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.

Don Quixote

Shirota, a terribly wishy-washy fellow, works at a Child Care Consultation Centre. Apparently, he’s doing it of a calling, although his results do not show. One day, he happens to be in the same block of flats as a bunch of Sabashima group yakuza led by boss Sabashima himself and thanks to some evil (or good?) forces of nature (under a form of dark fog) the minds of these two are exchanged.

Now Shirota and Sabashima have to come to terms with what happened to them. They decide to work together until the riddle behind this mysterious body swap is solved. It’s enormously fun to watch how once timid Shirota (Matsuda Shota) becomes less-inteligent macho and the former yakuza boss (Takahashi Katsumi) now acts all ninny nanny in tight fashionable suit and needs to handle not only his own underlings but also enemies in the gangster world. Shirota, on the other hand, seems as if he couldn’t care less about the children he needs to take care of, while in fact he’s unconventional attitude is a blessing for the kids and a fresh breath of air to his office. Eventually they become something like best friends, supporting each other and changing their lives for better.

The Don Quixote series is full of funny gags with occasional tearful moments (if you’re into stories about family issues). Two leads did an amazing job pulling out the double roles (especially Matsuda!) and there is a bunchful of supporting actors that are like a cherry on the top: including Kobayashi Sachiko as Shirota’s boss, Matsushige Yutaka as Sabashima’s firstman and Miyake Hiroki as Child Care older colleague, Nishi-yan. However, in terms of storyline, not all episodes are equally good and I found some of them draggy, a common threat of a TV series. If squeezed the essence could be a perfect comedy.

The connection to Cervantes' "Don Quixote" is, to be honest, a little vague to me (yes, they actually did a theatre in the center, and all... And yes, Shirota and Sabashima are like a knight and his faithful sidekick), but the Spanish opening is great and sticks to your brain for long.

My point for this drama 

I you find body swap theme interesting, and I bet you do, try some other shows that turn around it. In Tenkousei - Sayonara Anata, a 2007 remake of an older movie,  two high-schoolers have their bodies replaced. One of them will even have to fight with the illness of the other. Similar theme was introduced also in a 1992 drama Houkago. In Papa to Musume no Nanokakan, it’s a father and a daughter who have to be one another for seven days. A soon to be released movie Himitsu no Akko-chan (based on a popular classic shoujo anime) tells the story of a 11-year-old who can transform into an adult. In also a drama turned movie Himitsu it’s the soul of the mother that enters her daughter’s body after a serious accident. And I bet the list can be much longer. The number of remakes is the best proof how prolific the motif can actually be.