(Impression) Jdorama NHK: Natsuzora (Summer Sky)

Origininal Ttile: Natsuzora (なつぞら)

Director: Kimura Takafumi, Tadashi Tanaka, Tatsuya Watanabe

Screenwriter: Omoi Sumio

Network: NHK

Episodes: 156

Release date: April – September 2019

Genre: Friendship, historical, romance, life, war

Casts:

Shibata Family:

Hirose Suzu as Natsu Okuhara

Awano Sari as Young Natsu Okuhara

Masao Kusakari as Taiju Shibata

Nanako Matsushima as Fujiko Shibata

Naohito Fujiki as Takeo Shibata

Sho Kiyohara as Teruo Shibata

Momoko Fukichi as Yumiko Shibata

Nanako Hirao as Akemi Shibata

It’s been weeks, I have been watching this NHK dorama. At first, I was really enthusiastic since the main character is Hirose Suzu and Masaki Okada, plus there is Ryo Yoshizawa there. But then, the episodes uploaded in my favorite website didn’t have any subtitles. Well, my Japanese is terrible, so, I skipped the postings. A few days ago, I was surprised to see my awaited Jdrama has subtitle! Woohooo…

Main and side characters are in one poster

Since this NHK drama has so many characters, I’d like to divide my impression about the drama, story, and the characters in some parts. In the beginning, let me start from the Shibata family.

Natsu Okuhara, I put her in Shibata family because she grew up in this loving family. Natsu was an orphan when japan got an attack in 1945. She was 9 years old at that time. She was rescued by Takeo Shibata, the survival of the war. She was brought to Hokkaido and met other Shibatas there.

Natsu from nine to twenty

Natsu grew up as a considerate, loving, hardworking child. She really understands her situation, being raised by a kind-hearted family, that she loves her family and her job there. She wakes up very early in the morning to learn how milk the cows and treat the cows well. At first, she had a hard time getting along with Taiju Shibata, the eldest member of the family. Taiju Oji-chan, that’s how she calls him finally takes her like his own grandchild. I can say that he even loves Natsu more than the other grandchildren.

Natsu, even though, grew up in a farm, she has the thing to drawing. Thanks to her late father who drew her a family painting that she keeps with her whole life. She’s inspired by one of her friends in elementary school, Tenyo Yamada whose art really touched her. From then on, she practiced drawing without her family notice about her other competence besides taking care of the farm.

Taiju Shibata, the eldest member in the family. He was the one who seemed to oppose Natsu to stay in Shibata family. He was the one who taught her to work to get shelter in the house. But then, he was the one who seems to be the one who lost her when Natsu leaves the family to pursue her dream in Tokyo.

Taiju-san, the pioneer of Tokachi farm

Young Taiju moved to Hokkaido due some kind of transmigration. He shared his story to Natsu about his hard work to make the farm. No one knew that Natsu then used the story to provoke her grandfather to help her best friend, Tenyo, to cultivate his farm. Taiju-san is the one you feel secured when he is around even though he is as hard as stone when it comes to principal. He is the most favorite member in the family for Natsu, though.

Fujiko Shibata, the strong and understanding mother in Shibata family. She looked uncertain to see Natsu for the first time when her husband brought her from Tokyo. She was uncertain since they got three children in the family and the economic situation at that time was hard. But then, she fell in love with Natsu’s hard work, determination and perseverance. She loves her as much as she loves her own children. The moment when she talked to Natsu about Natsu’s hesitance whether to go to Tokyo or to stay in Shibata family was heart breaking but warming. She’s like Natsu’s real mother not just a foster one.

A mother with her big heart

Takeo Shibata, the most loyal friend to Natsu’s father. Takeo-san and Natsu’s father had a promise, if one of them survived from the war, they had to take care of the family. Unfortunately, Natsu’s father passed away in the war. So, Takeo-san brought Natsu home in Hokkaido. Even though Takeo-san looked indecisive sometimes, he always trusts Natsu in whatever she wants.

the survival from the war

Teruo Shibata, the oldest child in Shibata family. He looked jealous the first time Natsu got close to Taiju-san. He thought that as the son of the family, he should be the one who learns to take care of the farm. However, Taiju-san prefers Natsu to Teruo. At frist, I thought, later in the story, there would be a love triangle among Teruo-Natsu-and whoever Natsu would fall for. But I was wrong. Lol. Teruo loves Natsu as his own sister, even though his expression when he was match made with Natsu by Taiju-san was not clear. Hmmmm… what do you think?

