JAPANESE DRAMA DATABASE: Doku

Doku

Katori Shingo is once again playing a slightly 'different' character, Vietnamese to be exact. In MISEINEN he was slow, in TOMEI NINGEN he was really crazy, and now his character DOKU is really quiet and sweet. In fact I think he is doing a great job. Yuki (Yasuda Narumi) is an unsatisfied OL who is trying to find herself. She goes off to Vietnam to meet a friend and just relax. While trying to cross a busy street, Doku ( a kid who drives them bike taxis) grabs her hand and helps her across the street.

That's when Yuki and Doku meet for the first time. Yuki gives him some money as a tip. While vacationing in Vietnam, Yuki realizes that her real job in this life is to teach Japanese to foreign nationals living in Japan. She goes back, studies for her teaching exam, and passes it. Her family and several of her friends are against Yuki's decision to teach Japanese. Her parents are worried that Yuki will never get married. Her good friend Amamiya (Shinna) is totally against her decision. He plays baseball for a company team. He loves Yuki but doesn't have the courage to tell her. Doku arrives in Japan as an exchange student. He plans to enter Waseda University after completing his Japanese lessons at a Japanese Language school. Doku manages to get a job as a busboy at a Vietnamese Restaurant. One day, Yuki walks by the restaurant and decides to go in because she misses the Vietnamese food she had there. By chance she sees Doku working there. Doku does something to a customer (I had to use the restroom during this scene) and the customer isreally upset. Doku runs out of the restaurant. Later that evening, Yuki waits outside of the restaurant for Doku to come out. He does. They meet and they both talk a bit. While walking home, a cop stops Doku. He asks Doku what country he is from? Foreigner riding a bicycle = thief. Apparently Doku is riding a stolen bicycle. Doku is taken to the koban (police box) and Yuki goes along with him. Yuki is learning for the first time how foreigners are treated in Japan. There, Doku's restaurant manager manages to get Doku out of trouble. Doku is riding a bike that was thrown away in a gomi pile. So in actually he isn't riding a stolen bike. Yuki is thanked by the manager for all of her help. The following day, Yuki applies for a position at a Japanese Language school. The head person asks her if she can teach that day (like a test). Yuki stammers and says it's okay but.......well anyways she goes into the classroom. Well what do you know, it's the class Doku is in.Yuki writes her full name on the chalk board in hiragana. While trying to start the class, Yuki freezes up and starts to cry. The students laugh and make funny comments. DOku walks up and changes the Yuki into Yuuki (courage) on the chalkboard. He tells Yuki in Japanese , 'yuuki dashitekudasai' She does and says yoroshiku onegaishimasu to the class. The class happily responds.....[FIRST EPISODE SYNOPSIS]

STARRING: Katori Shingo,Yasuda Narumi, Shiina Kippei, Kanno Miho, Murakami Rikako, Hayashi Ryuzo and a collaboration from the Japanese and Vietanamese production companies.
THEME SONG: Pride by Imai Miki
DURATION: October 17, 1996 through December 19, 1996. 10 episodes.
* DOWNLOAD SYNOPSIS (NOTE: Synopsis contains spoiler / PDF - Download Adobe Acrobat reader to view).

REVIEWS:

It's a very good drama and it's good to see a drama that covers foreigners in Japan. Although, it may be weird to see foreginers learning Japanese but talking Japanese anyways. This drama was voted #1 drama in the Fall/Winter seasons and the theme song was #1 for quite a long time. Personally, it was good but not great. It won #1 considering the bad dramas that aired during the Winter of 1996, so don't let the #1 status mislead you to thinking that this a great drama because it's really not that great, it's a little above average. Recommended. - Usagi