ドラマ (Dorama) Time! 12

The fall 2015 drama season has come to an end in Japan, and these are the shows that I chose this season. In order of what I started watching first:

5時から9時まで～私に恋したお坊さん (5-ji kara 9-ji made～Watashi ni koishita obousan/From 5 to 9: The Priest Who Fell in Love with Me) - Fuji TV/2015

One of many romantic comedies based on manga series, I watched this show for the lead actress, Ishihara Satomi. I first saw her in 2010's 'Hidarime Tantei EYE', and she's been one of my favorite Japanese actresses since. She's got big lips like I do, and she's not just some pretty girl. No matter the role, her characters have personality. They express themselves, and even her more docile characters disagree with others and get loud when they need to. She brings a certain mischievous spunk and strong-willed sense of humor to every character she plays. This show is no different.

As the title notes, '5-ji kara 9-ji made' is about a twenty-something English teacher named Junko (Ishihara Satomi) whose life changes when a Buddhist priest named Takane (Yamashita Tomohisa, also in 'Algernon ni Hanataba wo') falls in love with her at first sight. She has her own career and dreams of moving to New York, but Takane inserts himself into every part of her life, following her around, hanging around her workplace, making himself at home at her parents house, and even holding her hostage for a night at his temple. Behavior that would get you arrested, socked in the jaw, or kicked in the pants in real life stateside, but is apparently endearing and demonstrates the deepness of your love in J-dramaland. Especially when Takane's always close by to swoop in whenever Junko's having a tough time. In short, Takane's the best but he's also the absolute worst, because he's always getting in her way. At first. Gradually they meet in the middle. Junko gets him to slow down and start off as friends first, while she learns the ins-and-out of running his family's prestigious temple.

Since much of the show is set at Junko's English conversation school, a lot of dialogue between the Japanese characters is in English. Which is actually super cute because some of them speak English surprisingly well! The two stars and a certain character named "Arthur" (Hayami Mokomichi, also one of the male leads in  '37.5°C no Namida') greatly impressed me in particular. Plus one of the actors playing a teacher is a black girl with a majestic fro, which I appreciate even though she has no speaking parts. Other than the final episode, which was the corniest and sappiest of them all,  '5-ji kara 9-ji made' is a cute drama about love, following your dreams, and modern pretty working 20-somethings. Something light and fun to watch that I'd recommend to anyone!


オトナ女子 (Otona Joshi/Grown Girls/Grown Women) - Fuji TV/2015

This one I watched for the theme song, "Nando demo" by Crystal Kay. Been a fan of hers since 2007 and I just have to support whatever she's a part of! 'Otona Joshi' stars Shinohara Ryoko as Aki, a successful mobile game app developer with a less less-than-stellar love life. Not only does she have to deal with a loser musician boyfriend, she also has to take crap about how old and undesirable she is from co-workers. If the crap isn't coming from her younger subordinates who talk behind her back, it comes from Takayama (Eguchi Yosuke), a cynical scriptwriter and novelist commissioned to help write the team's new role-playing romance game app, who believes life is basically over for women once they hit age 25. To stay strong, Aki laughs and commiserates with her two best friends who are also women in their 40s. One, Midori, is a single mom of three nearly grown boys who has no thoughts of love until her youngest son's 20-something-year old teacher is smitten with her. The other, Moeko, is a florist who begins dating Aki's boss, a smooth guy with a playboy reputation she isn't yet aware of.

As I understand it, once women get past a certain age in Japan, they're often not treated like "women" anymore. They became obasan ("aunties"), just one rung above obaasan ("grandma") old lady status. In some people's eyes this takes effect as early as 25, but in one's 40s, it's like women are especially undesirable and invisible. Aki just can't catch a break as men use her age as a reason to drop her or take advantage of her. At one point she is almost raped, and when she fights the scumbag off, he has the audacity to argue that she's not in a position to be rejecting anyone's advances at her age (read: you should be glad I'm trying to rape you, because you're so old that no one would give you any play anyway). And the woman. is only. 40. years. old. This is some sick and twisted mess, y'all. 'Otona Joshi' opens with the line that even women in their 40s are still feminine and want to find love and happiness, and that instead of being counted out as obasan, they should rather be called otona joshi (adult girls/grown girls/grown women). The show argues for the enduring value of 40-something women by showing how they can still be appealing to men, which is tired and limiting to me. But, on the other hand, love and engaging in healthy relationships are the explicit focus of the show, so I can get with it. 'Otona Joshi' is another romantic comedy, but one that's less about cuteness than it is about scratching the surface of how women are unfairly devalued in society. Watch if you want something light that's a little more realistic than '5-ji kara 9-ji made'.


