The whole swamp cried. Still, "Living with the Sea" #WelcomeBackMonet

This is the "Diary of a Girl Who's Too Excited for Mone to Come Home" updated every Friday. I cried so much this week... The whole of Kesennuma cried. I said it in a slightly "All-American" way, but I think there were many people in Kesennuma who couldn't hold back their tears. So let's take a look back! The illustrations and text are by Sayumi. Thank you for your support.

*From here on, spoilers from the 8th week broadcast will be included. If you haven't watched it yet, please return now.

July 7th (Monday) People's Rumors

Merry Christmas! Yes, a skipping rope. But, aside from memory, isn't Suganami-sensei's choice a little strange? I think it's pretty rare for a child to receive a skipping rope as a Christmas present.
And finally, Monet-chan has returned to her parents' house! Welcome back, Monet! The scene where the classmates gathered was already nostalgic. I received a little tip, so I'd like to share it with you. If you look closely at this board that looks like the board of life game, you'll find that it's full of Kesennuma stories. If you recorded it, please check it out.

So, when they hear the shocking news that "Mother might be cheating on her husband?!", they decide to go and check it out, and thus the Nagaura Sisters Detectives are born. Mi-chan's newsboy cap and the moment when she says she'll do it but ends up following her sister are just too cute! After that, they sneak into a coffee shop where Mom is meeting someone, and the two of them hide behind what looks like a New Year's Year of the Dog ornament... this part is also cute. Please! Please make a spinoff of this "Nagaura Sisters Detective Story"!
However, the person her mother suspected was Ryochin's father, Shinji. Apparently, he was supporting her in going to the hospital to stop drinking. Ayako's mother is so wonderful that she doesn't care about rumors or false claims.
The last scene is of Ryochin sailing. To be honest, I was so busy in the morning that I didn't hear much, so I watched it again at lunchtime. I realized it when the staff member said to me, "Look, Ryochin is crying." Ryochin was crying. It was painful to think that he was finally feeling this way when he was alone in the ocean. I hope everyone is happy...

July 7th (Tuesday) Memories in Photos

This episode touched on the Oikawa family before the earthquake and what has happened since then. In the scene where the couple Shinji and Minami (played by Maki Sakai) and the couple from the two Nagaura families are paired up for a party, they look so happy. In particular, when Minami was singing, Shinji's expression looked more like a lover simply gazing at his beloved, rather than a couple who had been together for many years.

And then, Shinji's boat is completed. Colorful fishing flags are displayed to celebrate the new ship. A lively rice cake throwing ceremony is held, and everyone is smiling. I know... after such a picture-perfect happy development, something unexpected usually awaits.
The screen freezes with a family photo of the three smiling Oikawas, then goes dark, revealing a starry sky. Afterwards, there is another photo covered in mud. When Grandma washes the photo, the edge with Minami in it curls up. In the temporary housing, Shinji is crying as he listens to the voicemail left by Minami... and realizes that this is what happened to the Oikawa family.... Hmm. It really makes my heart ache. Such a fun, cheerful family is completely changed by the disaster.
When something big and sad happens, I think you can't live a normal life if you have to face it. You have to turn your eyes away so you don't have to face it, or force yourself to fill yourself with other things in order to get back on your feet. Ryochin ignored all the sadness in his heart, and Shinji filled it with alcohol. It must have been a tough time for the parent and child.
The only thing that brought relief to me during the day's broadcast, which was filled with such pain, was seeing Monet diligently skipping rope.

July 7 (Wednesday) Fisherman's Life

Shinji, whose whereabouts were unknown, was found at the site of his house that had been washed away by the tsunami. Here too, Minami's message on his answering machine was played back. I thought Shinji might have a feeling that he must somewhere recover what he had lost. But of course, not everything can be restored. Why did this happen to me? How can I get it back? What can I do? I could painfully feel his continuing struggle.
The scene changes to October 2011, when Koji once again encourages Shinji to buy a boat by offering a subsidy from the bank where he works. However, Shinji had hidden debts and was unable to pass the screening. Koji may have thought that if he could just get the boat back, something might change. "I haven't lost anything... what can I do?" Koji's words, uttered with a look of anguish, were painful. The Nagaura family was not completely unscathed either (the damage to their oyster farming must have been great). However, even in the same disaster area, even if they are all grouped together as "victims," ​​the damage situation varies greatly from person to person... It's difficult to put into words, but I think there were many people who, like Koji, were tormented by the "guilt of not losing anything in the earthquake."

There were many scenes that were difficult to watch that day, but at the end, when Mr. Suganami called to give instructions of "5 minutes of jump rope", it was a moment of relief for both Monet and us viewers. I never knew that jump rope could be an item that brings relief so many times...
I can say this now, but there is nothing that can be solved in a dramatic way in the wake of the disaster, and I cannot achieve much with my own power alone. It could be studying hard, or reaching out to someone... If we keep doing small things, maybe we can help someone. That's how small we are, I thought as I watched Monet skipping rope.

