Beautiful Life: why did nobody tell me how good it was, you guys?
Oh wow. You know, the way other people feel about Long Vacation? An understated, romantic, character driven drama that just drags you in? That's the way I feel about Beautiful Life. I am so sorry, Kurosagi, but you just moved down to number 3 jdrama spot.
This couldn't get any better if it tried.
You know what strikes me about this? How this is all about small realistic gestures and moments. This is not a grand, dramatic romantic epic the way something like Kamisama Mou Sukoshi Dake is. Yet, despite (or perhaps because) of the approachability and everydayness, it strikes me even more. I smile, I sniffle, and I fall into wide-eyed love.
Yes, KimuTaku (as Shuji) is still all about the small moments, the little looks when no one sees. But what strikes me the most, is the little moment. He's got Kyoko to be his model for a haircut and he asks her what she would like (and he never does, his regular customers complain) and she tells him she trusts him and he can do anything he wants. And the little look on his face. *dies*
In a way, both of them have no filters and yet no guards. Or maybe they just get under each other's guards, automatically. I love how he gets her all pretty and excited and the journalists snap pictures and she actually glows, because she loves looking like pretty woman, just another pretty girl for once.
But the moment I knew I was a goner for that ship? They are on an overpass, and he notices the sunset and they both look at it, side by side, and then all of a sudden he swoops down until he is at her eye level and crouches that way. In response to what he is doing, he tells her he wanted to see how she sees the world, because from that height the world is different and it's such a matter of fact statement and she is so arrested by it.
Because the thing is, she doesn't want to be defined by her disability, and to him she so isn't. He views her as being in a wheelchair, the way he'd view have red hair or a penchant for cats. Just a part of her, but totally normal. There is no pity there.
And then he invites her for dinner (not date-like, just friendly) and it takes them a long time to find a place, because most places aren't wheelchair equipped and not particularly accomodating (earlier, her friend pointed out to Shuji that the fancy salon he works at wasn't either, and he fixed it). It's interesting how something you take for granted: eating at any random place that strikes your fancy, catching a taxi (he is having problems catching one for her and she matter-of-factly says two out of three don't want to bother with wheel chairs) become these hurdles. I love that he gets angry about unfairness.
I love the bit where he offers to piggyback her into a restaurant. He is so boyish and so just, putting his backpack in front. And she refuses, and I love that he doesn't get mad. But even more I love that she explains why: her legs are skinny and it would embarass her. And OMG OMG, they are eating at some cheap joint (the only one they could find) and she mentions she really likes the bamboo in their dish, so he gives her all of his (GUUUUH) and steals her egg instead :P
I love how somehow, they can be normal with each other, they automatically make friends (she says it's the first time since she lost the use of her legs as a result of illness she ust got her pictures taken). And they agree to meet again if her picture does appear in that mag, and I love how they don't want to say good bye with the cab, but there is also hesitation, and shyness.
And if he validates her by seeing her just as a woman, she also validates him by assuring him he is good at his job (it's clear he doubts that). Because I think he is very reserved, usually, and not much of a people person (you get the impression of a square peg in a round hole) but with her, somehow with her, it all works. His rather off-wall approach fits with hers.
But then...
But then...
She is so full of anticipation when she buys the magazine, but the picture there is of her in a wheelchair, with the caption 'Even in a wheelchair, a charismatic stylist can make me beautiful.' (I love how it intercuts before them both seeing it, and his just throwing it away). Because, the whole thing was that for once she felt like she wasn'y an invalid, but that magazine defined her, for the whole country, by her disability, as if she isnothing more than someone to be pitied, 'almost human with some effort.' Her very quiet read of it and quiet wheeling of wheelchair to the trashcan and throwing it in? Wow. How can something so understated convey heartbreak.
And meanwhile Shuji is very upset too (because he never really sees her as anything less that fully whole, he would never think of a mangazine angle, all about disability) and the spread, while it's nice to be in the mag, is clearly bringing him no joy, because he understands how she would hate her. Even though the other hairdresser is all about 'smart PR' and OMG, Kyokooverhears the girls at the library whisper how of course Shuji wanted Kyoko because he wanted a disabled girl.
Even if Shuji never sees her disability in any way, except as a fact that she uses wheels instead of legs, the rest of the world doesn't have that, and hence lies the problem.