結婚式の前日に (Kekkonshiki no Zenjitsu ni/On the Day Before the Wedding) - TBS/2015

This one I watched for the lead actress, Karina. She tends to play more unconventional, tomboy-ish, "strong" female characters. Not sure if it's because of her height or atypical look, or if it's just her preference. But as a potentially-dying woman named Hitomi, 'Kekkonshiki no Zenjitsu ni' showcases Karina in a role that's not necessarily more feminine or girly, but softer and with more emotional range. Hitomi is a real estate development designer who was raised by her single father and her aunt. All three

live in the same house above her father's restaurant in the soon to be former location of the Tsukiji Market. Hitomi is also engaged to tall and handsome doctor who comes from a long line of physicians. Her career is picking up speed and plans for the wedding are going well.... until Hitomi learns that she has an inoperable brain tumor. And then her estranged mother Kanako (Harada Mieko) re-enters her life after having left the family when Hitomi was three years old. Now Hitomi has to figure out how to break the news of her illness to the people in her life, decide whether or not to accept her mother, and choose whether or not to continue with the engagement, all while coming to terms with what seems to be a death sentence.

This show is slightly slower than the other two mentioned in this post, but it has the most heart. What I found most refreshing about it is how uncharacteristically supportive the other characters are when Hitomi's having these crises. This is not a typical tragic cancer story or otherwise down-on-one's-luck story where people desert a character in need. Instead, this is a story about an ailing woman whose community rises to the occasion and comes through for her. Hitomi's fiancé isn't confident that he can stay by her side through her illness, his overbearing mom keeps pressuring him to dump her, and he'll have to give up an amazing opportunity abroad if he stays with her. And you know what he does? He voices all his concerns to her, but he still stays! Kanako made a horribly selfish decision when she abandoned Hitomi, but once she learns about how sick her daughter is, you know what she does? She does everything within her power to help Hitomi remain positive, live fully, and not give up. 'Kekkonshiki' emphasizes the importance of having a support system around you, and overcoming your pride enough to actually let those people help and guide you when you need them.

Having not had high hopes for any one of these dramas (the synopses didn't sell me too much, but I decided to take a chance), I'm glad say that I enjoyed each of these dramas to an equal extent. As such I have no top pick! '5-ji kara 9-ji made' was funny and fun to watch, 'Otona Joshi' had the freshest concept and most relevant hot topic, and 'Kekkonshiki' was a humbling family story that moved me the most. Watch all of them if you can!

Aunties :)

Aunt Terri: Danielle, how many burgers you want? One or two?

Me: One is fine.

Aunt Terri: Naw, you can have two. (read: That was cute, but I've already decided you'll have two.)

Aunties for the win!

BOOKS! (How to Live in Detroit Without Being a Jackass)

I saw this book on display during one of my last days at the store. I thought the premise was clever and timely, seeing as how lately there's more and more talk about Detroit "making a comeback". And I found the Vernors ginger ale logo design that the cover copies to be fitting, although I'm personally not a fan of the beverage. (Vernors is one of many trademark Detroit/Michigan things, and Foley seems to stan for it. But if you ask me, it's way too sweet and Canada Dry wins over it any day. But I digress.) So I bought it. Aaron Foley was actually scheduled for a signing later that evening at the store, but after an almost 9-hour shift I was ready to seek refuge at home. However, after having read it I kind of wish I'd stayed just to give him a hug and say, "Thank you, sir. People have been needing this book."

How to Live in Detroit Without Being a Jackass by Aaron Foley

This book is a starting point for new transplants to Detroit and people who haven't yet moved to the city but are considering it. Each chapter offers a different lesson titled "How to _____ in Detroit", and the book even includes black-and-white maps (basic geography of the city, notable landmarks, neighborhoods) and illustrations of well-known local faces and commodities drawn by Haley Suzanne Stone. Foley also lists his recommendations for other reading material, songs, and films to get people more acquainted and informed. For the uninitiated, How to Live in Detroit is mostly informational. For the rest of us, Detroiters or suburban Metro Detroiters like myself, the book is  informative but also gives us a space to laugh and shake our heads as Foley brings up familiar truths (many to be proud of, some not so much) about Detroit history, culture, and current or emerging issues.

