Tokyo Love Story 2020

Just finished this Japanese drama with a heavy heart. Unfortunately, my ship sank. Tokyo Love Story is actually a manga written by Fumi Saimon, which was adapted into a TV series with the same title and released in 1991. After 29 years, a 2020 version was released with the same title. Gosh, 29 years!

*spoiler

I actually forgot the ending of the original series, or maybe I just never watched it, but I’ve known about the drama since it’s a pretty popular Japanese series. My friend said the ending was ‘meh.’ Before watching this year’s version, I read the wikipedia. Now that I’ve finished watching it, I think the 2020 version follows the manga’s story.

I really liked how the characters developed in this drama. Kanji, Satomi, and Mikami have been friends since childhood. Coming from Ehime Prefecture, the three of them moved to Tokyo, where Nagao Kanji (Ito Kentaro) met Akana Rika (Ishibashi Shizuka). Kanji is assigned to the Tokyo office, and Rika is the one who helps with his orientation. Sekiguchi Satomi (Ishii Anna) is a kindergarten teacher, while Mikami Kenichi (Kiyohara Sho) is a medical student. The four leads each have their own important roles in this drama.

Of course, my favorite character is Rika. She is so bright, a typical city girl with positive vibes. She’s sometimes quirky, and I love her fashion style and free-spirited nature. If she were real, I would love to be her friend. She had an affair with her boss, Mr. Waga, but eventually ended the relationship.

She falls in love with Kanji, impressed by his pure personality and the way he treats her. She even gives him a special nickname, ‘Kanchi.’ At first, her love is one-sided, but after Kanji is rejected by Satomi, his best friend and first love – they finally start dating. However, their relationship isn’t smooth, as Kanji’s feelings waver because of his lingering love for Satomi.

One scene that makes me sad is when Rika is preparing a surprise for Kanji’s birthday, beautifully planned, but Kanji comes home late because he meets Satomi. Although they eventually enjoy the party late at night, it still hurts me because Rika put so much effort into it and waited for him until she fell asleep.

I love how Rika is always firm about her feelings for Kanji, she never once doubts them.

There’s a scene where Satomi meets Rika and tells her that she and Kanji kissed while Rika was in New York, even though Kanji and Rika were still dating at the time. Rika then asks Satomi about her true feelings for Kanji while remaining firm about her own.

Rika: Satomi, do you like Kanchi?

Satomi: At the moment… I’m not sure.

Rika: At the moment? I really like him. I’m his number one fan in the world. No matter what happened, the fact will never change.

Kanji is the one Rika Akana adores the most. I can see the way her eyes shine whenever she looks at him. Kanji, on the other hand, is a somewhat passive person, awkward but warm. When he’s focused on something, he gives it his full attention. He struggles with his feelings, unsure whether he loves Satomi or Rika. He constantly pushes Rika away, and he can never seem to read what’s on her mind. Kanji is always surprised by Rika’s actions. However, in the final episode (Episode 11), he clearly states that he’s not in love with Rika. Hiks. Still, Rika will always love him.

Satomi is Nagao Kanji’s crush from high school. She likes Mikami, but Satomi is not my favorite character. Like Kanji, she can’t firm up her feelings. She’s unsure whether she wants to be with Kanji or Mikami. She eventually chooses Mikami, even though their relationship isn’t easy either. In the end, she realizes her true feelings and finally starts a relationship with Kanji after dragging it on for so long.

Mikami is a friendly man, but he lacks confidence in himself. He feels that he can’t compete with Kanji, especially when it comes to girls. During his medical studies, he meets a girl he truly likes and wants to protect, Nagasaki Naoko (Takada Riho). However, he’s also dating Satomi at the same time, which puts him in doubt. Eventually, Mikami starts dating Naoko and brings her to Ehime after confirming his feelings.

Yeah, it’s a pretty complicated relationship. But after watching this drama, I can see that it’s really about ‘first love’, the doubts and emotions they struggle with when they’re still young. It’s like a journey to find the love they want for life.

Although the ending isn’t what I wanted, I feel relieved knowing that Rika is living well after breaking up with Kanji. I keep thinking about their last conversation when they were together in Ehime…

‘Living with a man I don’t love or with a man who doesn’t love me is the life I would not go for’

That hurts, but that’s the ending. Rika knows what she wants. When she finds out she’s pregnant and tells Kanji about it, she thinks that if the baby is Kanji’s, she can live with him. However, looking at Kanji’s expression, she feels relieved that the baby isn’t his. TT

At first, she also considers marrying Mr. Waga (and now we know that the baby’s father is Mr. Waga), but she clearly realizes she doesn’t love him. It’s obvious she loves Nagao Kanji and wants him in her life. But in the end, she decides not to marry either of them and chooses to live with the man she loves—the baby growing inside her.

After years, Kanji, Mikami, Naoko, and Satomi meet up, and Kanji finally announces that he and Satomi have decided to get married. While walking together, they talk about Rika. Then, there’s a scene where Rika and her son are on the beach, enjoying the sun together… Cries… Thank you for living well, Rika!

Last but not least, I really like Ishibashi Shizuka for portraying the character of Rika so well. I became really attached to Rika. I hope I can see more of her dramas in the future.

Watch on vidio

Photos: Official Website | Official Twitter | mydramalist

Closing song by Vaundy