<figure id="attachment_274504" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-274504" style="width: 2236px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="77916762"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2022/11/b8c85cfd12d644ad320d2e5fdedb2d04.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-274504" class="wp-caption-text">In the last scene of episode 1, the lead actor Kawaguchi pulls over his ex-lover whom he saw on the street in a famous scene. When the cut was made, the two were listening intently to the production staff</figcaption></figure>
 The happy couple had gone from high school classmates to lovers. Then their ex-boyfriend, whom they had lost touch with after graduating from high school, shows up. So far, the plot of the story is a typical love story. However, in the drama &#8220;silent&#8221; (Fuji TV), which has been attracting a lot of attention this fall as the &#8220;Reiwa&#8217;s most tear-jerking drama,&#8221; the ex-boyfriend played by Ren Meguro (25) of &#8220;Snow Man&#8221; has lost his hearing when he meets the heroine, played by Haruna Kawaguchi (27), again. The story unfolds from &#8230;&#8230;.
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 The total number of views of the streaming service has reached over 22 million (as of November 1). It has recorded the highest viewer ratings among Fuji Television dramas in the same time slot in the last 10 years.
 The scriptwriter is almost making his debut. It is unusual for a work that is not a live-action adaptation or remake to achieve this level of success. Meguro, the No. 1 popular member of Snow Man, who is now gaining enthusiastic support, was cast as the heroine&#8217;s partner. I am absolutely sure that a certain number of people will continue to watch the show and talk about it on social networking sites. Also, the cast is made up of actors with natural acting skills, rather than using actors with strong characters, so that viewers can immerse themselves in the story.
 In addition to casting, character development differs from recent romantic dramas.
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 In love triangle dramas, there is usually a troublemaker who behaves unreasonably and stirs up the story, but this is not the case in &#8220;silent. There is a young man who feels guilty for suddenly dumping his girlfriend, a heroine who is cheerful and upbeat but still has feelings for her ex-boyfriend, and a lover who is kind but not confident that he is a boring person &#8230;&#8230;. All of them are characters that the viewer can easily relate to.
 In this work, it doesn&#8217;t matter who is in a relationship with whom. By carefully depicting the true feelings of each of the former lovers and the heroine, as well as the current lovers, and their relationship, we can empathize with any of the characters. I think that&#8217;s why every episode has a famous sad scene that attracts the viewers.
 Many dramas about disability emotionally depict the efforts of characters with disabilities, and such works are sometimes derided as &#8220;emotional pornography.
 In this film, young men with hearing disabilities do not overcome anything or try anything impossible. The film shows them trying their best to convey their feelings, even though they are unable to speak with their voices, and it makes us rediscover the meaning and weight of words. Also, in the sign language scenes, viewers are forced to stare at the minute changes in the characters&#8217; facial expressions. It is designed to make viewers want to imagine and ponder their subtleties that cannot be conveyed in words,&#8221; said media culture critic Hiroyoshi Usui.
 In every age, hit dramas are always a reflection of the world of the time.
<figure id="attachment_274503" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-274503" style="width: 1724px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="5f1f3430"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2022/11/d0ed437f31427681e9c9b2b858f3b447.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-274503" class="wp-caption-text"> Filming began on a sunny day that was still hot. Between scenes, staff members came to Meguro in heavy costumes to wipe the sweat off his face.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_274616" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-274616" style="width: 1965px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="62740ff0"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2022/11/DSC02495.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-274616" class="wp-caption-text"> Unpublished cuts from the magazine: Snow Man Ren Meguro and Haruna Kawaguchi&#8217;s &#8220;silent&#8221; is a big hit for a surprising reason.</figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_274617" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-274617" style="width: 1629px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="31577762"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2022/11/DSC03340.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-274617" class="wp-caption-text"> Unpublished cuts of Snow Man Ren Meguro and Haruna Kawaguchi&#8217;s &#8220;silent&#8221; was a big hit for an unexpected reason.</figcaption></figure>
 From the November 25, 2022 issue of FRIDAY

 Yusuke Kondo

 The drama "silent" has been the talk of the town this fall as the "Reiwa's most tear-jerking" love story. The drama is recording the highest viewer ratings, but the popular cast of Meguro Ren and Kawaguchi Haruna is not the only reason for the high viewer ratings. What is it that makes this drama unique among recent romantic dramas?

Ren Meguro & Haruna Kawaguchi Off-shoots from the location of the popular “silent”!

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