Granted, Foley recognizes that every individual's Detroit experience is different, so he can't (and he doesn't) claim to be the ultimate authority on all things Detroit. Born, raised, and now a returned resident of Detroit, he knows his city the way he knows it, and he's just sharing that knowledge in order to prevent newcomers (especially but not exclusively white newcomers) from making crucial mistakes. In some way natives and newcomers alike can all do better. But certain newbie mistakes will cheat transplants out of appreciating what the city has to offer, and will risk creating tensions with or erasing Detroiters who've been there longer than newer residents. The running "don't be a jackass" line is meant to be funny, and Foley does include his profanity and sense of humor in his writing. But he's also on a serious mission to educate readers, admonishing them to love the city for what it is and collaborate to make it greater for all, rather than trying to swoop in and selfishly make it into what they think it should be.

It's probably because I'm from the suburbs and know to stay in my lane, but one of my favorite points of Foley's is the one he makes about how hometown designation works here. In a nutshell, it doesn't matter how close you live to the city or how much time you spend there. If the name of the city in which you live or grew up is spelled or referred to as anything other than D-E-T-R-O-I-T, then you aren't from Detroit. You're from Grosse Pointe. You're from Auburn Hills. You're from Ferndale. You're from Royal Oak. You're from Rochester Hills *shudder*. You're from downriver. But you're not from Detroit. Don't even pretend. Rather than distancing yourself from all the city represents because you think it's beneath you, this is more about not laying claim to something that you're not really part of. It's a matter of accuracy, it's a matter of pride, it's a matter of culture and community, it's a matter of responsibility (you claim Detroit but what do you really know about it? how do you contribute to it?). Just don't do it. Even if you insist on fronting about it, folks will be able to call your bluff.

Lastly, I also greatly appreciate how Foley repeatedly affirms that Detroit is a mostly Black city. Less mature readers might whine about bias, not understanding why Foley harps on Black people and Blackness so much. But, above all, it's a demographic fact due to a particular history of migration, industry, and discrimination that can't be ignored. You can't claim to love Detroit without recognizing and respecting the people who've made (and continue to make) it what it is, and to act like Black people don't play a huge part in that is just willfully ignorant and silly.

Show a brotha some love. Show a Detroiter some love. Show Detroit some love. Do yourself a favor. Read this book!

 Favorite quotes:

"When does 'helping' come off as smug? Easy. When you treat [a] good deed as a favor to the people around you rather than simply as a good deed. You should not expect people to bow down to you because you painted the outside of your house.

White people don't often like to hear this, but since many have been so rewarded all their lives for basic accomplishments they're shocked when they're not recognized for something that most people do every day. Millennial whites can especially insufferable, having grown up in a culture in which everyone gets a trophy just for showing up" (84-85).

"If your goal is to own a house in a certain neighborhood, then do it. You don't have to own multiple houses─unless you want to own multiple houses. If you want to be an artist, be an artist. You don't have to own the gallery. You don't have to be a brand. You can be a well-meaning steward of community in your own way. You don't always have to go the extra mile. You can be comfortable in Detroit. And you can separate comfort from selfishness" (227).

Thinks she's so funny.

Me (writing on a to/from tag): Did I spell her name right?

Ma: Let me see. (reaches out to grab tag)

Me: Nuh-uh! Do you see with your hands?

Ma: Blind people see with their hands.

Me:.....I'm done talking to you today.

BOOKS! (Bad Feminist)

My initial acquaintance with Roxane Gay came by way of the Another Round podcast, where she was a guest on Heben and Tracy's first live show ("Episode 13: Another Round LIVE!"). A professor and writer, Gay sounded like a fun, straightforward, brilliant, and accomplished who-gon-check-me-boo woman who's just recently been starting to get the props that she's owed. Then I was walking around the store a few weeks later and came across Bad Feminist sitting on a display table. And I thought─Wait. Roxane Gay... Roxane?? That Roxane?! Oh for sure, I'll make space on my reading list for you! And here we are.

