[Jdrama] ‘Arifureta Kiseki’ (Ordinary Miracles) ~ review/opinion/recommendation ~

Reminder: this post was written from my point of view, I loved this drama, but some way not, I won’t say watch it –it’s a must see drama, neither don’t watch it. However, just try it, and then judge.

I’m actually an undercover fan of Kase Ryo, for me he is definitely one of the best Japanese actors, considering his vast variety of characters/movies and stories in which he always did a great job giving life to his characters.

Honestly, I started “Ordinary Miracles” (ありふれた奇跡) by mistake, although I’m watching a big number of currently airing dramas, I somehow wanted to marathon another drama, a complete one, I opened dramawiki and clicked a random drama – “Ordinary Miracles”.

The drama starts with Fujimoto Makoto who wanted to kill himself by jumping in front of the train. After watching him for a few minutes, two strangers, Tazaki Shota and Nakajo Kana, noticed that Fujimoto wants to commit suicide and they try to stop Fujimoto. After the incident from the station, Fujimoto does not want to acknowledge his thoughts of killing himself, and tells the police officer that the two strangers started hitting him out of nowhere.

A few days later, Fujimoto goes back to the police office to ask for the contact details of Kana and Shota. Because the police officer couldn’t give the contact details, Fujimoto confesses that he indeed wanted to kill himself because he still thinks that the death of his wife and daughter was his fault – his daughter and wife died in a fire while he was away in a business trip. Hearing the story, the police officer lets Fujimoto meet Shota and Kana in his presence, so that Fujimoto could thank the two for saving his life. When they meet, Fujimoto thanks them for saving his life, also tells them his life story, eventually, Fujimoto asks Shota and Kana how did they knew he wanted to commit suicide and if they also went through  a similar experience of wanting to kill themselves. Both stay quiet. Later in the drama, we find out that Shota and Kana did try to commit suicide.

As the story progresses, Shota and Kana meet several times, they also communicate through e-mails, leading the two to fall in love with each other.

Because Fujimoto, Shota and Kana went through the thought of committing suicide, they spend a lot of time together also because Fujimoto was still having problems with moving forward the other two supports him. As Fujimoto struggles to move on, we also get to find the reasons behind Shota and Kana’s suicide incidents.

While on a date, Shota decided that it’s time to confess why he wanted to kill himself:  several  years before the present time, when Shota got a job, his boss bullied him. Being bullied and because he couldn’t say anything or complain, also going thru a depression, encouraged his thought of suicide. Thankfully, Shota was rescued by his grandfather. After Shota’s confession, Kana asks for more time until she can prepare herself to talk about her story as well.

When Shota and Kana get to know more of each other, Kana tells her story – after getting pregnant with her former boyfriend, a friend of her recommended Kana a place to abort in a South East Asian country. Because of the rough procedure, Kana can’t bear a child.

Although Shota tells Kana that he doesn’t care if she can’t have kids, thinking that it won’t be good for Shota’s future, Kana wants to end their relationship.

Because Kana couldn’t confess to her family about her incapability of bearing children, Shota tells Kana’s grandmother, who at first liked Shota, that he doesn’t want any children, making the grandmother stop liking him and the story gets more complicated with Kana’s father who investigates Shota.

Shota goes to her house to talk with her family members,  however because there were a lot of misunderstanding since Kana didn’t tell her family about her problem, the family thinks that Shota is the one who can’t have children making Kana’s family to be against their relationship.

The only person, who believes Shota and Kana should continue their relationship, is Fujimoto. Actually he is also the only one who knows (aside from Shota) that Kana is the one who can’t have children and not Shota. To support and show them that there are also other options of having children after they’ll get married, Fujimoto searches for information and give Kana a brochure about adoption/ foster parents.

First, the ones who were against Kana and Shota’s relationship was Kana’s family, when everyone finds out that Kana is the one who can’t have children, Shota’s grandfather goes against the relationship saying that he doesn’t want to lose his blood line.

Although at first “Ordinary Miracles” (Arifureta Kiseki) seem to have a simple story, the more you watch the more depth it has. The drama goes into social problems such as bulling at the workplace, suicide and infertility.

The script makes it look like the characters have simple conversations, however, the lines have a deep complexity and at the same time it’s written in a manner that shows the reality.

One of the things which I liked the most was that although there was a conversation between two, the director also took care of the characters in the background, giving the scenes a vibe as if the viewer is actually watching inside the house from the window. (Not in a stalk-ish way, more like in an artsy way).

I have no complains whatsoever in regards of the acting, the actors were all great in turning the story into a realistic one. I’m definitely going to watch more of the project made by this production staff.

Tags: Arifureta Kiseki, Kase Ryo, Nakama Yukie, Ordinary Miracles