Seiji's home life appears to be stereotypically middle class and comfortable. Focusing on Seiji Take (Kazunari Ninomiya), a recent college graduate who heedlessly quits his full-time office job after only three months, the story taps into widespread anxiety over the current employment situation but the dramatic component has less to do with economic hardship than with the fragile bonds that hold a family together.
This idea provides the real-life ballast for Fuji TV's drama series "Freeter, Ie wo Kau" ("A Part-time Worker Buys a House" Tues., 9 p.m.), which is based on a novel by Hiro Arikawa. In between, the middle class is wondering what happened to its bright future. Rich people are now profiled on variety shows while the growing ranks of people living on the margins have become the subjects of searching, portentous NHK documentaries. The bubble era and the subsequent lost decade brought class distinctions out into the open. The poor, of course, exist, but traditionally they were hidden away and it was considered bad form for the rich to flaunt their wealth. That may sound strange since Japanese people have always maintained that they are a uniformly middle class society. The gap between the rich and everyone else is growing by the minute, and in that sense Japan is an appropriate example. Nevertheless, the so-called American dream is likely a thing of the past. The American economy is dynamic while Japan's has always been passive and reactive. The American media keeps wondering whether or not the United States will have to endure a "lost decade" of sluggish growth and stagnant employment like the one Japan suffered through after the real-estate bubble burst in the early 1990s. 'Freeter' drama reflects Japan's income gap Through his work Seiji's outlook on life starts to change and he starts to rebuild his life. They have disagreements at first but become more understanding of each other.
Seiji then meets on site-supervisor Manamai Chiba (Karina) whose personality is the polar opposite of Seiji's. He believes his job is just temporary and acts distant with his co-workers. When his mother falls ill due to depression, Seiji is then forced to take a part time job at a construction company. He also fights with his father over his ways and then becomes a "hikkimori" - a recluse who never leaves his room. He has no dreams, no will and zero money. Seiji Take (Kazunari Ninomiya) is a young man who quits his job after working for only 3 months.
The show will air on Fuji TV on Tuesdays at 9:00pm, starting in October.
But while their personalities clash at first, they gradually come to understand each other.įilming already started earlier this month. Manami, proud to be working as an on-site supervisor, is the complete opposite of Seiji. One of the people he meets at the construction site is Manami Chiba (Karina), who graduated from a top-class university and joined a well-known general contracting firm. Because of that, he soon decides to work towards rebuilding his life: "Even though I'm just a freeter, I'm going to buy a house for the sake of my family." However, after his mother falls ill with depression, he ends up having to take on a part-time job at a construction site. With no dreams, no savings, and a poor relationship with his family, he becomes a hikikomori (shut-in) in his own room. The story revolves around a young man named Seiji Take (Ninomiya), who quits his job after three months. The story is based on a book of the same name by Hiro Arikawa, published last year.
The show is Ninomiya's first starring role in a drama series since the 2008 "Ryusei no Kizuna." As an actor, he has recently been focused on filming for his upcoming movies "Ooku" and "GANTZ." In contrast with those spectacular big screen roles, his character in this home drama will be a "freeter" (a term used to describe young people without full time employment, not counting students and homemakers). Titled "Freeter, Ie wo Kau," the show will feature Ninomiya as a part-time worker trying to get his life back together for the sake of his family. Kazunari Ninomiya to star in Fuji TV dramaĪrashi's Kazunari Ninomiya (27) is confirmed to be starring in a new drama series this fall.