Original Episode Air Date: 2013/01/13
Kids and their problems. Their counselor with his own problems. What exactly are the underlying issues? The first episode drops us right into everyone’s problems without a moment to waste. It’s only a 30 minute drama after all.
Opening scene has our main character and psychiatrist, Ryou Tenma (played by Goro Inagaki) preparing tea. While he’s doing so, he hears one of his patients, Minami Umihara (played by Anna Suda), throwing up in the bathroom. He calls on her to make sure she’s okay, and she appears perfectly fine for having just been throwing up. Or at least well enough to take care in fixing her hair, putting on lip gloss, and undoing the top buttons on her blouse (because you’d think that’d been done before she starting throwing up).
Ryou Tenma (Counselor) and Minami Umihara (High School Junior)
Minami is back to see the counselor because she’s regressed back to her old habits. She blames her boyfriend as the cause of her throwing up again. No, wait, that isn’t right, because she had previously told Dr. Tenma she had no idea why she was throwing up again. She clears things up by saying that she only just realized that her insane boyfriend is the problem.
Dr. Tenma asks what makes her boyfriend insane. Minami’s answer is simple – because her mother told her all boys are crazy, so she’d better watch out. Dr. Tenma tries to steer the conversation towards Minami’s mother, but she deflects back to her boyfriend. He’s always jealous so she’s stressed out.
Dr. Tenma suggests that the stress has been ongoing and she’s just finally reached her limit. She agrees, and he says that she’s the one with the problem, not her boyfriend.
Dr. Tenma asks if there’s anything going on or if she has any issue with him, because she’s acting different. Minami reveals that she has an identical twin, which is the first Dr. Tenma has heard of it. Minami says she hates having a twin, which is why she’s never brought it up.
Minami’s sister has everything going for her, and that’s why she hates her. How does she know this? She’s impersonated her sister in the past – attended her classes, messed around with her boyfriend.
Miyu confesses that Minami is in love with Dr. Tenma, and since Minami is graduating soon… Dr. Tenma says that there is and always be a boundary between himself and students.
Their session ends. He tries to make a phone call, but before he can leave a message he hears arguing. Dr. Tenma’s wife and daughter are fighting. His daughter runs into the room and hugs him, upset with her mom and looking for support. He doesn’t even hug her back, just pulls her arms off of him. She runs off, angry with her dad and calling him a hypocrite.
Dr. Tenma gets upset with his wife, Kanae (played by Miki Sakai), saying that she should be taking care of the matters at home. Their daughter has been lying about where she’s been, but Kanae can’t get her to say anything about a boy. Dr. Tenma doesn’t have time for dealing with his own family’s issues and pretty much closes the door in her face.
Session: Ryou Tenma (Counselor) and Shun Tanaka (High School Junior)
Shun is all worked up, confirming with Dr. Tenma that whatever he says is really confidential. It is (within the typical patient-psychiatrist rules).
Shun beat up his best friend. He thinks he could be dead, but when he gets a phone call from his best friend, Toma, Dr. Tenma points out that he’s alive and okay.
Shun explains that he really wanted to kill Toma, because he so angry when Toma kept talking about having sex. Shun didn’t want to hear anything about it, first saying he felt bad for Toma’s girlfriend, like it was an invasion of privacy.
Dr. Tenma asks why he’s visiting. Shun says he thinks he might be gay, since he wasn’t happy for his best friend losing his virginity. He was jealous for the wrong reasons. All he could think about was kissing Toma, so he beat him up instead.
Dr. Tenma has him play free association game – starting with a word and saying the first word that comes to mind. Shun proceeds with a series of words starting with woman, then another series of words starting with man.
Dr Tenma again asks Shun why he’s come, since he’s been lying this whole time. His responses during free association game were obviously rehesed.
Toma calls again and Shun ignores the call. Shun gets caught in his own lie, when Dr. Tenma suggests that he likes Toma. Shun shouts that he isn’t gay, and Dr. Tenma just knowingly smiles. The bell rings, and the session is over. Dr. Tenma invites him back again, because even after three weeks of sessions, Shun has admitted why he’s really attending.
Shun leaves with these words: “You’re not God. People can’t save people.”
An exhausted Dr. Tenma goes back to his desk and completes the call he was trying to make earlier. An appointment at Miyama Mental Clinic.
Parting Thoughts
The first session with Minami started off as nothing unique, until she revealed that she has a twin. Which begs the question – who exactly has Dr. Tenma been talking to in the past? Why would Miyu even feel the need to impersonate her sister? What about Minami?? I’m so confused.
The second session with Shun was off to a quicker start, but only because he just kept talking and talking nonstop Like with Minami, we don’t really know what is going on with him. Why would he lie about being gay? And he doesn’t seem to have any faith that seeing Dr. Tenma will help him, yet he’s been going for three weeks…
And the ending? With Dr. Tenma making his own appointment at Miyama Mental Clinic? That was a pretty awesome moment. We know he’s got his own issues with his daughter and wife, which I’m looking forward to learning more about.
Good start to a series, fast paced and no wasting of time with the introduction of the characters. I’m worried that with so many questions already asked, we may not get all the answers. But it’s only the first episode, plenty of time!
Series is currently airing Saturdays 24:50 – 25:20 on NTV (Official Site)
Series is currently being subbed by Yanie – check them out starting here.