Scafthefish Issue 33: Drama Generation: Us Who Became Collectors

Scafthefish Issue 33: "~Drama Generation~ Us Who Became Collectors" In the summer of 2016, I passed through Nakameguro while on assignment. I'm fortunate that my first encounter with it was amidst the sunlight filtering through green leaves. Rather than "pilgrimaging" along the riverbanks lined with blooming cherry blossoms, I yearned to experience the sentiment of the drama "Saikō no Rikon" (translated in Taiwan as Divorce Yes!), where the protagonist Natsumi said, "I married into a home where cherry blossoms can be seen, and I live with someone who dislikes them, but I depend on you more than you think." So, after crossing the Sukeshiyama Bridge, I arrived at the drama's real-life setting. Gazing from the roadside at the unassuming apartment above the laundry shop, I documented the location of the iconic lines by the renowned screenwriter Yuji Sakamoto, and the time I shared with this drama. Many people have a Japanese drama that represents their youth, love, or worldview. But in our real lives outside the screen, we've quietly become collectors because of these dramas. We collect photos from the past of ourselves with hairstyles inspired by a character; we collect replica jackets of the protagonists bought with our pocket money, now tucked away in our closets; we collect soundtracks, endlessly replaying the classic theme songs; we collect the protagonists' tastes in dramas, purchasing the speakers and sofas featured; we collect recipes, recreating dishes from the shows with similar utensils; or we collect a method of confession, gifting a token of affection to someone special, inspired by a drama. I believe the essence of Japanese dramas lies in the details that make fans want to become "collectors." The dramas may end, but the items left behind by them, like an unfinished script, enter our homes and continue to compose future storylines in parallel universes with us as the protagonists. This issue, "~Drama Generation~ Us Who Became Collectors," doesn't discuss dialogue or scripts. Instead, it chronicles how we, as avid viewers of Japanese dramas, truly become "fans" by unearthing subtle clues within the shows, hoping to emulate the protagonists' lives in our daily routines. Through the architectural perspectives of Taiwan and Japan, we meticulously examine the "rooms" inhabited by single individuals, urban couples, or protagonists in historical dramas, revealing contemporary Japanese lifestyles through their home layouts. We trace the evolution of hairstyles and fashion that have influenced street style over 30 years of trends. We listen to the era-defining significance of drama "music" through physical albums. Furthermore, we invite Nami Iijima, a renowned Japanese food designer, to share her publicly released design recipe for the Japanese fried chicken from "Quartet" for the first time in Taiwan. In the "cuisine" segment, we're reminded of the gentle question, "Do you want lemon?" Perhaps we won't become Takuya Kimura just by wearing an orange down jacket, nor will we become Ootamada, who had three ex-husbands, by cooking Oyakodon. However, we can try to add a touch of magic to our lives, allowing these collections to become memories that accompany us. Years later, I revisited Nakameguro multiple times, and even completed the cherry blossom viewing along the Meguro River in spring. But I still cherish the memory of myself standing alone by the bridge in summer, capturing the ordinary scene of the laundry shop without any tourists. Perhaps, being able to capture that most authentic moment of a Japanese drama is the reason why we can never stop loving them.