The official poster for the Japanese drama ‘Shiawase no Jikan’
Netizens react to the strong depictions of sex in the new Tokai Television daytime drama ‘Shiawase no Jikan [literally ‘Our Happy Times]’. The show is based on a manga of the same name by Kunitomo Yasuyuki. It replaces ‘Akai Ito no Onna’ [literally ‘The Woman of The Red Thread’ where ‘red thread’ refers to ‘fate’), another drama noted for being racy but deemed to be less salacious than the newcomer.
The raw depictions of sex and turmoil of the central family have garnered much surprise on Twitter and the show’s official website. The producers, however, have welcomed the intrigue, promoting it as a draw for the show’s audience.
From J-Cast.com:
New Fuji TV Daytime Drama: Heaps of ‘Excessively Erotic’ Scenes!
A beautiful female office worker engages in standing sex from behind with her high-powered boss…Everyone has been talking about the extreme depictions of sex in ‘Shiawase no Jikan,’ the Fuji TV-style daytime soap opera that debuted on November 5th, 2012. The first episode abruptly starts with the aforementioned scene.
Actor Nishumura Kazuhiko (46) portrays an elite businessman with a wife and children who engages in an affair with one of his subordinates. On the day his family moves into a new house, he rendezvous with her under the pretense of working on his day off. The facial expression of the beautiful OL [office lady] getting thrusted from behind while standing is raw and vivid.
‘Shiawase no Jikan’ is a 30-minute program shown Monday through Friday. It includes home-wrecking love stories, prostitution, and a sordid portrayal of human relationships. The original work was a manga by Kunitomo Yasuyuki, serialized in the magazine ‘Manga Action’ from 1997 to 2001 with the stand-alone graphic novels of the same name selling over 4,000,000 copies. The drama is the creation of Tokai Television and there are 39 projected episodes in all.
A volume of the original manga by Kunitomo Yasuyuki
In the opening episode, the show goes as far as showing a scene where the handsome son of the businessman moves out on his own, lays down on his bed with a magazine and places his hand between his legs.
The elite businessman plays the part of the loving father to his family and even fulfills his nightly duties to his wife.
‘Ahhh. No. We mustn’t…do that…’
Tanaka Minako (45) is the main female lead, playing the part of the wife. She breathes heavily as she engages in passionate sex with her husband on their bed. However, while driving him to the station, she daydreams about this scene and inadvertently hits a young woman, thus beginning the collapse of their family.
Although there is little actual exposure of skin in the show, the first 10 minutes are chock full of depictions of sex. Because of that, one after another people have been voicing their surprise on the Internet since the broadcast.
‘This is crazy! Standing doggystyle lol’, ‘Even pornos don’t escalate this quickly’.
The surprised comments have even been successively posted on the show’s website.
Since the original work was targeted at men there were many similar sex scenes. ‘I had not originally anticipated a television dramatization, so I included many extreme scenes,’ wrote author Kunitomo Yasuyuki on the website. On the topic of the drama, he added ‘I get the impression everyone put their spirit into it and drove (the show) to the limit.’
The previous Fuji Television afternoon drama shown until November 2 2012, ‘Akai Ito no Onna’ was also in the news for being ‘too erotic’. Mikura Mana, known in the purer sectors of the industry, gave a performance that amounted to career suicide by doing consecutive love scenes on daytime TV. Now, however, people are talking about how ‘Shiawase no Jikan’ is even more extreme.
Tokai Television, which also produced the previous drama, is no doubt enjoying the notoriety. They advertised the fact that they had racy scenes on their official Twitter.
‘Barely within the first minute it lives up to the name of full-throttle eroticism’, ‘Today, like an animal, he pressures her for sex again. However, he’s not the only animal…’
The second episode in the initial six-day run delivers that full throttled eroticism.
There are scenes of the husband slipping off his wife’s panties and of him disrobing his mistress as they get into bed. Finally, as per the preview, the third episode has a co-worker of the husband issue frankly ‘I want to have sex with you’ to the husband’s 15 year old daughter. She replies: ‘If that’s what you want, I’ll give it to you,’ as she removes her school uniform.
How far will they go?
Comments from J-Cast.com:
はは:
They won’t get ratings if they don’t go that far.
ハァハァハァ:
Wanga wanga
Uaghhh
Huff Huff Huff
ｒｒｒ:
The organizations trying to implement regulation of sexually explicit matters in manga and anime have nothing to say about this drama?
サラサラ:
I just skimmed the article. It was kind of….worthless. Kids who are skipping school and staying home shouldn’t be watching this show, huh?
一応:
An adult having sexual relations with a 15 year old is a crime. Don’t try this at home.
なら:
Why don’t we just show porn on TV?
With the existence of ‘synthesized marijuana’, the display of thieves and swindlers’ tricks, and adultery, of course dramas are going to portray the destruction of morals and crimes. Isn’t that what TV and the media are all about?
JQ:
Ratings = the ability to get sponsors regardless of appearance. The truth is, if they have the time to regulate 18+ manga, I’d like to see them regulate the erotic content on public television.
みたよ:
The guy was bursting out ‘Umph!! Umph!!’ a little too hard. It sounded like a comedy skit w
おいおい:
Show this late at night w.
ルナ:
I really loved the daytime dramas like ‘Botan to Bara’ [Peonies and Roses] from a while back. However, I’m disappointed that the last one [‘Akai Ito no Onna’] and this one are all sex.
へたくそすぎ:
I’d still rather watch a porno w
外国人:
The Japanese do it while wrapped up in a futon!?
That’s a crazy sex act right there.
冬休み:
This drama is from November until when? Elementary school has half days and early releases starting from the middle of December and school lets out on the 20th. If we’re careless, wouldn’t kids be watching it every day during the break? We can’t leave them alone to go shopping or go to work, right?
