To think I once didn't like Sato Ryuta *face-palm* and I blame it on the roles he played (the idiotic but kind secondary guy). He was excellent as the MC in this drama, I love how he goes from a judgemental, ignorant guy to a understanding friend. His twin brother, Ryoji, was gay, he died and his Canadian husband comes to Japan to meet his brother-in-law Yaichi and all the places Ryoji loved.
I confess I usually don't like the foreign actors in J-dramas since it seems like anyone who is foreign but speaks a little of Japanese can be an actor; meaning, terrible acting. But Baruto, as Mike Flanagan, was perfect, he portrayed perfectly the gentle giant (he is gigantic! I remember how Nakai loved to pat his belly in SMAP Bistro XD)
This is a very realistic slice of life, where there would be ignorant people who rejects homosexuality or just refuse to accept it. At the beginning, Yaichi was all "would be make a move on me?", or just calling him "my brother's friend" or not liking Mike near his daughter. Slowly, he begins to see that Mike was a nice guy who just happened to love men. Mike was never ashamed of who he was, and he taught his niece and his niece's friends that men can love men (and marry them) and same with girls. And the little girls were confused at first, but they quickly were "if you love someone, is wonderful you can marry that person, even if the both of you are guys" :D
I smiled, I cried, I loved it! Very recommended. I will read the manga as well (the author was in my "banned" list but this one is very different from what I thought).
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Before starting let me just put out there that I haven't read the manga yet, so this review is solely based on the drama. However, I'll point out that the drama does a good job of making people want to read the source material, if they haven't.
This story starts in an aftermath, where many stories would end. You have a divorced father, who recently lost his twin brother, a little girl navigating her parents' separation and a widower brother-in-law who comes into their lives for the first time, after his husband's passing. Still, even though the events that lead to this setting are sad and filled with regret, the drama is not centered on that, but in the re-building of a family and the search of happiness.
The drama could have gone melodramatic so easily, and it could have used the subjects it portrays for gratuitous suffering, but it never does. It deals with stuff like bullying, homophobia, grief, separation anxiety and letting go, but it always does so respectfully and with emotional maturity.
It could have also turned preachy or superficial, considering that Yaichi (performed by Sato Ryuta) isn't gay and is left to understand the life of his brother who was, and to navigate his relationship with the brother-in-law he is meeting for the first time. Yaichi, being not only the protagonist but a kind of ambassador to Mike, who is a foreigner and a stranger in many ways to their community, could have very easily turned into a 'ally savior' trope. But there are well crafted elements throughout the story, instances of development and conversations with Mike and other characters, that allow for this show to be a great combination between a mature lgbtq+ narrative, a wholesome family story and a way to put out there subjects into conversation that the audience the drama was aiming to might have not seen in this way before.
Also, absolute stand out thing to me that I was not expecting is the way in which Yaichi's relationship with Natsuki, his ex wife, was written and performed. It's complex yet very simply human but it's not demonized or made into a him vs her situation with their daughter in the middle, like a lot of dramas with divorce tend to do.
The kids in this are adorable, btw.
All in all, wholesome, bittersweet yet with a positive spirit and an ultimate message of family, I would absolutely recommend. The only bad thing is that it's only 3 episodes long.
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not too bad for just 3 episodes
This drama is just 3 episodes, so I cannot say there was much of story development, it is not fair to comment on that, but it did manage to show well how conservative Japan views same-gender relationships and marriages in mere 3 episodes. The attitudes of everyone - from the sibling himself, to his child, the child's friends, their parents, their school teachers, the ordinary people in the neighborhood, etc. - were all shown subtly in Japanese style.It had good pacing, never a dull moment and well-executed. It also gave a warm feeling at the end when the Canadian brother-in-law returned to Japan, bringing together his Canadian family..
There was a little surprise at episode 3 about the brother's childhood friend though. At least it was a tiny surprise to me.
I would recommend this drama if you want to take a glimpse of how ordinary Japanese people view same-gender relationships.
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Easy Watch, Enjoyable Drama
This is what I would call an easy watch. It was enjoyable, because it didn’t have a lot of characters, and it wasn’t real plot heavy and serious. A drama about twin brothers, one was gay, and admitted it to his twin when they were young. Being gay wasn’t accepted when they were young, so the gay brother distanced himself from his family when he grew up. He married, and passed away, leaving behind a very distraught husband. The husband traveled to Japan to meet his husbands twin brother, and learn more about his family. It had its sad moments when the brother reflected back on his life with his deceased twin brother. It had its happy moments for the same reason. It’s just an all around, short, feel good kind of drama with a good ending.Was this review helpful to you?
Touching Though a Bit Too Good-Natured For My Taste...
