Mother Game: Kanodžo-tači no kaikjú

At first it seemed like the classic scenario where a breath of fresh air comes into some ossified institution/system and starts changing everything. A change per episode. But in the end it wasn't at all. The changes weren't sudden, new friendships weren't formed as if by a wave of a magic wand. I like the fact that not everything followed the usual formula, instead the formula was broken, twisted, and circumvented. Apart from a very good script, of course, this was helped by an excellent cast, not just the actors playing the mothers, but also the children and the men, who were more than just some supplement to the story, they weren't just there because someone had to make the babies. Mother Game is a very interesting and in some ways very poignant probe into Japanese relationships, not just between mothers and children, but into the relationships mothers form in general (men, teachers, friends, other mothers). It's a social drama and very well presented. The children are not a burden here. If you're interested in a probe into Japanese society, this is definitely one of the works to watch. And it's definitely worth analyzing. So if we've got a sociologist here, give it a go! :-) (2017.10.29)