Somehow, in some ways, Shuji and Kyoko strike me as very pure, you know? I just want to protect them.
This couldn't get any better if it tried.
You know what strikes me about this? How this is all about small realistic gestures and moments. This is not a grand, dramatic romantic epic the way something like Kamisama Mou Sukoshi Dake is. Yet, despite (or perhaps because) of the approachability and everydayness, it strikes me even more. I smile, I sniffle, and I fall into wide-eyed love.
Yes, KimuTaku (as Shuji) is still all about the small moments, the little looks when no one sees. But what strikes me the most, is the little moment. He's got Kyoko to be his model for a haircut and he asks her what she would like (and he never does, his regular customers complain) and she tells him she trusts him and he can do anything he wants. And the little look on his face. *dies*
In a way, both of them have no filters and yet no guards. Or maybe they just get under each other's guards, automatically. I love how he gets her all pretty and excited and the journalists snap pictures and she actually glows, because she loves looking like pretty woman, just another pretty girl for once.
But the moment I knew I was a goner for that ship? They are on an overpass, and he notices the sunset and they both look at it, side by side, and then all of a sudden he swoops down until he is at her eye level and crouches that way. In response to what he is doing, he tells her he wanted to see how she sees the world, because from that height the world is different and it's such a matter of fact statement and she is so arrested by it.
Because the thing is, she doesn't want to be defined by her disability, and to him she so isn't. He views her as being in a wheelchair, the way he'd view have red hair or a penchant for cats. Just a part of her, but totally normal. There is no pity there.
And then he invites her for dinner (not date-like, just friendly) and it takes them a long time to find a place, because most places aren't wheelchair equipped and not particularly accomodating (earlier, her friend pointed out to Shuji that the fancy salon he works at wasn't either, and he fixed it). It's interesting how something you take for granted: eating at any random place that strikes your fancy, catching a taxi (he is having problems catching one for her and she matter-of-factly says two out of three don't want to bother with wheel chairs) become these hurdles. I love that he gets angry about unfairness.
I love the bit where he offers to piggyback her into a restaurant. He is so boyish and so just, putting his backpack in front. And she refuses, and I love that he doesn't get mad. But even more I love that she explains why: her legs are skinny and it would embarass her. And OMG OMG, they are eating at some cheap joint (the only one they could find) and she mentions she really likes the bamboo in their dish, so he gives her all of his (GUUUUH) and steals her egg instead :P
I love how somehow, they can be normal with each other, they automatically make friends (she says it's the first time since she lost the use of her legs as a result of illness she ust got her pictures taken). And they agree to meet again if her picture does appear in that mag, and I love how they don't want to say good bye with the cab, but there is also hesitation, and shyness.
And if he validates her by seeing her just as a woman, she also validates him by assuring him he is good at his job (it's clear he doubts that). Because I think he is very reserved, usually, and not much of a people person (you get the impression of a square peg in a round hole) but with her, somehow with her, it all works. His rather off-wall approach fits with hers.
But then...
But then...
She is so full of anticipation when she buys the magazine, but the picture there is of her in a wheelchair, with the caption 'Even in a wheelchair, a charismatic stylist can make me beautiful.' (I love how it intercuts before them both seeing it, and his just throwing it away). Because, the whole thing was that for once she felt like she wasn'y an invalid, but that magazine defined her, for the whole country, by her disability, as if she isnothing more than someone to be pitied, 'almost human with some effort.' Her very quiet read of it and quiet wheeling of wheelchair to the trashcan and throwing it in? Wow. How can something so understated convey heartbreak.
And meanwhile Shuji is very upset too (because he never really sees her as anything less that fully whole, he would never think of a mangazine angle, all about disability) and the spread, while it's nice to be in the mag, is clearly bringing him no joy, because he understands how she would hate her. Even though the other hairdresser is all about 'smart PR' and OMG, Kyokooverhears the girls at the library whisper how of course Shuji wanted Kyoko because he wanted a disabled girl.
Even if Shuji never sees her disability in any way, except as a fact that she uses wheels instead of legs, the rest of the world doesn't have that, and hence lies the problem.
Somehow, in some ways, Shuji and Kyoko strike me as very pure, you know? I just want to protect them.