Touching and engaging though a bit too quiet and good-natured for my taste. I wanted some tension, some excitement to get my heart racing. The final product though is fine itself.Loved the honest depiction of the gay experience: of the struggle and the importance of finding others like you to help guide you. I wished when I was younger that I had a gay mentor that I could look up to for inspiration and strength.
This is my second Japanese BL after The Pornographer. Japanese BL's are quite different from Thai and Taiwanese BL's. They're more mature and quieter. It is interesting that there hasn't been a 'kawaii' Japanese BL yet. I would love to see one that is more fun, upbeat and not so serious.
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A good show is a good show.
Ototo no Otto or My Brother’s Husband is one of those really rare gems that you might fully know what you are going into but watching it is so much refreshing because it portrays gay people realistically. This is why we need to represent people in the most realistic possible way. There is a lot to unpack in this 3-episode series and that is amazing. The things that I want to talk about is the way that it handled grief and homophobia in Japan. These things are important but I want to start with the character of Kana because let’s be real here. Kana represents the young generation that is not yet polluted by the societal prejudices that we teach kids. I think what is important to note here is how the kids are actually more open to the idea of love and this is reflected on what Yuki said that people should be married not because of their gender but because of love. This is a beautiful sentiment and I wish that a lot more kids are like Kana and Yuki. Kana is such a kind soul. She is probably the best character in this show because of how she handles basically everything. She is so mature for her age so seeing some glimpse of the kid that she is makes my heart feel so full. Personally, I would love more people to be like her because this is what we forget when we turn to adults. We forget to be the better person who always try to understand other people and to always be open. I just really wish that by seeing this show, more and more people learn to tap into that inner child of theirs and find a way to be kinder to everyone around them. This would make the world so much better. Speaking of which, the story is about Yaichi whose twin brother died and his husband from Canada is going to meet them. The important thing to note here is that he is a good host and accepted Mike as his guest. He is processing the death of his brother while he is trying to fully understand what the situation means to him. There is a lot for him and one of the things that struck me is his homophobic tendencies at the beginning of the show. He is not rude and all but he was really homophobic with his thoughts. I have seen how common this is in the side characters as well who are meeting Mike. There is a certain level of silence that they will make you feel unwanted by them because of you being gay. There is no violence but instead there is silence. This, for me, is a harder way to handle because what can you do about It? I don’t know. This is why choosing to have his thoughts be transparent to us is important because we got to see him question himself as well. One of the things that shouted super homophobic is when he thought that Mike would also like him because he is a man and Mike is gay. This is super homophobic. Luckily, the writing is impeccable in this show. We got to slowly see his thought process change as he is exposed to Mike. He got to be more comfortable and realize a lot of things that he had never thought of before. I think these things are always important to do because we got to present him as a character but the development of this character is immense from how he is talking to Mike up to how he is handling his brother’s death. There is so much to unpack in this show but they are doing it so beautifully that we are reminded of how important giving people time to accept us. We cannot just ask someone to accept us immediately. It takes time to refocus one’s ideologies especially if this is something that they were taught. There are homophobic characters here but the show never judged them because the show is not about judging people. It is about understanding them and learning that these differences does not make you or them a lesser individual but instead it just makes you unique. This story was handled so well that the ending just felt like a great big warm hug that one can just feel. The attention to details and the writing is impeccable. It is unique yet it felt very familiar.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Al,
How can this be possible?My Brother's Husband is a story of regrets, missed opportunities, the lack of courage and Japan!
Story; Yuichi and his daughter receive the visit from Mike, a Canadian husband of Yuichi's twin brother, recently deceased. Looking like a giant teddybear, Mike conquers all with his kindness and finesse and intelligence!
This is not a BL but an an intimate slice of life story featuring a gay character.
This is not much of a comedy either, nothing funny happens!
What I liked:
- the main actor Sato Ryuta
- very sweet and not annoying little girl
- amazing ex wife
- the story
What I did not like
- the relationship between the little girl and Mike: a bit too close and too sudden
- the description(or the lack thereof) of japanese society's view on LGBT issues
- the last scene (OTT unnecessary!)
So the story is heartwarming! Mike manages with his kindness to make Yuichi understand his brother better. And therein lies the tragedy because no matter how much he regrets not trying to talk to his brother more, he can never make up for the lost time. The story is about these four characters and their interactions.
Japanese society is known for its utmost politeness, restraint (at one moment the father refuses to hug his own daughter: such is the conditioning !) and the way they do not show their feeling in front of other people, children as much as adults! Mike comes, fully versed in japanese customs and helps them crack the mould a bit. Everyone is better for it!
What this story is missing is a better representation of ordinary people towards LGBT: it has been only briefly touched upon: blink and you miss it!
