Kuruma-isu de Boku wa Sora wo Tobu

Recently, I have seen Kuruma-isu de boku wa sora wo tobu, a TV special broadcasted during NTV 24 Hours Television. For those, who encounter the term for the first time, let me break it for you: 24 Hours Television is an annual charity event, a live marathon programme that actually runs for 24 hours more or less. Each year, a drama special (often based on real life events, books, diaries) is prepared, often starring some of the most popular names of the season. We can expect good/popular actors (that’s not always coming in pair), overcoming one’s disability or illness theme and unfortunately a mediocre artistic value.

Kuruma-isu de boku wa sora wo tobu (I will soar the sky on my weelchair) is exactly that. An average show about a shady fellow Yasuyuki (bleached Ninomiya Kazunari) who due to his own stupidity (he jumps from the rooftop and fractures his spine) is bound to the wheelchair for the rest of his life. Yasu has another illness – a weak relationship with his mother (Yakushimaru Hiroko), at first glance a carefree woman who has an inkling towards abusive men. During his hospital days, Yasu meets other people, who help him mature – an able counselor (Iseya Yusuke), shop clerk (Ueto Aya), little boy in terminal stage of cancer (Suzuki Fuku) and a teenager on a wheelchair who triggers a major upturn in the drama (Ikematsu Sousuke).

I wish this special had something more to it. Unfortunately, it’s more “educational” than artistic (as I mentioned before, it's a common feature for the 24 Hour Television franchise). There are strong scenes, that will probably last long in the viewer's memory, like Yasu’s visit to the suicide tourist spot. Truthfully, I think the whole story could be much better if the writers skipped Suzuki Fuku’s and Ueto Aya’s plot. The former was good, but quite typical, whereas the whole story of the latter was just shallow. Instead I wish someone came up with the idea to concentrate more on the time Yasu spend with the counseller. Ninomiya and Iseya are more than capable of giving us a great, emotional story just by sitting down and sharing a well-written dialogue.

Kuruma-isu de boku wa sora wo tobu is based on a book written by Hasegawa Yasuzou "Inochi no Counseling" (Counselling of Life). Hasebe Yasuyuki (notice the similarity) is more or less the author himself - now famous therapist being called "Black Jack of Psychology", bound to the weelchair. I haven't read the book, but I believe that the therapist Hasegawa Yasuzou met during his hospital days must have had a big impact on him to start studying psychology. That's another reason I wish the drama team developed that plot, instead of adding a number character whose stories couldn't be fully explored.

My point for the show

Yakushimaru Hiroko, who plays Yasu’s mother, was highly appraised for her portrayal of Ikeuchi Aya’s mom in 1 litre of tear. The actress was outstanding as a supportive and strong mother, who stood beside her daughter and helped her accept and live the small number of days she still had left with dignity. Here she is a completely different, but also three-dimensional character and it can be quite interesting to compare.