Luly
Argentina
2015 was definitely a great year for female led jdramas. Alongside incredible ones like Mondai No Aru Restaurant and Underwear/Atelier, Mother Game follows suit, with a story centered in a group of mothers from a very prestigious school, attempting to survive the cutthroat environment that it entails. As you may have guessed, there's enough shade in this drama to simulate and eclipse and enough tea to sink an armada. Naturally, I was drawn like a moth to the flame.
Kimura Fumino does a great performance as Kanbara Kiko, the out-of-place mother who's absolutely out of her depth in a school where other mothers are not only in completely different social spheres than she is (with the exception of her school friend Yuki, played by Kanjiya Shihori), they have very different values which she comes into conflict with constantly. As it's expected from this kind of drama, this will lead to her being the "breath of fresh air" in this environment, providing a real perspective and contrast to these women, and will be in the center of gossip, drama and a fair share of misunderstandings. Not unheard of in jdramas, not at all.
What I appreciated, though, was that every episode had a moment for Kiko to speak her mind. She wasn't a character to hold back when her values were threatened or when she saw someone in trouble, she didn't hold back when it came to defending children from their mothers, mothers from their husbands or standing up for her son at every moment it had to be done. The drama could have made her a victim, could have had her suffering for 9 episodes and a half, but it didn't, and I'm so very grateful for that.
The relationships that sprout between these ladies are a delight to watch. They all have different perspectives and even the ones that start being terrible have reasons behind them and no one is left unexplored. There are toxic marriages, there is depiction of domestic abuse, relatives with mental illness, harassment, neglect...and a lot of ladies learning and standing up for each other. At the end of the day, that's what I'm really here for, all jokes aside.
If you're into strong female characters, unapologetic leads and interesting stories of women above the age of 30, this is a good one to watch.
Kimura Fumino does a great performance as Kanbara Kiko, the out-of-place mother who's absolutely out of her depth in a school where other mothers are not only in completely different social spheres than she is (with the exception of her school friend Yuki, played by Kanjiya Shihori), they have very different values which she comes into conflict with constantly. As it's expected from this kind of drama, this will lead to her being the "breath of fresh air" in this environment, providing a real perspective and contrast to these women, and will be in the center of gossip, drama and a fair share of misunderstandings. Not unheard of in jdramas, not at all.
What I appreciated, though, was that every episode had a moment for Kiko to speak her mind. She wasn't a character to hold back when her values were threatened or when she saw someone in trouble, she didn't hold back when it came to defending children from their mothers, mothers from their husbands or standing up for her son at every moment it had to be done. The drama could have made her a victim, could have had her suffering for 9 episodes and a half, but it didn't, and I'm so very grateful for that.
The relationships that sprout between these ladies are a delight to watch. They all have different perspectives and even the ones that start being terrible have reasons behind them and no one is left unexplored. There are toxic marriages, there is depiction of domestic abuse, relatives with mental illness, harassment, neglect...and a lot of ladies learning and standing up for each other. At the end of the day, that's what I'm really here for, all jokes aside.
If you're into strong female characters, unapologetic leads and interesting stories of women above the age of 30, this is a good one to watch.
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