Viewers Question Unease Surrounding Viral Show ‘Umi no Hajimari’

“Isn’t he appearing too much for someone who’s supposed to be dead?”

The popular group Snow Man’s Ren Meguro (27) takes on his first lead role in a Fuji TV drama series, Umi no Hajimari, which is set to air its final episode on the 23rd.

The drama, with a script by Miku Ubukata, direction by Hiroki Kazama, and production by Ken Murase, brings together the team behind the 2022 hit drama Silent, which starred Meguro and became a social phenomenon. This completely original work explores the theme of “parental love.”

Meguro plays the protagonist, Natsu Tsukioka, who was heartbroken when his girlfriend, Mizuki Nagumo, played by Kotone Furukawa (27), broke up with him during their university days. Seven years later, as an adult, Natsu learns that Mizuki has passed away and attends her funeral, where he meets a young girl named Umi, played by Izutani Rana (7). He discovers that Umi is his and Mizuki’s biological child. The drama follows Natsu as he decides to live with Umi and struggles to fulfill his role as a father.

“A full 12-episode run is rare for recent dramas. In late August, Meguro’s agency announced that he had suspended activities due to health issues and was taking time to recover, raising concerns about the intense schedule, including the drama filming. Now that the filming has finally wrapped up, it’s likely that Meguro is feeling much better compared to when he was still shooting.” (said an entertainment reporter)

 

The drama has consistently trended on social media after each episode. Episode 6, which revealed the backstory of Umi’s birth, became particularly notable, with the number of catch-up stream views surpassing 4.34 million within a week of its airing. Amidst this success, there has been increasing online chatter with each episode regarding Mizuho, played by Furukawa, with comments like “Wasn’t she already dead?” and “Isn’t she appearing too much for someone who’s supposed to be dead?” circulating on the internet.

 

 

At the start of the drama, Mizuho was supposed to have passed away, leaving behind a child. However, she has appeared in every episode since the first. Her relationship with Natsu during their university days, daily life with Umi, scenes from her workplace, and conversations with her mother, played by Shinobu Otake (67), have been depicted not so much as flashbacks, but rather as if they were happening in the present. In fact, there were episodes where she appeared more often than Kasumi Arimura (31), who plays Natsu’s current girlfriend.

 

Furthermore, due to Meguro’s health issues, the airing of Episode 9 was postponed by one week. In its place, a special episode was hastily broadcast on August 26th, focusing on Mizuho and her colleague, Haruaki Tsuno, played by Sosuke Ikematsu (34), who had fully supported her in raising her child. Regarding the recurring appearances of “the supposedly deceased Mizuho,” insiders offer the following analysis. 

 

Characters from Ichiban Suki na Hana also make appearances.

“In previous works by Murase and Ubukata, such as Silent and Ichiban Suki na Hana, considerable time was devoted to exploring the past of major characters. Viewers are interested in understanding how characters lived in the past and the protagonist’s past relationships. However, due to the limited number of episodes, most dramas struggle to depict this thoroughly.

By illustrating these backstories, the narrative gains greater depth, allowing viewers to connect more emotionally with the characters. In the case of Umi no Hajimari, the story began with the death of an important character played by Furukawa, which likely had a stronger impact on the audience. Additionally, the inclusion of a ‘special episode’ has made it seem like there are even more flashbacks than in previous works.” (said a broadcasting reporter)

 

 

In Episode 11, which aired on the 16th, Mio Imada (27), one of the stars of Ichiban Suki na Hana, made a guest appearance as a hairdresser in the same salon featured in the drama, immediately sparking discussions online upon her entrance. This aspect parallels the current hit movie Last Mile, where characters from the TBS dramas Unnatural and MIU404, produced by the same team, also appeared in the same universe.

 

“Those in the production departments of various television stations must have learned a lot from the techniques used in this drama. All networks share the common challenge of stagnating average household viewership ratings, and to overcome this, they should try more innovative approaches. In the future, we might see other dramas intentionally casting big-name actors in roles of deceased characters or featuring characters from other dramas produced by the same team, as a recurring pattern.” (source added)

 

As the final episode approaches on the 23rd, attention is focused not only on the completely unpredictable conclusion of the story but also on which points will become hot topics online.