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Tengoku de Kimi ni Aetara ~ 天国で君に逢えたら
Aug. 3rd, 2011 11:45 pm
I feel like writing something but Gantz Perfect Answer is still about 2 weeks away in SG, so, I just dig my old stock and re-watch Tengoku de Kimi ni Aetara. I've lost count in how many times I've watched this so forgive me for being... too bias about this drama. Not sure how to credit the pic because I just take whatever looks nice from google, and just happen the pic is the beginning scene of the drama where Nino narate where this drama is based from. Well, I'm just going to summarize Nino's narration because it's a perfect short description. The drama is based on the novel written by Iijima Natsuki, a windsurfer who died from cancer. However, even though he's terminally ill, he started writing his novel in hope to cheer up other people who have similar experience. So, what makes me keep coming back and watching this drama?
The main focus on this drama is not the surfer but the psychiatrist named Nonogami Junichi who found working in big hospital is not suitable for him. Struggling to cut off patient's consultation hours to fit into patients' appointment schedule, Nonogami built up the stress to the point that he fainted in front of a patient during consultation hour. Then opportunity came a long for Nonogami to counsel terminally ill patients. He took on the job and began his counselling sessions. There are 3 patients' stories in this drama, the cook, the wife and the surfer. Each of them harbor different situations and emotions and different type of endings as well.
There are tons of points that I love about this drama. The first thing that caught me is Nino's narration. Combined with Eric Clapton's Tears in Heaven, it's a lullaby for me. Then it's their use of colors and lighting throughout the whole drama. I love the small cottage consultation office settings. It's so homey and so inviting. I can totally understand why those patients end up in the office (well, aside from what the drama should be) and pour their hearts out, and make me teary. But the best still shot from this drama for me is the scene where Nonogami went to the cottage for the first time. Still dusty and messy, inside the dark room, there's a sunlight breaking through and Nonogami's facing the light as if this is what he's meant to do. I'd guess the hospital setting by the seaside is related to the novel it's based on, but it's sort of connected with the drama because they have the surfer's story there. And off course, it creates a totally beautiful background for the scene where Mizuho-san is talking to the surfer about why she's doing her job.
Next is the presentation. The drama is on the slow tempo just by the background songs that they've playing. But the plot isn't. To me, this drama is about the journey, what those patients went through and their feelings, and also how their loved ones feel about the situation as well. Accepting the brutal truth, then dealing with it, one cannot even imagine how these people are going through, and thus as what Nonogami keep saying, he cannot say anything, just listen to the patience's laments, worries, fears, despairs, and even anger and frustration. One particular scene that leaves impression to me is when the surfer was so frustrated and vent his anger towards Ai because Ai tried to console him by saying 'if you die, you'll go to heaven, right?' As an adult, dealing with the harsh reality, it's very difficult to accept such consolation. But at the same night the surfer realized that Ai was a cancer patient as well, and at such a little age, she's brave enough to encourage the other kid to be strong. So, for an adult to keep on sulking and not dong anything but whining and self-pity looks lame in comparison (well, I totally can't blame the surfer). The message from this scene is that since there's not time left as they cannot find cure for him, then he has to make a good use of what's left so that he can leave this world with no regrets. Well, that's one side of emotion, but what about the loved ones of those the terminally ills? We have the husband whose wife is terminally here. He, too, feels the fear of losing his wife as well as the frustration of what if I've known earlier, what if I've treated her nicer, oh it's all my fault and so on. It's very hard as well to imagine how it'll be when you can no longer hear the voice of your loved ones. The take from here is the same that you have to cherish what you have now, love what you have now and importantly let your loved one know that you love them as well.
And now, fangirling moment. Actually I never go kyaaa when I watch this drama. And Nino looks too young to be a doctor, and he looks even younger than Mao-chan (how can that be?!?!?!). But I can feel his sincerity in acting as Junichi when he looks like lost in words upon patient's crying or when he's sobbing while listening to patient's recording session for the letters. And that's enough for me to love this drama.
And, to note, Saigo no Love Letter is very fitting as the OST, it makes me bawl the first time I watch this drama and makes me teary on the next re-watching, especially after that song it's the scene where Junichi called back the office from Saipan and told Ai that heaven is truly exist, sobs sobs sobs....
The main focus on this drama is not the surfer but the psychiatrist named Nonogami Junichi who found working in big hospital is not suitable for him. Struggling to cut off patient's consultation hours to fit into patients' appointment schedule, Nonogami built up the stress to the point that he fainted in front of a patient during consultation hour. Then opportunity came a long for Nonogami to counsel terminally ill patients. He took on the job and began his counselling sessions. There are 3 patients' stories in this drama, the cook, the wife and the surfer. Each of them harbor different situations and emotions and different type of endings as well.
There are tons of points that I love about this drama. The first thing that caught me is Nino's narration. Combined with Eric Clapton's Tears in Heaven, it's a lullaby for me. Then it's their use of colors and lighting throughout the whole drama. I love the small cottage consultation office settings. It's so homey and so inviting. I can totally understand why those patients end up in the office (well, aside from what the drama should be) and pour their hearts out, and make me teary. But the best still shot from this drama for me is the scene where Nonogami went to the cottage for the first time. Still dusty and messy, inside the dark room, there's a sunlight breaking through and Nonogami's facing the light as if this is what he's meant to do. I'd guess the hospital setting by the seaside is related to the novel it's based on, but it's sort of connected with the drama because they have the surfer's story there. And off course, it creates a totally beautiful background for the scene where Mizuho-san is talking to the surfer about why she's doing her job.
Next is the presentation. The drama is on the slow tempo just by the background songs that they've playing. But the plot isn't. To me, this drama is about the journey, what those patients went through and their feelings, and also how their loved ones feel about the situation as well. Accepting the brutal truth, then dealing with it, one cannot even imagine how these people are going through, and thus as what Nonogami keep saying, he cannot say anything, just listen to the patience's laments, worries, fears, despairs, and even anger and frustration. One particular scene that leaves impression to me is when the surfer was so frustrated and vent his anger towards Ai because Ai tried to console him by saying 'if you die, you'll go to heaven, right?' As an adult, dealing with the harsh reality, it's very difficult to accept such consolation. But at the same night the surfer realized that Ai was a cancer patient as well, and at such a little age, she's brave enough to encourage the other kid to be strong. So, for an adult to keep on sulking and not dong anything but whining and self-pity looks lame in comparison (well, I totally can't blame the surfer). The message from this scene is that since there's not time left as they cannot find cure for him, then he has to make a good use of what's left so that he can leave this world with no regrets. Well, that's one side of emotion, but what about the loved ones of those the terminally ills? We have the husband whose wife is terminally here. He, too, feels the fear of losing his wife as well as the frustration of what if I've known earlier, what if I've treated her nicer, oh it's all my fault and so on. It's very hard as well to imagine how it'll be when you can no longer hear the voice of your loved ones. The take from here is the same that you have to cherish what you have now, love what you have now and importantly let your loved one know that you love them as well.
And now, fangirling moment. Actually I never go kyaaa when I watch this drama. And Nino looks too young to be a doctor, and he looks even younger than Mao-chan (how can that be?!?!?!). But I can feel his sincerity in acting as Junichi when he looks like lost in words upon patient's crying or when he's sobbing while listening to patient's recording session for the letters. And that's enough for me to love this drama.
And, to note, Saigo no Love Letter is very fitting as the OST, it makes me bawl the first time I watch this drama and makes me teary on the next re-watching, especially after that song it's the scene where Junichi called back the office from Saipan and told Ai that heaven is truly exist, sobs sobs sobs....
