Melted by TV drama カムカムにメロメロ

I never watched ASADORA(Note 1)on the TV until finished the employment. Even after retirement, I usually do something at another room when my wife is watching ASADORA. But now, I cannot stand without watching the drama “Come Come Everybody” which is broadcasted 15 minutes every monday to friday from 8:00 AM.

就職しているときはNHKの朝ドラを観ることはありませんでした。退職後、妻が見ている時も私は別の部屋で別の事をやっているのが普通です。それが今では月曜日から金曜日の毎日8時から１５分間、「カムカム・エヴリバディー」を見ないことには耐えられなくなってしまったのです。

The first moment when I was inspired with the drama was that; the young heroine Yasuko (acted by Ms Mone Kamishiraishi) who was helping her parents’ Japanese style confectionery store in Okayama, met a handsome student Minoru who visited the store and asked her idea which sweets will be good for souvenir. Yasuko said instantly and strongly “The best choice is OHAGI(Note 2), definitely” and then Minoru placed order of 30 (or more?) pieces of that. The joyful expressions of Yasuko at that time was so happy, so cute and so natural, and that made me curious on this drama since then.

最初におっと思ったのは、ヒロインの安子（上白石萌音）が実家の岡山の和菓子店で自分の両親をお手伝いをしているところ、新しいお客の大学生の稔が何かお土産を買いたいが何かいいものはないか、と言うのを聞いて、それならうちのおはぎが絶対いいと勧めると、稔はそれじゃ30個（もっとか）買うという場面がありました。その時の安子の喜びの表情が幸せに満ちて可愛らしくてこのドラマが気になりだしました。

The story goes on. Minoru couldn’t forget about Yasuko and visited the store on the other day. He chatted with Yasuko and left with the words “Try to listen the radio program at 6:20 tomorrow morning”. Yasuko switched on the radio as he told, and she heard the voice of the English lesson from the radio. It was so difficult to tell my emotion at that scene. She was like a girl who found some treasure or like a lady who found her lover. Yasuko and Minoru finally got married after objections by their parents, and Yasuko looks so happy always when she was with Minoru. Oh God, I really knew that Ms Mone Kamishiraishi is a so lovely actress.

稔もおはぎを買ったときから安子のことが忘れられなくて、和菓子店に寄り、ちょっとした話をしながら「明日の朝6時20分にラジオをつけて聞いてごらん」と安子に言って、立ち去ります。翌朝安子が言われた通りにラジオをつけると流れたきたのが英会話の講座。その時の安子の表情がなんとも言えない。少女が何か珍しい宝物を見つけたような、心から好きな人を得たような。その後両親たちの反対があったものの安子は稔とついには結婚してしまうのですが、安子はいつも幸せそうで、いやあ上白石萌音は可愛らしい女優だとつくづく思いました。

The story goes on again. Minoru died at the battle field during the war. Yasuko lost many peoples too, and had to spend a hard life with a little daughter. But she continued learning English with radio. One day she met an American officer (Robert) in the town of Okayama, and she could listen and talk English with a foreigner first time in her life. It was a fresh and joyful moment for her. The other day on Christmas, The officer found Yasuko in the town, bought whole stock of OHAGI she carried, invited her into the military camp, and asked a question “Why you are good in English?” Yasuko started to tell him about herself.

時が流れ、戦争で稔が戦地で亡くなり、また他の人々も亡くなり、安子は小さな娘と大変な生活を送ります。しかし安子はラジオで英語を勉強し続けます。そしてある日岡山の街の中で米進駐軍の将校（ロバート）に出会い、初めて英語を使う喜びを感じていました。その後クリスマスの日に再びその将校に出会い、持ってたおはぎを全量買ってもらい、進駐軍キャンプの中へ入り、その将校から「あなたはどうしてそんなに英語が上手なのですか」と聞かれます。安子は自分のことを語り始めます。

Then I was blown away. Her English with full emotions was perfect. It is not natural at all that she became a perfect English speaker suddenly, but she acted very well in few minutes to explain her past history and her grief about the lost of her husband, and since then I become a big fan of Ms Mone Kamishiraishi totally. What a great actress she is.

ここで私はぶっ飛んだ。感情に満ちたその英語は完璧なのです。急にそんなに完璧な英語話者になるのは全く不自然なのですが、見事に自分の過去と夫を失った悲しみを数分で演じて、これで完全に上白石萌音さんのファンになってしまいました。すごい女優さんです。

In this drama, many of persons who surround Yasuko show unique and good characters, and the story is dramatic. So my emotion is always moved. Perhaps, I will try to write about the continuance.

このドラマでは安子の周りの人物たちが個性的で善良で、話が劇的で、いつも感情を揺さぶられます。もしかしたら、この話題の続きをいつか書くかもしれません。

Note 1 : ASADORA is NHK programe on every weekday morning, started from about 60 years ago. The story shows heroine love and her success after hard time. The story changed every 6 months. Maybe the most popular heroine is “OSHIN” for foreigners.

Note 2 : OHAGI is typical Japanese sweets, which is rice cake covered by ANKO the sweet red been paste.