembering the good and bad times.

The drama is light hearted but then it takes a heavy turn into depress mode. As you watch, you don’t expect it to grab at you emotionally, but as the story continues to fall, you become emotionally invested. When you watch those final two episodes, you can’t help but cry. I know I was bawling watching it and I never cry watching a drama. It was a first for me. But that’s how well written this drama is. It doesn’t use your knowledge of the actors to grab at you emotionally but the writing does. The relationships do. Their struggle does.

Inu wo Kau to iu koto is not a drama for everyone. It’s slow at first and it doesn’t pick up much at all, but it drops in these well written, hilarious, moments that break up the monotony that a lot of these slice of life dramas are notorious for (ie Freeter). But, for me, its a great drama and I absolutely loved it. I am definitely considering buying the blu-ray set.

What a great drama