The Family Game (家族ゲーム, Kazoku Gēmu), also known as Kazoku Game, is a Japanese television drama based on the award-winning novel of the same name by Yohei Honma, as well as an adaptation of its filmed version. The drama is directed by Yuichi Sato and Kazuyuki Iwata and was broadcast on Fuji TV. It aired from April 17 until June 19, 2013.[1]
| The Family Game | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Kazoku Game |
| 家族ゲーム | |
| Genre | Mystery Psychological Life School Family |
| Directed by | Yuichi Sato Kazuyuki Iwata |
| Starring | Sho Sakurai Ryunosuke Kamiki Honami Suzuki Seishuu Uragami Itsuji Itao Shiori Kutsuna |
| Ending theme | Endless Game by Arashi |
| Country of origin | Japan |
| Original language | Japanese |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Production | |
| Producers | Inada Hideki Kobayashi Hiroshi |
| Running time | 46 Min |
| Original release | |
| Network | Fuji TV |
| Release | April 17 – June 19, 2013 |
The drama was a critical and commercial success and received several awards.[2]
Synopsis
editKazushige Numata (Itsuji Itao) and his wife Kayoko (Honami Suzuki) have two sons. The first son, Shinichi (Ryunosuke Kamiki), studies well, but the second son, Shigeyuki (Seishuu Uragami), does not. Kazushige and Kayoko are worried about Shigeyuki, who might even fail to enter high school. To make matters worse, Shigeyuki stays at home and doesn't go to school.
Kazushige and his wife Kayoko find an advertisement for a private tutor on the internet. They contact and then meet Yoshimoto (Sho Sakurai), who becomes Shigeyuki's tutor. During their meeting, both parties lay out one condition to work with each other. The father stipulates that Shigeyuki must go back to school within a week or Yoshimoto will be fired. Meanwhile, Yoshimoto stipulates that the parents must not interfere with his work. Yoshimoto's extraordinary teaching methods then influence not only Shigeyuki, but also his entire family.
Cast
edit- Sho Sakurai as Yoshimoto Koya / Tago Yuudai
- Ryunosuke Kamiki as Numata Shinichi
- Honami Suzuki as Numata Kayoko
- Seishuu Uragami as Numata Shigeyuki
- Itsuji Itao as Numata Kazushige
- Shioli Kutsuna as Asami Maika / Tachibana Maki
Ratings
editIn the table below, the blue number represents the lowest ratings and the red number represents the highest ratings.
| Episode | Original broadcast date | Average audience share[3] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kanto Region | |||
| 1 | April 17, 2013 | 12.0% | |
| 2 | April 24, 2013 | 13.7% | |
| 3 | May 1, 2013 | 11.1% | |
| 4 | May 8, 2013 | 12.2% | |
| 5 | May 15, 2013 | 12.4% | |
| 6 | May 22, 2013 | 12.9% | |
| 7 | May 29, 2013 | 13.6% | |
| 8 | June 5, 2013 | 12.6% | |
| 9 | June 12, 2013 | 12.4% | |
| 10 | June 19, 2013 | 16.7% | |
| Average | 13.0% | ||
Reception
editThe drama received positive reviews from critics. Philip Brasor from Japan Times compared the drama to the film adaptation. He said that "it exaggerates the elements that made the movie (The Family Game 2013) shocking. The characters aren’t just deluded, they’re twisted." Brasor particularly praised Sho Sakurai's portrayal of Yoshimoto, in which he said that "[Yūsaku] Matsuda’s tutor was an antisocial loser with a streak of cruelty. Sakurai’s is a full-blown sociopath. Matsuda struck Shigeyuki just to get a rise out of him. Sakurai not only strikes Shigeyuki (Seishuu Uragami), he practically destroys the Numata home on a weekly basis, cackling all the while like the Wicked Witch of the West. Matsuda’s power over the Numata household came from the force of his personality. Sakurai’s power is of the purely calculating kind, as is the writing in general....Like Matsuda’s tutor, Sakurai uses gamesmanship instead of pedagogy to get results, but his methodology is more sadistic."[4]
Sho Sakurai's acting reportedly made fans find it "too disturbing to watch". It was dubbed as 2013's Biggest Drama Surprise by critics, and Sakurai was given a number of awards.[5]
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 17th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix (Spring)[6] | Best Drama | The Family Game | Won |
| Best Actor | Sho Sakurai | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Ryunosuke Kamiki | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Honami Suzuki | Won | ||
| 77th Television Drama Academy Awards[7] | Best Drama | The Family Game | Won | |
| Best Actor | Sho Sakurai | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Ryunosuke Kamiki | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Seishuu Uragami | Nominated | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Honami Suzuki | Nominated | ||
| Best Screenwriter | Muto Shogo | Won | ||
| Best Director | Yuichi Sato | Won | ||
| Best Theme song | Endless Game by Arashi | Won | ||
| 2014 | 23rd TV LIFE Annual Drama Awards[8] | Best Drama | The Family Game | Won |
| Best Lead Actor | Sakurai Sho | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Ryunosuke Kamiki | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Honami Suzuki | Won | ||
| Best Theme Song | Endless Game by Arashi | Won |
References
edit- ^ 【ドラマ】家族ゲーム キャスト 画像 あらすじ 感想まとめ ※ネタバレ【櫻井翔出演のCMが話題】. Naver (in Japanese).
- ^ 記念すべき第一作目は嵐・櫻井翔主演、『家族ゲーム. Fuji (in Japanese).
- ^ [1], videor.co.jp. Retrieved on 13 October 2017.
- ^ Family drama is reimagined for today’s Japan, japantimes.co.jp. Retrieved on 13 October 2017.
- ^ Sakurai won numerous awards because of his role in 'Kazoku Game', tumblr.com. Retrieved on 14 October 2017.
- ^ The 17th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix Spring:2013, doramaworld.blogspot.com. Retrieved on 13 October 2017.
- ^ 77th Television Drama Academy Awards, kazoku-game.livejournal.com. Retrieved on 13 October 2017.
- ^ Drama 'Kazoku Game' tops TV Life's '2013 Drama Awards', tokyohive.com. Retrieved on 13 October 2017.
