Despite the accolades and the occasionally triumphant comments from all over, Koreeda’s films after “Shoplifters” did not reach the level of his masterpieces. “Asura” however, a 7-episode series which was adapted from the 1979 drama titled “Ashura no Gotoku” and is now streaming on Netflix, is definitely masterful. Even more so, it proves that even a material that is soapy in its basis, can become something outstanding in the hands of the Japanese master.
Click the image below to follow our Tribute to Netflix
The story takes place in the end of the 70s and revolves around four sisters. Tsunako is the oldest and a widow who is handling the flower arrangement in a restaurant, while retaining an affair with the owner, Sadaharu, who is running it along with his wife. She also has a son who is away while she also teaches ikebana. Eventually she is fired from the restaurant due to financial issues, but her teaching allows her to live independently. The second sister, and the only one who knows about Tsunako’s affair is Makiko, a housewife and mother of two kids, one boy and one girl, who is married to Takao, a company man. Although rather dependable, Makiko believes that her husband is cheating on her, something that takes its toll on her more and more significantly as the story progresses.
Takiko is the third sister, and a nerdy loner who is working in a library and seems to have no particular ambition in life, neither professionally nor romantically. Her sisters, and particularly the younger, Sakiko, are constantly teasing her for her lack of a partner, something that occasionally brings intense friction among them, with the two younger sisters’ relationship not being the best. Sakiko, on the other hand, was always the beauty of the family, is working as a waitress and is currently dating a boxer who is about to have a shot at the title. His psychology, however, is not exactly stable, and Sakiko always has to help him in that regard, exhibiting how much she loves him. Eventually the two become rich, something that causes her to ‘bully’ Takiko even more, although their own lives are not exactly without problems.
As the series begins, and in the aspect that essentially kickstarts the story, Takiko has hired a detective, Katsumata, to look into her father, Kotaro, since she believes he has an affair. The findings shock the sisters in varying degrees, since the 70-year old man seems to retain an extramarital affair with a younger woman, who also has a son. Meanwhile, the issues the sisters face continue to impact them, while the role their mother is playing in the whole thing also comes under their scrutiny.
Check also this video
Although the traits of the series are many, allow me to start with the most obvious. The casting and acting in “Asura” is one of the best we have ever see in a drama, with the whole of the ensemble being impressive in their roles. Machiko Ono emerges as the protagonist and is a true treat to watch in the ways her attitude differs in her interactions with her sisters, her children and her husband. Her downward spiral, which she presents more thoroughly after the middle of the series, is exquisitely portrayed, in a truly impactful performance.
Rie Miyazawa as Tsunako highlights her inability to ‘do the right thing’ and dump Sadaharu, which is also the reason she has given the role of the ‘big sister’ to Makiko, who is still trying, though, to convince her to marry someone and break her bond with a married man. At the same time, that the relationship she retains is also highly sexual, works quite well through her acting, in a rather appealing element of the narrative.
Yu Aoi as Takiko highlights her timid, reluctant nature in the best fashion, with the way she seems appalled by a number of things, particularly human touch, and her rather conservative nature being excellently portrayed. Her chemistry with Ryuhei Matsuda who plays Katsumata, and is essentially the same person in male form, additionally managing to say the wrong thing quite frequently, adds even more to Aoi’s characterization through their great chemistry, with the two of them being adorable together, at least when they are not painfully reluctant.
Suzu Hirose plays the ‘belle’ of the family with gusto, presenting a variety of ‘facades’ throughout the series with the same competence. Being a bully to Takiko, a rock for her husband, even when his mother’s behaviour becomes unfair, a supporting sister to her family, a spoiled young woman, and a victim of her circumstances, are all portrayed in the best fashion, in another excellent performance here.
Koreeda based a rather significant part of the series on the acting of his four protagonists, with their chemistry, which extends to both the way they deliver their lines and the way they move, particularly when they are in the presence of each other, essentially dictating the pace of the series, instead of the editing which is usually ‘in charge’ of this aspect. Add to that the somewhat goofy but always dependable demeanor of Masahiro Motoki as Takao, who may or may not be cheating his wife, and Jun Kunimura‘s cheeky, sneaky, hard-headed and guilty attitude as Kotaro and you have the backbone of what is a truly exquisite collective effort.
Apart from the characters, Koreeda also focuses on the concept of family and relationships, once more going quite deep in the concept. This time, the theme the story revolves around is cheating, with essentially all characters being impacted by it. Kotaro’s affair is the beginning, but his behaviour is just the tip of the iceberg. The way his wife reacts to it, in silence, swallowing her jealousy and channeling her pain in manual labor is one of the most dramatic elements here, with the way she also asks Makiko to retain a similar behaviour adding even more to this aspect. Regarding the latter, the question of if Takao is actually cheating actually looms over the entire series, with the impact it has on her, though, being another excellent dramatic aspect here.
That Tsunako is essentially on the other side, being the one cheating with a married man, allows Koreeda to explore the concept from yet another perspective, with her arc actually reaching a couple of boiling points in that regard, in some of the most memorable moments of the series. The way Makiko shows a measure of understanding is a testament to sisterly love, in another of the central concepts of the narrative. Sakiko is also implemented in exploring the concept from another angle, in an arc, though, that is somewhat rushed and not as well presented as the aforementioned. Lastly, the way her father’s affair eventually leads Takiko to happiness explores the concept from yet another, this time more ‘fantastical’ angle, which is, however, rather entertaining in its coincidence. It also leads to the scene which is the highlight of the performances of Jun Kunimura and Ryuhei Matsuda.
Mikiya Takimoto’s cinematography, as expected in a Koreeda film, is of the highest level, with the way both the individuality and the collectiveness of the protagonists is highlighted in the cramped interiors or the more open exteriors being impressive to watch. Koreeda’s own editing results in a relatively fast pace that adds to the amusement the series offers, with the way the flashbacks are presented within the story and the change from drama to comedy being ideal. Add to all that the excellent job done in costumes, hair, make-up and set design, which result in a rather accurate portrayal of the era and you have a series whose production values match the quality of its narrative.
Not much more to say, with barely any faults and the excellence in all levels being rather evident, “Asura” is a true masterpiece, definitely one of the best series we have seen lately, and another testament to Koreeda prowess as filmmaker.
