Nemureru mori (E+J)

[Aaron Gerow]

Perhaps a light TV discussion topic for the holiday:

The last episode of _Nemureru mori_, the most popular drama in the fall 
season (it is even beating out the NHK asaren), was broadcast last night 
to what will probably be huge ratings.  The ending, though, was kind of 
odd.  Not one of those shocking endings, but rather a puzzler.  I don't 
want to get into the story (I didn't watch half of the episodes), but 
Nakayama Miho, whose fiancee durned out to be the murderer of her sister 
15 years before, goes to sleep in a hammock in the forest (a scene used 
in the opening credits).  Kimura Takuya, who is her half-brother, is 
going by train to meet her.  In the voice over of his letter to her, we 
hear a refrain of the motif of Sleeping Beauty: the prince who is there 
when Sleeping Beauty wakes up.  Despite being related, Kimutaku declares 
in the letter he will be there when she wakes up and that he will stay 
with her forever (shades of incest).  However, after talking to a girl on 
the train who looks exactly like Nakayama's character 15 years ago, he 
falls asleep and misses the stop.  We get a closeup of a tear falling 
from his closed eye.  THE END.

Kind of anti-climactic, but sure to cause a lot of discussion among 
viewers.  Is Kimutaku just asleep, or did something else happen?  Why end 
it this way?  What was it "supposed" to mean?  Any comments from those 
who saw it?

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Aaron Gerow
Yokohama National University
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