Nihonchinbotsu (2021)

Thought-provoking environmental drama with slight realism issues

Based on the novel "Japan Sinks" by Sakyo Komatsu, Nihon Chinbotsu: Kibo no Hito is a heartfelt take on disasters caused by environmental issues.

The strongest point of this show are its main characters, precisely Amami played by Oguri Shun, Tokiwa played by Matsuyama Kenichi and Shiina played by Watanabe Anne. Amami is a compassionate, emphatic and idealistic character you can't help but root for, and this was probably one of my favorite Oguri Shun performances. He does a fantastic job at making this too good for this world character seem grounded and relatable. My favorite parts were his scenes with Matsuyama Kenichi. This duo just plays off of each other with ease, and it's fun to watch. Watanabe Anne is one of the most likable female leads I've seen in a while, and I loved her drive just as much as her big heart.

The characters and their relationships whether it was friendships, family bonds or even work related made this show a touching experience. While not all characters feel fully developed, I was still able to connect to quite a few of them, which gave this story more of a personal note. Overall though, this drama doesn't so much focus on the circumstances of individual characters but the bigger picture of disaster prevention, political and environmental issues as well as morality questions connected to these topics. More cynical souls might think this show relies a bit too much on pathos, but personally I thought they managed to balance the heavily emotional parts with the otherwise serious tone of the show. There is just something about good people fighting for humanity, and they managed to capture that beautifully.

Although I enjoyed how they portrayed corruption issues and the sheer amount of work behind a situation like this, some parts of the story  just seemed unrealistic and certain  plot points too convenient. If you studied anything related to geoscience you might struggle with the scientific facts presented to  you, since I didn't I blissfully  ignored those that sounded like a stretch. Apart from that, I had issues with overacting of certain characters, since it didn't fit the tone of the story at all. 

While I did criticize the flaws of this drama, I'm merely doing this to adjust the expectations of the potential viewer.  Personally,  I thoroughly enjoyed this one. After a bit of a slow start, this drama managed to capture my attention and kept moving me with its compelling characters and inspiring message. It may be a bit of an idealistic take on the topic, but it's called "People of Hope" after all, and I certainly enjoyed its optimistic approach.

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How Well Goverment Take Responsibility on Disaster?

Nihon Chinbotsu Kibo no Hito is a modern day take on the original novel Japan Sinks by Sakyo Komatsu. Just like in the novel, tectonic shifts in the Eastern hemisphere are attributed to a series of earthquakes that sinks Japan into the ocean. Through this adaptation, we get to see the perspective of the big disaster from government, scientist, media and large companies. This drama is about how big figures will overcome the obstacles and protect their dearest country Japan from collapsing. The earthquake isn't the main focus of this drama and if you come expecting for "natural disaster", you will probably be disappointed.

The acting aren't top notch but for me they are good enough for the plot. I must say I love how the characters are written as dedicated person to their job. I watched a lot of articles & documentaries resolving the great Tohoku Earthquake and that is how I see Japanese people, take responsibility of their actions in work and life despite having a big disaster. Furthermore, we can see the main character's different back stories and how they protect their loved ones while on their job position, plus points from me!

I just hope they invest more in the story from the earthquake victim pov, so the viewer can feel the tense of being in the big disaster. Anyway, I find this drama interesting every episode and I never get bored. This story is a real eye open to appreciate whats happening in the moment because you never know what the future brings or who and what you will gain and lose in life. Also a story to respect scientist and their knowledge in disaster science predictions. Will I recommend it for you to watch? Yes, give it a try!

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A thought provoking drama that you should watch

Likes:
- I love how much the drama focuses on the coflicts among different institutions/parties/factions of the whole disaster. It's really unique as most disaster films/shows mainly focus on the disaster itself and its destruction. You can really see how much work and how difficult to organise the whole rescue operation.
- The characters are very compelling. The actors act out their parts really well. You can feel that every decision made is something the character would do and someone in real life might made in the situation. Nobody really feels like the bad guy. You can stand in their shoes and see why they did what they did.
- The whole story is especially relatable in today's climate. The hopelessness in parts of the story is conveyed well.

Dislikes:
- The ending feels slightly rushed compared to the show. I previously hoped that they would delve more into the aftermath of the disaster. Not the destruction but what the government would continue to do.
- Some plotpoints should be either omitted or have enough time to really flesh them out, though I do understand what the show is going for.

