The Evolution of Female Friendship in Heisei-era Dramas
What did “Brush Up Life” bring about?
After three films, the Heisei era was beginning to come to an end. The friendship among women began to show some signs of change.
In “Nagi no Oitoma” (TBS, 2019), the protagonist Nagi (Hana Kuroki, 33) resets her life by abandoning her corporate job, marriage, the refined appearance crafted by growing out her natural perm, and even her boyfriend and toxic parent. It’s a reset of her entire life. One of the things Nagi discards is the fake friendship with her colleagues. At work, she casually aligns her story with her colleagues, but once she returns home, she engages on Instagram, fearing that not responding with likes might lead to being disliked the next day. This compulsion of Nagi is portrayed in the drama.
However, Nagi, having discarded everything, cultivates new friendships in the apartment she ends up in. The interactions with the residents and friends who accept Nagi as she is are heartwarming to watch.
doesn’t matter. What decisively portrayed the essence of women’s friendship, where they extend a helping hand when the other is in a pinch, is “Brush Up Life” (Nippon TV, 2023).
The story revolves around Asami Kondo (Sakura Ando, 37), who experiences unexpected deaths multiple times and gets a chance to redo her life. With each iteration, Asami raises the grade of her life and profession. In the end, to protect two childhood friends from a plane crash, Asami chooses the path of becoming a pilot with another redo participant, Mari Uno (Asami Mizukawa, 40). She successfully manages to save her precious friends from the accident. The series doesn’t depict marriage, childbirth, or scenes comparing each other’s positions. Ultimately, the drama concludes with the four women happily residing in a nursing home, emphasizing the strong bond of friendship that persisted throughout.
There was a way of life for women that should have been standard in many of the dramas we have seen since the Heisei era. But those values are over. This is an age in which each person, regardless of gender, lives according to his or her own characteristics. How will the women in the dramas live their lives in the future with such a situation on their shoulders?
Interview and text by： Hisano Kobayashi
Hisano Kobayashi writes essays and columns, and works as an editor, writer, and promoter. She is the author of "Kekkon to nakonoshikanai Uruwashikana Jinsei" (KK Bestsellers), "45 cm no Distance: About Human Relations in a World with Increased Functions of Connection" (WAVE Publishing), and "Best of Heisei Drama! (Seishun Shuppansha). Born in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan.
