Drama Digest
Ever wondered how a super famous actress spends her day off?
Arimura Kasumi no Satsukyu follows the story of a famous actress Arimura Kasumi who gets a break from her very tight shooting schedule and decides to head to her hometown to meet her mother after a long time. What follows on her trip back home is the basic premise of the drama.
The Feel-Good Part
This is unexpectedly a great feel good slice of life Japanese drama. The plot is also original like a story based on the fictional life of Arimura Kasumi, it has nothing to do with her aside from her name as an actress. The series goes all guns from the first episode itself. Episode one itself gives you the perfect taste of what’s coming your way. Nothing much happens to be exact, characters meet and simple talks happen then we got introduced with this one character that happens to be Arimura Kasumi’s half-brother. The episode starts cozy then gets a little bit tense in the middle and ends heartfelt and meaningful. The tension is very subtle but you will feel it.
The Disappointing Factor
This is one of those series, where you can’t really nit-pick anything. The story is a slow burner (which is one of its strong points btw), the direction is top notch and actors have pulled off all their roles very beautifully.
In Depth Analysis
When you finish an 8-episode series which revolves around one person who is just interacting with people around them and still feel you wanted more, you can understand how good the series is. Koreeda’s skill as a director can be seen throughout the 8 episodes of the series.
The series is edited crisply but the audience is given enough time to put themselves in the shoes of the character and to let the moment sink in.
A surprising stand out is the music, which further helps to create the laid-back tone which Koreeda is looking from the series.
Star Power
Arimura Kasumi who is playing the character with the same name kicks it out of the park. Coming back after a critically acclaimed performance in the movie Flying Colors, she embodied the role of an Actress that is slowly drifting away from her mother and does not know what to do about all the mess in her life. The moments of confusion, introspection, she kills it in all of them. All the secondary cast has done a great job as well.
Overall Opinion
Keeping it simple. This series is soothing and beautiful. The whole tone of the show fits very well with the subject of days off. It has a very relaxing, calm feel to it, and it’s easy to settle into each episode.
If you like laid-back slice of life shows, or just wants to try something a little different. Give this one a shot, you may find it surprisingly enjoyable.
