Koibumi

[Daily Yomiuri excerpt, October 17, 2003, Wm. Penn]: Koibumi (Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on the TBS newwork) is also set in a hospital but nary a doctor walks the halls of this facility. Etsuko (Emi Wakui), who is dying of an incurable disease slowly, relatively painlessly and all alone, happens to spot her old boyfriend, school teacher Takehara (Atsuro Watabe), in the hospital hallway one day. Fate has taken him there to visit the sick vice principal and to cross her path. She overcomes all her inhibitions and visits his school to ask for his help in getting through the next few months. The man cannot resist her request and not only agrees to stay by her side but quits his job, leaves his family and takes up part-time work on the docks so he can have more time to care for her. She is delighted to have this one last chance at happiness and is blissfully unaware that he has a wife and son. In Episode 1, Takehara's wife (Miki Mizuno) figures the situation out and agrees to his plan but demands a chance to meet the woman who is taking her husband away from her. In Episode 2, she visits the hospital posing as Takehara's cousin. Meanwhile, their young son has also figured out something is going on and writes for advice to the magazine where his mother works. Excellent acting keeps this one from being maudlin and silly. It is good to see Wakui back in a major role in the prime-time lineup. Three stars here, too.

Starring: Wakui Emi, Atsuro Watabe, Mizuno Miki
THEME SONG: "Hiragi" by Do As Infinity
NETWORK: TBS
DURATION: October through December 2003
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