This review may contain spoilers
Good series but disappointing in some themes
I love watching historical series and this was no exception. It explains the evolution of big trading firms in Japan, how it started and the stiff competition involving corruption and deception.
However i was disappointed with Iki as a father figure and a husband to his loyal wife Yoshiko. Having been apart for 11 years and coming back to a bitter and resentful son towards his father. Only to end his wife’s life in sadness I’m not sure whether she was ever happy with her life only to take care of the kids and the absence of her husband due to the war and work. And there’s the third wheel, daughter of his commander who committed suicide when pushed into a corner by the Russians as a war prisoner. Must he take care of her just cos his commander killed himself? How is it that he has to take responsibility of caring for his commander’s family? At the expense of his own family? They did not show any closeness between him and his children especially his son who balked him for the death of his mother.
I would rather them just show the family relationship instead of introducing a third wheel which i think doesn’t give any weight to the series except for attempt to have a juicy romance between him and the third wheel after his wife’s death and they failed to show any remorse by Iki after all the sacrifices the family made for him.
Other than this the historical portion about business and especially depicting the shogo shosha was worth watching.
p/s I skipped most of the scenes between Iki and the third wheel which I find distasteful. Or maybe they try to show how Japanese men are like when they get too immersed in work.
However i was disappointed with Iki as a father figure and a husband to his loyal wife Yoshiko. Having been apart for 11 years and coming back to a bitter and resentful son towards his father. Only to end his wife’s life in sadness I’m not sure whether she was ever happy with her life only to take care of the kids and the absence of her husband due to the war and work. And there’s the third wheel, daughter of his commander who committed suicide when pushed into a corner by the Russians as a war prisoner. Must he take care of her just cos his commander killed himself? How is it that he has to take responsibility of caring for his commander’s family? At the expense of his own family? They did not show any closeness between him and his children especially his son who balked him for the death of his mother.
I would rather them just show the family relationship instead of introducing a third wheel which i think doesn’t give any weight to the series except for attempt to have a juicy romance between him and the third wheel after his wife’s death and they failed to show any remorse by Iki after all the sacrifices the family made for him.
Other than this the historical portion about business and especially depicting the shogo shosha was worth watching.
p/s I skipped most of the scenes between Iki and the third wheel which I find distasteful. Or maybe they try to show how Japanese men are like when they get too immersed in work.
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