is a

Japanese television drama , also called or J-drama, are television programs that are a staple of Television in Japan, Japanese television and are broadcast daily. Format All major Television networks, TV networks in Japan produce a variety of Drama (genre), drama serie ...

series starring

Takuya Kimura is a Japanese actor, singer, and radio personality. He is regarded as a Japanese icon after achieving success as an actor. He was also a popular member of SMAP, one of the best-selling boy bands in Asia. In the media, he is known as a huge hea ...

and

Takako Matsu (born on June 10, 1977) is a Japanese actress and pop singer. Personal life Matsu was born to a family of buyō and kabuki actors, including her father Matsumoto Hakuō II, her mother and businesswoman Noriko Fujima, her uncle, Nakamura ...

. It aired on

Fuji TV JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as or , is a Japanese television station that serves the Kantō region as the flagship (broadcasting), flagship station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network System (FNS). The station is owned-and- ...

from October 13, 1997 to December 22, 1997, every Monday. The plot revolves around the relationship of the two young protagonists, Katagiri Teppei and Uesugi Riko, who begin as squabbling colleagues before inevitably falling in love. It enjoyed a very high rating of 30.8% and features music by Cagnet. The theme song was "Shiawase na Ketsumatsu" (幸せな結末; "A Happy Ending") by Eiichi Ohtaki.

Cast

as Katagiri Teppei :A talented advertisement designer and a playboy with an egocentric attitude and dislike for mediocrity. He starts a relationship with Riko but still misses his past girlfriend Sanae. *

as Uesugi Riko :A secretary who works in the same department as Teppei. Hoping to become more independent, she moved away from her family in Nagano to

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

. She has a lot of spirit and eventually becomes part of a love triangle. *

Norika Fujiwara is a Japanese actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder. She became Miss Nippon in 1992 and was an exclusive model for CanCam fashion magazine. She has appeared in various commercials and TV series and a number of films in Japan. Biography ...

as Takagi Erika :A

flight attendant A flight attendant is a member of the aircrew whose primary responsibility is ensure the safety of passengers in the cabin of an aircraft across all stages of flight. Their secondary duty is to see to the comfort of passengers. Flight attenda ...

and Riko's best friend. While she secretly likes Teppei, she frequently gives helpful advice to Riko to help her maintain her relationship. * Masaaki Uchino as Katagiri Soichiro :A prosecutor and Teppei's brother. He is very serious in his doings unlike Teppei, and thus Soichiro is his brother's role model. He was engaged to Sanae, Teppei's former girlfriend, but he meets his own past girlfriend and develops an affair with her later on in the story. *

Risa Junna is a Japanese actress, singer, and voice actress. She was part of Takarazuka Revue's Snow Troupe and Flower Troupe. During her time in the Revue, she specialized in female roles (''musumeyaku''). She was the ''musumeyaku'' top star from 1995 to ...

as Mizuhara Sanae :A translator of

Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

and

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

. She was Teppei's high school sweetheart. She becomes engaged to his brother Soichiro, but later finds herself falling in love with Teppei again. * Ryuuta Kawabata as Yoshimoto :Teppei's high school friend, who falls in love with Riko at first sight, and is rejected by her.

Synopsis

Katagiri Teppei is a talented designer, popular amongst women. Unfortunately, Teppei, who despises conformity, is forced to transfer from the design department to the sales department of his company as a result of his egocentric behavior. Throughout the series, he is compelled to adapt to his new working environment, which includes cutting his long hair to create a 'more professional' image. As he struggles to adjust, he meets Uesugi Riko. While she apparently does not like him at first, she eventually falls for him. At the same time, Teppei runs into his high school sweetheart, Mizuhara Sanae, whom he still has feelings for, but discovers to his surprise that she is now engaged to his older brother Soichiro. Riko is there to console him, and this eventually blooms into an awkward romance. Soon after, however, Sanae herself realizes she also still has feelings for Teppei, and thus creates a love triangle. To make the matter more complicated, Soichiro starts to have an affair with a past girlfriend of his own.

Symbols

Crystal apple

Teppei's apartment has many unusual items such as a Thai artifact, a 30-year-old refrigerator, and a crystal apple. The meaning of the apple is unclear—it could be the apple that tempted Eve, or it could represent the true love between

Adam and Eve Adam and Eve, according to the creation myth of the Abrahamic religions, were the first man and woman. They are central to the belief that humanity is in essence a single family, with everyone descended from a single pair of original ancestors. ...

. Crystal is also very fragile, and shows anything seen through it upside down. The image in the apple is seen upside down for 10 of the 11 episodes; at the end of last episode, however, it is no longer upside down. The apple was also used on the album cover of Love Generation's soundtrack.

True love never runs smooth

This advertising slogan appears over and over again in the drama. It is a version of the famous quote from Shakespeare's ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...

'' Act 1 Scene 1: "''The course of true love never did run smooth''", and characterises the relationship between Riko and Teppei, who face constant difficulties throughout. The advertisement is visible everywhere, from the local park to Teppei's 30-year-old refrigerator --- "True love never runs smooth" is the unofficial tagline of this TV series.

Awards

References

External links

* {{Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix Best Drama 1997 Japanese television series debuts 1997 Japanese television series endings Japanese drama television series Fuji Television dramas