The Reason Behind the Support for Lion’s Hideaway

The Drama Reveals the Family Struggles of Developmental Disabilities

Even after its broadcast ended, TBS drama ‘Lion’s Hideaway’ continues to receive heartfelt reactions like “Lion Loss” on social media. The drama, which focused not only on developmental disabilities but also on the family members who were previously in the supporting roles, has garnered significant support. Why was it so well-received? Professor Toshihiko Tabuchi from the Faculty of Arts and Culture at Oberlin University, who authored ‘Developmental Disabilities and Juvenile Crime’ and served as a drama producer at TV Tokyo for many years, offers his insights.

Autism Spectrum Disorder. An ambitious work that tackles a difficult theme head-on

My number one drama for the October 2024 season without a doubt is TBS’s Lion’s Hideaway. To summarize the plot based on the official website, it goes as follows:

Kouji Komori (Yuuya Yanagira), who works at a city hall, spends peaceful days with his brother, Michito (Ryuta Bandou), who has autism spectrum disorder (ASD). One day, a boy named “Lion” (Daiki Sato) suddenly appears before the brothers. The logline reads, “A human suspense drama depicting the family love and sibling bond of people desperately living to protect what is important, no matter their circumstances.”

I enjoy socially conscious dramas, and I tend to crave that suspenseful thrill from TV dramas. However, this one is different from my usual preferences. Even after finishing the final episode, I find myself still deeply moved, savoring the lingering aftertaste.

There has been a lot of praise for the program online, with some even mentioning the phenomenon of “Lion Loss” among viewers.

Why was this drama so widely supported? In this analysis, I would like to explore why. I believe two key elements made this work a one-of-a-kind creation:

1. It boldly tackled the difficult theme of autism spectrum disorder.
2. The cast’s performances were outstanding.

The reason I believe tackling the difficult theme of autism spectrum disorder contributed to the viewers’ support is because of my own experience working on the documentary NNN Documentary: Disability Plus Alpha – Between Autism Spectrum Disorder and Juvenile Crime on Nippon TV.

After airing, I wrote a book titled Developmental Disabilities and Juvenile Crime, and I still receive letters and messages from many individuals with autism spectrum disorder (abbreviated as “ASD”) and their parents.

ASD is a type of developmental disability. The narrator of the Disability Plus Alpha documentary was Yuuya Yanagira, the star of Lion’s Hideaway. Given this connection, I was looking forward to seeing how the show would portray ASD.

 

From Suspense to Human Story

As the logline suggests, the drama initially begins with a suspenseful tone, and up until a certain point, the mystery of a missing sister and abuse from the father serve as the central storyline.

Because of this, some viewers might have been misled into thinking that the drama was purely a suspense thriller. In that sense, the drama gave a good kind of twist. In the latter half, it shifted direction and steered toward the path it was likely always meant to take.

First and foremost, I want to applaud the drama and its creators for taking on the difficult theme of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) head-on.

For those who have read my book Developmental Disabilities and Juvenile Crime, it is clear that the book does not claim that developmental disabilities lead to juvenile crime. It points out that developmental disabilities can be influenced by the environment, either for better or worse.

However, when the book was first released, there were many opinions stating that it was nonsense to link developmental disabilities with crime based solely on the title. Yet, after reading the book, I received a great deal of support from individuals with ASD.

Recently, I received a thoughtful letter addressed to me at the university. It was from someone with ASD. This person, who is studying to work in juvenile crime rehabilitation, shared that after reading my book, they recognized similarities between themselves and the young offenders, and it made them realize that this was not just someone else’s issue.

They confessed that witnessing arguments between their parents as a child and the verbal abuse from their father might have influenced their developmental disorder symptoms. However, they concluded that the immense love from their mother was the reason they were able to persevere. The letter ended with the person expressing gratitude for the insights, discoveries, and empathy they gained from the book.

 

The Feelings of Parents, the Struggles of the Family.

The letter reflects three main feelings: guilt, anxiety about the future, and loss of identity.

1. Guilt is a common emotion felt by parents of children with disabilities. During my work on the documentary Disability Plus Alpha, I frequently heard parents say, “I’m sorry to my child,” or “I’m sorry I gave birth to a child with a disability.” Such feelings of self-deprecation often make parents and families emotionally invested in every action of their child. 

This emotional struggle was effectively portrayed in the drama. While the person with ASD undoubtedly faces the greatest challenges, the pain and worries of the family members were also thoroughly shown. In this context, the early suspenseful moments of the drama merely illustrated one example of the many difficulties that the family would encounter while living with a child with ASD.

1. Anxiety about the future pertains to the future of the person with a disability—whether they can become independent as they grow up—and the concern of the caregiver—whether they can continue to care for the child or will have to for the rest of their life.

2. Loss of identity is a feeling that families may experience, especially when caregivers begin to view themselves solely as the person who cares for the disabled child. This can lead to a loss of their own sense of self, as they may begin to think, “I am just a caregiver,” losing sight of who they are beyond their caregiving role.

The drama did not shy away from depicting these three struggles that family members of individuals with ASD face.

The performances of Ryuta Bando, Oozora Sato, and Yuya Yagira were truly outstanding.

This drama conveyed the way of coexistence for people with disabilities and their families.

It is the story of families and those around the person with disabilities, who had to humble themselves, suppress their feelings, and live in silence.

Neither the person with the disability nor the family takes precedence. Both are equal, both face struggles, and both have the right to live their own lives. This is the message that the drama reaffirms. It is the reason why this drama has gained support across generations and earned the empathy of many people.

As for the second element I mentioned earlier, the acting of the cast, in addition to Yuya Yagira’s deeply moving and perfect performance, Ryuta Bando’s portrayal of a difficult role involving disability, and Oozora Sato, who was selected from 70 people in the audition for the role of the lion, these three performances were truly outstanding.

I imagine the research that Bando put into his role must have been quite challenging. He perfectly portrayed the characteristics of ASD that I felt during interviews. In particular, the constant uneasy and fearful movement of his eyes was remarkable. He must have met many people with ASD.

It was a wonderful drama to watch. In an era where broadcast and distribution of dramas are progressing and many are being mass-produced, encountering a work like this, with the cast and staff’s commitment to creating a meaningful drama, makes me feel happy and reminds me that television is far from being obsolete.

Sometimes, I hope everyone takes a break from the virtual world of smartphones and the internet and watches this human drama carefully.

It’s a drama that makes you think, “Humans are wonderful.”