JAPANESE DRAMA DATABASE: Orange Days

[Excerpt from Daily Yomiuri, April 15, 2004, Wm. Penn]: First, it was an apple. Now, it's an orange. It is not clear just where scriptwriter Eriko Kitagawa is headed with this fruity symbolism but we have definitely been there before. Her new Sunday night series Orange Days (9 p.m. on the TBS network), which started April 11, bears a very strong resemblance to one of her greatest hits.: Kitagawa is the creator of some of the best romantic dramas of the last decade, including the Takako Tokiwa mega hit Beautiful Life. But her most endearing and perhaps most enduring work is her 1995 TBS winner Aishite Iru to Itte kure starring Tokiwa and Etsushi Toyokawa.
: In the drama, which is often rebroadcast on satellite TV, the opening scene shows Toyokawa, a hearing-impaired artist, plucking an apple from a tree and presenting it to Tokiwa, a drama student searching for success. The small-screen chemistry between the pair was perfect, and sign language was soon fashionable.
Well, here it is nine years later and the opening of Orange Days has Kai (Satoshi Tsumabuki) presenting an orange (of the natsumikan or iyokan variety) to Sae (Ko Shibasaki). He is a fourth-year social welfare major with sign-language skills, who is desperately searching for a full-time job. She is a hearing-impaired violinist who smokes, can sign in both the Kanto and Kansai dialects and enjoys making shockingly outrageous X-rated sign language statements.
: Kai's very shy best friend has been eyeing Sae for months and has an intermediary arrange a date for him with her. But when he learns the girl cannot hear, he chickens out and coerces Kai to go to the amusement park in his place. Kai is shocked to find Sae is the girl he tossed the orange to in the opening scene. But after some initial conflict and confusion, they begin to enjoy themselves and episode one ends with a kiss. This will lead to more conflict in episode two because Kai already has an older girlfriend. Coincidentally, she is also a specialist in sign language so she will be privy to all of the new couple's conversations.
: We learn the violinist only lost her hearing four years ago through an illness. She is bitter, wary and still adjusting. As she explains it, when she looks at a bird, she wonders what happened to its voice before she remembers it is she who cannot hear it.
: Kitagawa is an excellent scriptwriter, and interesting observations like this are scattered throughout the dialogue but the first installment was slow-moving and the supporting cast rather weak.
: Is Kitagawa merely trying to repeat a past success or has she developed a new take on the topic? She did not reveal her motives in episode one. All that was clear is that it will be a mammoth task for the 2004 cast to compete with the 1995 hit. Perhaps, she should have rested on her past success in the disability drama genre and explored some new territory. Watchable but not entrancing, this one rates no more than a B- for episode one.
TBS SYNOPSIS: Kai Yuuki (Satoshi Tsumabuki) is in his senior year at university studying social welfare psychology. At present, he is in the middle of job-hunting season. He is finding it difficult with no job offers so far. One day, he meets a girl who is playing violin in the campus. She is Sae Hagio (Kou Shibasaki). In marked contrast to her beautiful tone and attractive looks, her personality is somewhat impertinent. And to top it off, she communicates through very vulgar sign language. Four years ago, she lost the most important thing for a violinist - her hearing. As a result Sae closed off her inner self from the outside world. Kai finds himself on a date with Sae, in place of his best friend. Unexpectedly, he comes into contact with Sae's private side. Love, job-hunting, friendship... Setting a campus in spring as a dorama`s backdrop, it's the start of a glittering youth drama.

Copyright � 1993-2004 Japanese Dorama Database.
nt2099 media and entertainment.
A non-profit site created by drama fans for drama fans.