You should watch this show if:
- You enjoy the political/logistic side of things in films/shows regarding major events.
- You enjoy the shows with a (environmental) message to tell.
- You want to understand how you, we might be impacted in climate change.

Highly recommend!!

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Es un drama adaptado de una novela japonesa que lleva el mismo nombre (Japan Sinks/Nihon Chinbotsu), en el que creo está demás explicar de que va la historia, pero esta adaptación de TBS me ha gustado mucho, porque a pesar de ser algo literario y algo antiguo, supieron refrescar la historia con temas de la actualidad como es el calentamiento global.

Nihon Chinbotsu logra un equilibrio entre los momentos de tensión/drama y los momentos emocionales, haciéndole honor a la parte de "Kibo no hito/un pueblo esperanzado". Es el primer drama que vi en el que toca de una manera MAGISTRAL el tema de las negociaciones internacionales, que me pareció hasta muy digno como material para compartir entre los estudiantes universitarios hoy en día.

Entre los contras que le doy, es que no se pudo aprovechar al 100% al cast, ya que eran tantos personajes que varios de ellos resultaron ser relleno (como es el caso de Wentz Eiji). Entre las actuaciones destacables en este drama, debo mencionar a Kagawa Teruyuki como Tadokoro hakase, en el que pudo brillar (como de costumbre) ahora con este excéntrico personaje en el que en un principio nadie creía en él. Oguri Shun también me ha gustado mucho, aunque no es su mejor personaje, me encantaba verlo en las partes emotivas. El personaje de Anne (la reportera) me pareció un personaje que llegó muy fuerte y que con el paso de los capítulos perdió fuerza, llegando al punto de ser la típica damisela llorona.

Otras actuaciones muy destacables son las de los actores del Primer Ministro y Satoshiro sensei.

Algo que simplemente detesté, se encuentra entre los episodios 9 y 10, no diré que es pero lo vi tan poco original e innecesario, quitándole minutos al tema principal que es el hundimiento de Japón, si llegan a ver la serie, seguramente entenderán de lo que hablo. Digo, si yo veo una serie, es para salir un poco de la realidad, no que me la sigan recordando.

¿Es un drama que recomiendo? Así es, no es un drama excelente pero sí es muy disfrutable, se aprende varias cosas y hasta te pone a razonar un poco sobre lo que nosotros como seres humanos le estamos haciendo a nuestro planeta tierra. Creo que con solo leer el nombre del drama ya te da curiosidad, ¿o no?

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"Nihon Chinbotsu" had a lot of expectations to meet and honestly, it did an okay job. Loosely based on a famous novel from the 1970s, this natural disaster drama plays out the question of, "What happens if Japan sinks?" From the science, to the government's reactions, to the individual human stories, and eventually the final event, it tries to show all the different perspectives that weigh in as the natural disaster slowly unfolds. And that's where the drama probably tries to do too much. The plot is so basic and simple because it's trying to juggle so much - it develops in almost a predictable manner. There are a few surprises, but they are hardly plot twists and more just excessive, unneeded side plots. The acting is solid and on point, with Oguri Shun leading the charge. Even with mediocre material, he still impresses with his skill. Kagawa Terayuki is great, but I feel like he's always fantastic with eccentric characters - it's definitely his thing. And I enjoyed both the OST and the theme song that heightened my feelings appropriately. As the first Japanese drama that aired simultaneously on Japanese television while being released weekly on Netflix worldwide, I definitely wished it could have been a more intriguing and well-developed drama; that's probably my own bias as a long-time Japanese drama watcher. It's a solid drama for sure, and Oguri Shun fans will enjoy, so at least there's that.

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Interesting takes on what could happen in the future,.

Story wise it was pretty strong until the last episodes, where it started ot add too many stuff and became a bit erratic.

Oguri Shun is far from being my favourite J-drama actor, but it has Kagawa Teruyuki and I will never miss a drama or a movie in which he acts.
As always he brings all his kabuki learnt experience, although in a less obvious way that in Hanzawa Naoki.

My favourite story line was the beef between both scientists and it feels it never went anywhere.

I would say until the middle episode it was really interesting.

The final is too nice for my liking, but I am glad they included some kind of warning for what could happen

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