Teruo onii-chan, did he ever have a feeling to Natsu? 

Yumiko Shibata, the lady in the house. She was absolutely envious of Natsu when they were kids. No wonder, she’s got sharp tongue when she grew up. Instead of helping the farm, Yumi’s only focus is on her study. She’s obsessed with entering a university. No matter what issue happens about the farm, she would keep on studying. When she received the acceptance letter, instead of telling her family longing for the good news from her, she went asleep. She felt that her hard work in studying paid off that she felt relieved fell sleep. Lol.

The brain in the family, a bit selfish, tho

Akemi Shibata, the youngest child in the family. She was only three or four the first time Natsu came to the house. She didn’t know what happened why Natsu suddenly came to her house, what she understood was Natsu was there to play with her. That’s why she really loves Natsu, more than she loves Yumiko. She grew up as a very responsible and loving child. She is very capable in doing any household work. The night before Natsu leaves for Tokyo, Akemi’s confession for Natsu for not forgetting about her asked her whether Natsu is a real sister for her was heartwarming.

Akemi-chan, the youngest but the sharpest tongue ever :)

Well, that’s all about Shibata family characters. I can say that the beginning of the week, when Natsu got along with this family is really heartwarming. Every time I saw Natsu is about to cry, I got tears in my eyes, too. I wonder why there is a kind of emotional attachment to her. Maybe that’s because of Hirose Suzu. I got to know her for the first time when she acted in Gakko no Kaidan. Together with Ryonosuke Kamiki, she was the perfect match in that drama. From then on, I always got alert every time she released new movies or drama. For other Shibata members, I am only familiar with Fujiki Naohito and Sho Kiyohara. I barely could recognize Fujiki-san the first time I saw him. After the war scenes, I thought that I kind of familiar with this actor. Well, all I remember watching him in Last Cinderella drama. He is such a mature ikemen that I couldn’t take my eyes off him. LOL. Speaking about ikemen, there is a bunch of ikemens in this drama. As I mentioned before, Teruo, Natsu’s brother from Shibata family, is eye candy, too. However, I didn’t expect he would get Natsu’s love. Actually, I ship Natsu and Tenyo, her best friend. But, in the near episodes, there would be other candidates for the female lead partner. But still, please, Mister Screenwriter, there would be love fate between Natsu and Tenyo. Onegai!

Honestly, this is my second Asadora drama I have watched. The first one is Hanbun, Aoi. I stopped watching the drama for a while since the subtitling takes forever. So far, Natsuzora has 9 subtitled episodes. I write this impression in July, while the drama will be on going until September. I don’t know if the subbers are patient enough to wait for the other episodes and sub the rest of the episodes. I really love the story. I remember watching Oshin, decades ago. Maybe, that’s my first Asadora drama I watched. Asadora drama is a typical drama with the female character as the lead, telling about the life of a female heroine who faces challenges while working to achieve her dreams. This Asadora drama is mostly broadcast in the morning in Japan, or you can call it as  a morning drama. (I usually watch it in the afternoon or before I go to sleep at night. LOL)

So far, I have watched Week 9, with each episode has 15 minutes each, I think I have watched about 54 episodes. I saw a comment in a website saying that after Natsu went to Tokyo, the story goes boring. But for me, I think I still enjoy the episodes. I love how enthusiastic Natsu is in her new world of animation. In Hanbun, Aoi, the female lead, Suzume, is also obsessed with drawing. In 1955, Japan already set the goal of ruling the world with the magic of manga. No wonder that these days, Japanese manga cannot be replaced. There is another manhwa from Korea, by the way, but still, the world of manga is still in Japan.

Besides manga, Shibata farm cannot be put aside from the story. The idea of making butter already started from this farm. As you know, Japan is a bit isolated from western culture, but here, they are open to Western cuisine. Yamada family has been obsessed with Western dessert. They make ice cream, parfait, even ice cream float. Oh my goodness. I just started tasted any kind of float flavor few years ago. Hahahaha…

Well, I can go on and on spoiling the story. I try my best to continue writing about other characters around Natsu in my next posts. Support me with comments below. Sankyu.

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