The actors are all amazing with a special mention of the former sumo star, Estonian Baruto Kaito who plays Mike. He was a revelation! To be honest, I almost dropped this when he showed up, it was a kind of WTF?!? moment but as this was a part of a challenge, I continued watching! And I was not disappointed!
Music & cinematography were there, unremarkable...
Ototo no Otto is a great single watch!
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Sad but beutiful
This drama is really emotional, conveying both sorrow and healing in the most beautiful way where the details count more than the dialog. While many LGBTQ+ dramas often focus on romance it was kind of refreshing yet sad to see a drama that incorporated more sides to being gay portraying both hardship, discrimination, love, regret but most of all family bonds (not necessarily biological). This drama uses childrens openness and curiosity in the most natural way as well as added some small humoristic sides to the otherwise pretty heavy story.The drama may not have huge entertainment or suspense but it is touching in a non cringey kind of way, making you feel warm as well as being very subtle in showing the characters personality and growth that will make you fall in love with this family over and over again. The drama also makes way for some pretty good come back lines and is most certainly worth a watch for any one anywhere, just have the tissues ready if you are the emotional type.
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This review may contain spoilers
Quite a good portrait prejudices and reticence,but also love and hope
This is the first movie I rate with a full 10 in every category.The acting is amazin, starting with the wonderfull, lovable, sensitive Baruto Kaito. He plays Mike Flanagan so sweet, calm, soothing with a vulnerable soul. Gosh, I really wanted to hug him so many times.
Sato Ryuta playing Ryoji is just as amazing. Coming to know his prejudices and realizing that he has missed the chance to make up with his (TWIN!) brother, I felt so bad for him.
And last, but nor least: Nemoto Maharu playing the sweetes girl on earth: Kana. This is where you can learn that children see the world with totally different eyes and just accept love as it is. I cannot say how much I adore her!
This is truely one of the best series I have seen lately and I will surely rewatch it. And cry my eyes out....
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HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
This one hit all the right notes: the writing, acting, direction, cinematography, editing, music.And it’s not overlong. Just 3 episodes (50 minutes average/ep).
It’s simple yet the message comes across very clearly.
It is also a light comedy rin ito, but its humor is not forced. Even the flow of the story is very natural. No forced conflicts here.
And that little girl is soooo endearing. And smart. In fact, all the main characters here – including the ex-wife – are endearing. No negative vibes – except for a few narrow-minded minor characters.
Prepared some tissues. Not many though. Haha!
This now ties with CHERRY MAGIC as my favorite Japanese series.
Really thankful that I came across this one.
TRIVIA: Baruto Kaito (born Kaido Höövelson on 5 November 1984) is an Estonian politician and former professional sumo wrestler.
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SO UNDERRATED! MUST WATCH
Tbh I suddenly stumbled upon the drama on the internet and binged watched it all in one go. The whole topic of how gays are being perceived by general people and the dormant homophobia was so well presented. I adored Kana-chan the most. Cried my eyes out on the ending, it is so bitter-sweet. Loved it as a whole. More people should watch it and hype it up. And also loved how within just 3 episodes the whole story was so well itched. MUST WATCH!I am becoming a fan of Japanese BLs. 😭
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The actor I liked the most was Ryoji, a 30-year-old symposia, an experienced Japanese actor, he played the role of the father flawlessly. Mike, actually now a Japanese man, originally from Estonia, tried, but it was funny to me that they kept dressing him in that orange vest (here, construction workers or canal diggers wear it) to visually "enlarge" him (?) . The little girl was fine, she must have won some kind of audition and played it the way the creators wanted. Sound and processing at a solid level. Satisfaction. Thanks to lardnak for the excellent cz subtitles.
Třídílná japonská minisérie se mi celkově líbila a byla vyrobena především pro Japonce, proto je taková jaká je a já toto poselství oceňuji. Proto překračuji všechno, co by mělo být z pohledu diváka ze střední Evropy jinak (a že je to špatně nebo "až moc") a vyzdvihuji naopak tu lidskost, snahu ovlivnit japonskou v mnoha ohledech konzervativní společnost.
Nejvíce se mi líbil po herecké stránce třicetiosmiletý sympoš Ryoji, zkušený japonský herec, postavu otce zahrál bezvadně. Mike, vlastně teď už Japonec, původně z Estonska, se snažil, jen pro mě bylo úsměvné, že ho pořád oblékali do té oranžové vesty (u nás ji nosí stavební dělníci či kopáči kanálů), aby ho opticky ještě "zvětšili" (?). Holčička byla fajn, jistě vyhrála nějaký konkurz a zahrála to tak, jak tvůrci chtěli. Zvuk i zpracování na solidní úrovni. Spokojenost. Díky lardnakovi za výborné cz titulky.
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