The Reason Mama and Papa Live
The Reason Mama and Papa Live (Japanese: Mama to Papa ga Ikiru Riyu) is a Japanese television drama series that aired on the TBS network in 2014. The series consists of five episodes and was broadcast from November 20 to December 18, 2014, in the Thursday 21:00 time slot.
Background and Production
The drama is based on the novel Watashi Nyugan Otto Haigan Sanjukyusai Fufu de Yomei Senkoku by the author known as Mei, which was published by Daiwa Shuppan on August 9, 2013. The screenplay for the television adaptation was written by Yukari Tatsui, with direction provided by Junichi Tsuzuki and Takao Kinoshita.
Plot
The story follows Shuko Yoshioka (played by Kazue Fukiishi) and her husband Kenichi (Munetaka Aoki). On her 34th birthday, Shuko discovers she has terminal breast cancer, for which surgery is not a viable treatment option. Shortly thereafter, Kenichi receives his own medical diagnosis of lung cancer, also deemed inoperable. The narrative focuses on the couple's struggle to navigate their terminal diagnoses while attempting to protect each other and their two children, Ai and Yu, from the reality of their situation.
Cast
- Kazue Fukiishi as Shuko Yoshioka
- Munetaka Aoki as Kenichi Yoshioka
- Konomi Watanabe as Ai Yoshioka
- Hinata Igarashi as Yu Yoshioka
- Tetsushi Tanaka as Kazuki Nomura
- