Fathers (Oyaji no Senaka)

I knew I was going to love this dorama just by looking at the title. Fathers. Oyaji no Senaka. Then, of course, the writers and directors (some I knew, some I didn't) and the cast. I loved doramas centered on the mother: Woman and Mother but I love even more stories between daughters and fathers, so this was a winner before I even started.

EP. 1 Kei-san to Toko-san.
This one started a bit weird, I did not understand the relationship between Kei-san and Toko since Toko called him Kei-san. They seemed more like a couple. As the story progresses, it was revealed several facts that made this story very touching. I cried at the end, and in the whole, it is one of my favorites. Matsu Takako and Tamura-san had a wonderful chemistry. 10/10

EP. 2 Wedding Match. A father (Koji Yakusho), who is an ex-boxer, has trained his daughter (Hikari Mitsushima) to compete in the Olympics.
Ever since I watched "Woman" I am a huge fan of Mitsushima Hikari. I love when she cries, I love when she is angry. Sadly, I did not love this story so much. The relationship between father and daughter was toxic and I did not find the ending a good one. Both of them could not accept the lover of the other and at the end, it was the boxing the thing that kept them together. 7.5/10

EP. 3 Nogori Yuki. The main actor of this story is not one of my favorites, so I almost skipped this one. It is about a widowed father who runs his own company and then fakes his own disappearance, making his family worry. It has a touch of comedy but at the same time, it was also a bit sad. 7.5/10

EP. 4 Haha no Himitsu. A pilgrimage takes place with a father (Tsunehiko Watase) and his son (Kankuro Nakamura). In the past, their relationship was bad.
This one is my least favorite of all, and it is because there was no really bond between son and father. Son resented his father, father has always been absent in his son's life. The best of this story are the landscapes. Son and father make a pilgrimage so we are lucky to see beautiful settings of Japan, greenery and shrines. To be honest, I did not pay much attention to this one, so I am not even sure how was the end. 5/10

EP. 5 Dobuko. Mifuyu (Maki Horikita) is a police officer. Her friend from her childhood days works as a male police officer. He asks her to not attend his wedding reception. His fiance is jealous of their relationship. Mifuyu 
is uncomfortable with the situation and things get worse since Mifuyu’s father (Kenichi Endo) 
tries to mediate the situation. 

I liked this one; it was not only about daughter-father relationship. but also about friendship. Endo Kenichi really has the face of a villain, but in this story he is kind of silly and loves his daughter very much. I liked the cast, specially the mother who has such a kind face (I want to cry just by seeing her face, remembering "1 Liter of Tears") 8.5/10

EP. 6 Chichi no Saikon, Musume no Rikon.
Can't believe dear Kiritani Kenta has like, one line in the entire episode. Besides that, it was a good story, about a daughter who is getting divorced and a father who wants to remarried. Their relationship felt real, with their quarrels and tears and good moments. And the settings were also very nice: the ryokan, the house, all the greenery... 9/10

EP. 7 Yoroshikuna。Musuko. A man (Ken Watanabe) meets a woman (Kimiko Yo) through a blind date, but he is rejected by her. The man though can't give up on her. To meet her son (Masahiro Higashide), he visits the convenience store where her son works part-time. At that time, a robber appears in the convenience store.
Another of my favorites, and not only because of Ken Watanabe. And not because he worked with his real son-in-law. The chemistry between both of them was so good, and Ken Watanabe was such a nice guy, and I loved the ending. A HEA for all 3 of them. This story was very sweet, about a lonely man who falls in love not only with the mother, but also with the son (metaphorically speaking). 10/10

EP. 8 Dagashi
Ahh, another story where you want the father and son to have their HEA. Father loves Dagashi, which are the cheap snacks Japan sells, and he is always trying to create a new one that would be a success. His little boy supports him with his all, even if it means his father losing a real job, or the boy taking care of all the chores. This one opened my eyes when it comes to dagashi. The little boy was a sweetheart and a very good actor. 9/10

EP. 9 Chichi san, Haha ni Naru!?
Considering that Japan is so chauvinist, this one was out of the box, since the father is the househusband and the mother the one who works. It shows the father that being in charge of the house (cleaning, laundry, cooking) is not easy, not at all as he thought.The ending was satisfactory since it doesn't really end. And WOW, to see "Sakamoto Ryoma" as a normal guy! 8/10

EP. 10 Kitabeppu san, Dozo
A bittersweet story about a man who has terminal cancer but doesn't tell his little boy. Instead, he pretends he is a doctor. This story is similar to "A Beautiful Life"; it is funny but sad. And what! that actor is everywhere, and I am not talking about Kohinata-san precisely. The little boy was a cutie and a really good actor. The actor who played Kitabeppu may have been a bit too old to be his father but he looked the part. 9.5/10

A very recommended drama. Excellent scripts, excellent stories, excellent cast. What more to ask??

**My final rating: 9/10**