Asura no Gotoku

Master Japanese filmmaker, Hirokazu Koreeda (Monster, Shoplifters, Broker and the wonderful Netflix series, The Makanai) has adapted novelist Kuniko Mukôda's classic story set in 1979 into a 7-part mini-series with a quaint cinematic quality and a perfect seventies tone. The story of four sisters who discover their 70-year-old father's infidelity to their mother (which at the time was quiet an acceptable norm!), is amusing and also has an emotional depth that draws you in to each sister's plight. The married sister has to deal with her own husband's infidelity, while the widowed sister is a mistress, the waitress sister attempts to support the boxer boyfriend, and the conservative librarian sister discovers love for the first time. But when they all get together, it is a joy to watch their convincing banter and silly squabbles, making the sisterly relationship so convincing and adoring in among the family melodrama that unfolds...

ASURA (2025) is a really great Jdrama that follows the interwoven lives of the Takazawa family, namely the relationship between the four adult daughters (Tsunako, Makiko, Takiko, and Sakiko) and their parents.

The series has an air of realism to it that made watching it a real treat. The show is both subtle and complex and overall very entertaining, especially when all four sisters interact. It's a real hoot!

"In 1979, Four sisters face turbulence when their father's affair is exposed. Embodying the tumultuous "asura" demigods, they clash over differing outlooks on love yet find moments of connection amid conflict and growth."

This sentimental show is a perfect balance of slice-of-life family drama and tender family interactions. "Asura" was a really great show and is a wonderful Jdrama to check out, although a bit slower paced. I can't wait for more of these kinds of series.

A cheating man is better than no man at all. Words to live by, eh? Patriarchy never really left Japan, but the seventies must have been crazy going by this. Not one good man here. Not even Katsumata. I find his behaviour objectionable on at least a couple of occasions. But yeah, men bad. Women enabling them. I think this was the most flagrant thing about it and why I had difficulty watching this miniseries. But I had a bad cold and my Netflix profile got messed up (still is) so I didn't have that many options so I finally finished it.

It's a splendidly shot and wonderfully acted miniseries. The ladies are stunning, the costumes are gorgeous, but I found the plot very unpleasant and objectionable. I must say it has probably one of the finest opening credits I have ever seen. The anger of these women and those crazy beats just go together so well. By the way, why do they sound like Eastern-European ethno-pop?

So, gorgeous deities who smile on the outside but are scornful on the inside. That's what Asura means. And sounds just about right. These women have internalized misogyny to such an extent that they smile and put up a brave front (or think that's what they're supposed to do) while hurting inside. If you show it you lose. Take it to your death. Literally. Why? I have no idea. Must be a cultural thing. I hope at least that is antiquated in Japan now. I kept thinking with each episode if these women raise hell in front of their men they would not dare stray or treat them like that. Who would want trouble every day? But then again there's the first sister and her lover and his wife. They don't stop no matter what the poor woman tries to do. And it's almost treated like a joke at some point. So I wonder... Of course keeping the peace and carrying on with small talk about all but what matters is an art. But not one that is of any real help if you want to keep your sanity in a marriage.

So I struggled to support these women. I liked the second sister, despite her wishy washy attitude about her straying husband. I liked the third sister, the independent bookish one, but kind of hated where she ended up with Katsumata and how she was pressured into it by everybody. I had pegged her for the independent type, but I guess she wanted to have what all women were told to want at the time. I loathed the fourth sister and her choice and tolerance of that man. He was all wrong and everybody could see it but her. Her constant attacks at her older sister are mostly unwarranted and in very bad taste too. She is just acting up, never really grew up and feels the need to put her down by attacking her femininity. Which is ironic since it's the only thing she herself possesses and most likely the only value that women had back then, so it's just another example of women putting each other down because the patriarchy told them to compete with each other for men of all things.

The sex scenes are pretty cringe and unsexy here, there's barely any kissing, sometimes they just get down to it without any kissing whatsoever, it's so odd... It made me question consent on quite a few occasions.

The way these women cling to men and wrap their whole lives around them is very concerning. I get this is based on a book written probably at that time and I have a very modern view on things but I really hope women watching this do it with a critical eye more than anything else. And while we can appreciate the craft of the actors and the writing, it really needs a modern reading above all because thankfully times have changed and men, and women need to do better.

The amount of faults in every sister's relationship shows how inconceivable mens thoughts towards the aspect called " love " is. And the mother and 2nd daughter, they swallowed their own anger so well (except the 2nd daughter she actually hit his father for her mother). It's a masterpiece and the cinematography is impeccable...yet with all the husband's that appeared here they were nothing but disappointment... in 2 to 3rd ep we could see how makikos husband was lowkey defending his father in law and trying his best not to disclose the fact... that broke me a bit. This should be watched continously...binge watch- recommended.

It certainly has a vibe. Not sure how to describe it exactly, but it reminds me of home-videos that were done on VHS tapes when consumer recorders became available. The setting of the show being around that time helps with that, too, I guess. It feels... Warm and homey somehow, there are a lot of little details and interactions, that are not necessary, but they add to this vibe.

But it's a double-edged sword, I am afraid. This approach also makes the show slow. I do not have a requirement for a show to be fast-paced, and I do appreciate ability to have a peak into day-to-day, realistic (at least to an extent) Japan, but this one is just too slow for me in terms of the story. There is, actually a lot of stuff happening, but like 80% of it, if not more, is not relevant to the main plot (or at least to what it seems to be based on official description). The plot itself feels too diluted.

Again, it plays into the vibe. It becomes almost... Meditational, I guess. I can appreciate the love put into setting this up, and into the chemistry I've seen from the actors, too. But this is definitely not for everyone, and not for every mood. This being a series, and not 1.5 hour movie makes it a tough format for me to recommend.