July 7 (Thursday) I can't recover

Let me say this first. I cried again today... The reason Shinji went missing wasn't because he had given up on himself. Hearing the happy news that his son's boat had given away 50 swordfish, he couldn't stay still and ran out of the temporary housing, sitting in the place where his house used to be. It was because he wanted to tell his son the happy story. But he couldn't. There was no one to talk to. Minami was no longer with us. That's why he listened to her voicemails over and over again. Shinji wanted to see Minami, to hear her voice, but it was impossible. He couldn't get out of there. The voicemail message that never got through was the very embodiment of Shinji's feelings for Minami.
The scene where Ryo-chin, who was listening to the conversation outside, comes into the gloomy atmosphere of the Nagaura house with a cheerful attitude and says, "Okay, let's sing a song!" is also tear-jerking... In a place that holds fond memories of lively family parties, he sings "Kamome wa Kamome" while crying. "I'll sing for mom. I'll fill the loneliness of my father."
Ryo-chin tries to snatch Shinji's flip phone, a symbol of "the past when Minami was there," and throw it away, but he stops himself, which I think is because of his kind personality. He could get angry and say, "Dad, get over it already!" But he never says that.

In fact, some people were able to start working towards recovery immediately after the disaster, but not everyone was in that situation. Rather than saying that Shinji can't get over his sadness, it seems like he doesn't want to get over it. I think this is reflected in his words after he gets his flip phone back from Ryochin, "I'll never get over it." In a way, he may be thinking that "getting over it means forgetting Minami."
Even so, it was sad. At the end, Monet's parents held hands and said, "Tomorrow is the first day of facing forward again." That was comforting.

July 7th (Friday) Live your life the way you want.

As dawn breaks, Ryochin tells Monet, "I can't hate the sea...I have no grudge against the sea." Some of you may have heard Ryochin's words and wondered, "Why doesn't he hate the sea?" or "Why would he live in a place like this again?" To digress a bit, Kesennuma City's catchphrase, which was adopted in October 2011, is "Living with the Sea." I think the only reason they "can't hate the sea" is because "Kesennuma is a town that lives with the sea" (although I don't think all Kesennuma residents feel the same way).
After that, Ryochin affirms the career paths of all his classmates and says, "We'll live our lives doing what we like." After this, there is a scene where Ayako's mother recalls what her grandmother told her, "It's not easy for a woman to choose the job she likes around here." That's why her grandmother told Ayako, "Don't give up the job you like," and Ayako tells her daughters, "Do what you like." The Nagaura family is amazing for being able to pass on such things from parent to child! This may sound harsh, but I think that the parents and grandparents of the "countryside" generation inevitably have feudalistic values. I've lived my life resisting such things because of my region and generation, but I think that Monet and her classmates are able to judge the good and bad of the countryside and the city more objectively, rather than just rebelling and saying, "I don't like the countryside."

At the end, Monet and Shinji see off the boat while bowing to the Ebisu statue. Shinji also says the same thing as Ryochin, "I have no grudge against the sea," and looks down at his flip phone with a picture of Minami and Ryochin as the wallpaper. The sadness does not go away. And we live with that sadness. This week, I was reminded of this again when I saw Shinji. Maybe somewhere in my life I irresponsibly hope for a story of recovery. But in reality, it's not that simple. Aren't we just consuming stories of superheroes overcoming painful adversity? I thought that this question is something I should keep in my heart.
This week's thoughts ended up being a bit long. I'm going to jump in with a jump rope... But even so, I didn't expect the jump rope to come up so many times.

"Okaeri Mone" doesn't show the exact moment of the disaster, but it does show the events before and after. I think that's why it evokes each of the characters' feelings. Last week, I was hoping for more scenes in Kesennuma, and this week there were certainly plenty of scenes in Kesennuma. But I'm not so happy that Kesennuma appeared! Rather than that, it was a week where the drama itself stirred my emotions.
I also watched "Asaichi" on Friday. Ryo-chin, or rather Nagase Ren-san, appeared... I was surprised to see how dazzling he was! I was grateful that he told me so much about Kesennuma! This week, I was moved by the wonderful acting of all the performers.

#I'm so excited for Welcome Back Mone
#WelcomeBackMone
#I cried this week
#Feelings that can't be summed up
#I asked the fisherman about the amazingness of catching 50 swordfish
#Check out Twitter too
#I'm waiting for your letters
#Prince Naniwa
#Monet painting

(Text and illustrations by Sayumi)

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Person who wrote this article

Sayumi

I live in Kesennuma. I write illustrations, articles and manga for "Kesennuma Saite Kerain" and other websites. I share information about fun things to do and delicious food in Kesennuma. I am in charge of the "Okaeri Mone Diary." I like comedy, manga, games and horror movies. [Twitter] @sayumino1nichi　 [Instagram]@sayumi_insta

• Welcome back, Mone
• I'm so excited for Welcome Back Mone
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