The Days

I was fascinated with the idea of a view of the Fukushima nuclear disaster from the Japanese point of view. The event is presented from the views of the nuclear plant operators, management, the federal government and various agencies. Individual characters have some development, and you can see what they may have experienced. Unfortunately, each episode developed very slowly, and it was obvious to me that there wasn't enough material to really flesh-out 8 episodes. It's a shame because this was a monumental event in modern Japanese history. After three episodes, we started fast-forwarding and finally gave up in the fifth episode. Loved HBO's Chernobyl by contrast and I could see there is opportunity for a worthy dramatization of this disaster. I have seen documentaries, and it should be noted that this is still unfolding, and the environmental damage is on-going.

If you are expecting a Japanese Chernobyl then this may not be for you. This is a much slower more considered portrayal of a nuclear accident which could have been 100 times worse than Chernobyl. Layered and highly observational The Days is just as much about Japanese hierarchy and customer than the disaster itself. Personally I felt watching in Japanese with subtitles was much better than the terrible dubbed english. The quality of the Japanese cast comes through in the original language. A salutary lesson in how corporate greed and arrogance can be completely and literally overcome by the power of nature. Koji Yakusho is stand-out as station manager Masao Yoshida. Settle down and immerse yourself in this high quality drama that will stay with you long after viewing.

So I remember watching this on the news and an element of worry surrounding the events but not in my wilderst dreams did I understand the severity of the situation. The series captures the days following the earthquake and tsunami in fukushima with regards the impending nuclear disaster. This is done in almost an hour by hour fashion adding to the suspense and breaking out the complexities surrounding the issues at hand. And how it turns ordinary power station workers into potential and actual heroes with a real sense of duty and honour in the most japanese of ways. The understated acting and what some people here are alluding to as 'wooden' is just the japanese cultural aspect of the series - the opposite of the american over the top drama we are used to seeing in HBO series but powerful and evocative all the same. The tension and the absolute gut wrenching nature of this disaster is more than conveyed and I was left thinking of it for long after I saw it. A cautionary tale brilliantly told. Go and watch this and try not to expect an american thriller and you won't be dissapointed.

Could be a bit tighter, but the comparisons to HBOs Chernobyl are a bit unfair.

This mini series takes a more documentary/historically accurate approach, with drama being secondary. Nothing wrong with that approach, with this series I felt like i was in the control room and on the ground with the responders. Sure there were times it dragged and at times they did not need to show ALL the failed attempts and ALL the repetative discussions, but it added to the authenticity.

It wasn't a clean/typical, "found the issue, ok we solved it, day is saved" story, it goes through the numerous theories/trials/surprises/let downs that would naturally occur in a situation such as this.

If it is taken as a hybrid documentary/drama, it works well. Take it as a drama or documentary by itself and it becomes either dry or too drawn out.

Solid 7/10.

Yes, it had to have the inept advisors like all the shows of this type.

And it had the questionable politicians and business leaders. That's a given.

But it stays the course and delivers an enjoyable ride of technical expertise and problem-solving. This is NOT the Japanese version of the show Chernobyl. That show was much more focused on government ineptitude. If I had to compare it to another show, I would compare it to the Tom Hanks movie Apollo 13. Lots of "make it work with what we have" and grit and determination.

Sure, the end is a bit soft and a tad anticlimactic. But that's a good thing. A climactic finish to a movie about a nuclear reactor would be...umm...bad. And a BANG!