Roundtable Discussion on the Top 10 Strongest Summer Dramas

Actually, “that person” is zero.

— We defined works broadcast in summer and that make you want to watch them in summer as “summer dramas,” and this time we gathered three people to decide on the “strongest summer drama.” In recent years, I still can’t forget the shock of seeing “VIVANT” (TBS, ’23) when it aired last year. I was moved by the realization that “Japanese dramas can have the scale of Hollywood movies.” It is rare to have such a large budget for a TV series, isn’t it?

Kumao Oyama (Writer): The fact that it was in the Sunday Theater slot, a flagship time slot of the same network, and that it was the last work of Director Katsuo Fukuzawa before his retirement, who has produced numerous hit works like the “Hanzawa Naoki” series and “Shitamachi Rocket” (both TBS), meant it was made with great effort. Even so, it is quite a rare case. Summer is the season for fireworks festivals and Obon, which means people are less likely to be at home, so dramas are not watched much. Because of this, production costs cannot be high, making it rare for big-name actors to appear. For a summer drama to become a big hit, it needs a budget like “VIVANT.” For example, there are zero summer dramas starring Takuya Kimura (51).

Editor K, in charge of dramas for this magazine: Oh? “Long Vacation” (Fuji TV, ’96) was… a spring drama, wasn’t it?

Oyama: That’s right. On the other hand, it’s surprising, but “Hanzawa Naoki” Season 1 is a summer drama. However, because it’s an economic drama, which is hard to attract high ratings, the expectations within the network were not high. Because it wasn’t expected to succeed, it allowed for more experimentation and challenges. That’s the strength of summer dramas, and many works that underwent significant transformations were born. “WATER BOYS” (Fuji TV, ’03) was a perfect example.

Masahiro Kitagawa (Drama Watcher): It’s a story about high school boys who gather to practice artistic swimming for their cultural festival. They strive towards a common goal. The physical appeal of the young, handsome actors also adds to its charm, making it a perfect summer drama.

Oyama: Nowadays, he’s a top actor, but back then, we cast younger actors who were still unknown, like Takayuki Yamada (40), Mirai Moriyama (40), and Eita Nagayama (41), in main roles. Kei Tanaka (40) and Gen Hoshino (43) also appeared.

Kitagawa: Looking back now, the cast was surprisingly luxurious. When thinking of dramas to watch in summer, the first one that came to my mind was “Beach Boys” (Fuji TV, ’97). Takashi Sorimachi (50) and Yutaka Takenouchi (53) were at the height of their popularity, and Ryoko Hirosue (44), who was still a high school student at the time, played the heroine. She was the signboard girl at a seaside inn, and the story unfolds around her with two handsome men in despair.

Oyama: With the sea, blue skies, and a focus on male friendship rather than romance, it became a huge hit with an average rating of 23%. Perhaps because it went so well, similar dramas have not been seen since.

 

 

No Older Actors Appear

Editor K: The classic set by the seaside is also good, but my top recommendation is “The Summer Story of Seven Men and Women” (TBS, 1986), which well depicts the atmosphere of the bubble era. The protagonists were all very stylish and were objects of admiration for young people. Akashiya Sanma (69) and Ohtake Shinobu (67) played the leads, each living in a popular waterfront luxury condominium of the time. Sanma’s role was a tour conductor, and Ohtake was a freelance writer. They had glamorous jobs. When I was a job-seeking student, I wanted to become a tour conductor and applied to a major travel agency, but I was spectacularly rejected (laughs).

Oyama: It’s a romance drama involving seven men and women, and it can be said to be the forerunner of the trendy dramas that became a huge boom in the late ’80s. The main cast included Eiji Okuda (74), Kimiko Ikegami (65), and Tsutaro Kataoka (69). It featured popular stars of the time. The characteristic of the show is that it’s a romance drama of “young people who have become slightly wealthy by getting their dream jobs,” and it has no older actors at all.

Editor K: The slightly frivolous feeling of that era is well depicted. They would go to group dates almost every day after work (laughs). Speaking of ensemble dramas featuring young people, “Fuzoroi no Ringotachi” Part I (TBS, 1983) was also a summer drama. What did everyone think of it?

Kitagawa: Although they seem similar, the two works are actually quite different. “Fuzoroi” is very realistic. It addresses various social issues like educational discrimination and prostitution. In that sense, it’s a memorable drama representing its time. It featured actors like Kiichi Nakai (62), Saburo Tokito (66), and Satomi Tezuka (63), but there aren’t many trendy characters.

Now, it definitely cannot be broadcast

Editor K: The two women are playing nursing school students. Nursing is a job where you don’t receive income commensurate with the tough work. It was the bubble era. There was a time when people would say, “There are plenty of jobs where you can earn money more easily, so why take such a hard job?” Compared to that, “Nanbara 7-nin” is completely a fairy tale (laughs).

Kitagawa: When thinking of works with summer in the title, the one that comes to mind is “Natsu: Taiken Monogatari” (TBS in 1985) starring Miho Nakayama (54). Nakayama, who was only 15 years old at the time, made a strong impact with her daring performance. It was a sister series to the hit “Maido Osawagase Shimasu” (TBS, 1985), and it’s a story about a group of four high school girls having their first experiences during summer vacation. At the time, idols were shown in underwear and swimsuits, and there were many scenes that definitely couldn’t be broadcasted now. It was a drama that included elements of youth sex education, and initially, it seems it was planned to be titled “Hatsutaiken Monogatari.”