Bad Feminist: Essays by Roxane Gay

This collection of essays is Roxane Gay's third book, whose title refers to Gay acknowledging her limits and complexities as a human being. She clearly identifies as a a feminist, a definition of which she quotes from the book DIY Feminism as, "just women who don't want to be treated like shit" (303). But feminist practice and theory are actually so vast that Gay can't know it all, and she's aware that the ways in which she chooses to live her life and be herself may conflict with her feminist principles (what habits a feminist "should" have, what constitutes a "good feminist", and so on). Having recognized that feminism was never meant to be monolithic or fool-proof in her introduction, she proceeds to offer her knowledge and analyses of various topics that are organized into five categories: "Me", "Gender and Sexuality", "Race and Entertainment", "Politics, Gender & Race", and "Back to Me". It's funny, critical, and raises numerous necessary questions. Why do women─even fictional ones─have to be likable? Why must people of color contend with table scraps when it comes to media representation? Why is our society committed to making excuses for sexual violence? Is being a "bad feminist" really such a bad thing?

"Reaching for Catharsis: Getting Fat Right (or Wrong) and Diana Spechler's Skinny" is most relevant to my experience, for obvious reasons. But "The Solace of Preparing Fried Foods and Other Quaint Remembrances from 1960s Mississippi: Thoughts on The Help" is my absolute favorite! Gay takes a book and movie that I (used to) thoroughly enjoy and tears them to shreds, but with a solid argument and valid points. When I started to read the essay I was shocked and confused, then defensive, then I thought twice, and by the end I'd grudgingly changed my mind. I still don't abhor The Help to the degree she does, but she does call BS on a lot of aspects that I hadn't paid attention to before. (The gist: The Help is just one more in a long line of historical films about race in America that's meant to comfort white people more than to adequately address racial issues. It's such an egregious fantasy to Gay that she deems it "science fiction". She also touches on the fatigue and erasure Black people often feel watching films that remind us of our collective trauma and/or are supposed to be about us but aren't genuinely so). So I feel convicted but also am grateful for her bringing me up to speed.

I'd like to think there's an essay in this book for almost anybody; either something you know well from personal experience or a concept that's still fuzzy to you and that you need work on. What I appreciate most about Bad Feminist, however, is that Roxane Gay uses her book not only to sound off but also to inform readers about who she is. She begins and ends the collection by writing about herself, holding herself accountable for what she's written and explaining where she's coming from. In between, to some extent each essay reveals how Gay situates herself as a feminist, as an academic, as a black person, as a child of Haitian immigrants, as a woman, as a writer, as a competitive Scrabble player. She's not some talking head removed from the work that she's created; she's in it and she owns it. And I find that incredibly courteous and helpful!

Favorite quotes:

 "It makes perfect sense that many of us obsess over our bodies. There is nothing more inescapable. Our bodies move us through our lives. They bring pleasure and pain. Sometimes our bodies serve us well, and other times our bodies become terribly inconvenient. There are times when our bodies betray us or our bodies are betrayed by others.... Bodily obsession is, perhaps, a human condition because of its inescapability" (113).

"Men refuse to allow their bodies to become a legislative matter because they have that inalienable right. The drug industry has no real motivation to develop a reversible method of male birth control because forcing this burden on women is so damn profitable... There are exceptions, bright shining exceptions, but most men don't seem to want the responsibility for birth control. Why would they? They see what the responsibility continues to cost women, publicly and privately" (276).

Baby Steps.

When your mom gives you a thumbs up and a "Good job, Miss Lady" with a smile for getting up early and going to the post office. Knowing how hard it's been for you to get going during the day lately, let alone leave the house. 

I always think she doesn't get it, until she does.

Good Last Day.

My last day at the bookstore. 

Mid-Michigan Therapy Dogs group was there to wrap gifts for customers, and they brought dogs with them that they let me pet multiple times. Mitch Albom was also there signing Magic Strings (collective employee sentiment in regard to his presence and persona: meh, which was news to me). And one of the employees set out free brownies, candy canes, Danish cookies, and a Christmas card in the break room for the rest of us.

Bought my last three purchases with an employee discount (Go Tell It On the Mountain, The Handmaid's Tale, and Lianne La Havas's 'Blood' for a friend) before leaving. Came home to find out that after a year and a half of dragging her feet to apply for it, Ma's passport finally came in the mail. Now she can go almost anywhere, and we can go more places together.

So it was a pretty nice day. I'm free. The "What Now?" bubble is looming still, but I put in my time, I made a decision, and now I'm free.