The Reason Behind the Support for Lion’s Hideaway

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.”