–Returning to the topic of trendy dramas, “I Want to Embrace You!” (Fuji TV, 1988), starring W Asano, is also a summer drama. It’s a romantic comedy depicting the love and friendship between a career woman played by Asano Atsuko (63) and a housewife on the verge of divorce played by Asano Yuko (64).

Oyama: The opening was very impactful. W Asano confidently strutting in swimsuits on a beach full of white people reflects Japan’s confidence during the bubble era, dispelling post-war complexes. The entire show is bright, and the fashion, such as W Asano’s power shoulder jackets, is still relevant today, so young viewers now might also get hooked if they watch it.

Editor K: Co-stars Motoki Masahiro (58) and Ishida Junichi (70) were youthful and handsome. The average viewership rating was 18.1%. I remember there were many female college students imitating W Asano’s exaggerated expressions and mannerisms.

 

 

The appearance of the legendary “mama’s boy”

Kitagawa: In contrast to that atmosphere, “Zutto Anata ga Sukidatta” (TBS, 1992) expressed the dark world after the bubble burst. The legendary “mama’s boy” character, played by Sano Shiro (69), as the stalker Mr. Fuyuhiko, became a social phenomenon. I think it’s a work that remains in drama history.

Editor K: When the protagonist, played by Kaku Chikako (62), was a university student, the world was in the midst of the bubble era. Her boyfriend, played by Fuse Hiroshi (66), was a star rugby player. However, Kaku ends up marrying the elite salaryman Fuyuhiko, and just as the bubble burst in an instant, the protagonist’s life also collapses at an incredible speed. The process is simply terrifying. It’s completely a horror movie. In a different sense, it’s summer-like, and I feel it was the forerunner of the genre known as “psychological thriller.”

Oyama: There was an episode where, when Sano was riding a train in private, passengers screamed upon seeing him (laughs).

Oyama: It might be a bit of a minor work, but my favorite is “Suika” (Nippon TV, 2003) starring Kobayashi Satomi (59). The script was by Kizara Izumi. Kobayashi also teamed up with her in the Saturday night drama “Yappari Neko ga Suki” (Fuji TV, 1988). The protagonist played by Kobayashi leads a mundane life but ends up living with Tomosaka Rie (44) and Ichikawa Mikako (46) due to a twist of fate. It’s a story about a protagonist who has not yet separated from her parents growing and developing through various events. Despite its very philosophical theme that is unusual for a Saturday 9 p.m. slot and a modest viewership rating, it was highly acclaimed, receiving the “Kuni Koeda Award” given to excellent screenwriters.

Editor K: Ratings are one indicator, but they alone can’t judge the quality of a work. In recent dramas, “Kono Sekai no Katasumi ni” (TBS, 2018), starring Matsumoto Honoka (27) and Matsuzaka Tori (35), was well received among drama enthusiasts, but its average household rating was 9.7%, which was lackluster for a Sunday drama.

— It’s a work themed around the Hiroshima atomic bomb. Summer has many milestones related to war.

Oyama: Compared to the masterpiece anime film of the same title, it suffered from comparisons, but I also liked it. The protagonist, Suzu, loses her parents due to the atomic bomb drop and her younger sister suffers from severe atomic bomb disease. Additionally, when she is with her niece, an unexploded bomb detonates nearby, instantly killing her niece. Suzu survives but loses her right arm and can no longer paint, which she loved. In recent years, heavy stories are often avoided, but this one portrayed it head-on. It was also impressive how it depicted modern Hiroshima.

Kitagawa: By depicting the life of an ordinary woman, who is not a hero or anything special, dramatically changing due to war, it conveys the cruelty of war.

Now, it would be a big problem.

— Personally, I want to watch refreshing romantic comedies in the summer. I liked “Suki na Hito ga Iru Koto” (Fuji TV, 2016), which was the catalyst for the marriage of Mirei Kiritani (34) and Shohei Miura (36), and “Zenkai Girl” (Fuji TV, 2011), where Yui Aragaki (36) starred for the first time in a serial drama. My favorite is “Hotaru no Hikari” (Nippon TV, 2007), starring Haruka Ayase (39) and Naohito Fujiki (52). It coined the term “himono onna” (dried fish woman) and became a social phenomenon. I felt a sense of familiarity with this way of life and was happy to see it featured in a drama.

Editor K: There wasn’t much of a summer feel, just a scene where Ayase and Fujiki were sitting on the porch of an old house, clinking beer glasses (laughs). However, Ayase in a tracksuit and chonmage hairstyle was cute. The story, which supported working women, garnered support from women.

Oyama: Summer and romance dramas go well together. “Aishiteru to Itte Kure” (TBS, 1995) was also a summer drama. It’s a love story between a deaf man, played by Toyokawa Etsushi (62), and an aspiring actress, played by Tokiwa Takako (52). This one isn’t a refreshing romantic comedy; the expression of love is very intense. When communication over the phone wasn’t going well, he would suddenly run off to meet her. It was pure selfishness.

— There was that line, “Don’t use sign language, say it out loud. Say ‘I love you’,” right? It seems like it would be a huge problem if done today.

Kitagawa: However, it was rebroadcast in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it became a topic of conversation among younger people who hadn’t seen it at the time. When “Silent” (Fuji TV, 2022) gained explosive popularity, “Aishiteru to Itte Kure” also came back into the spotlight, as it featured a deaf man as the lead. Although the settings are similar, it’s a remarkable work that hasn’t faded with time.

— The discussion is endless, but based on the opinions of the three of you, the editorial department has compiled the “Best 10 Summer Dramas” below. How about avoiding the extreme heat and enjoying these masterpieces in an air-conditioned room?

From the September 6-13, 2024 issue of FRIDAY.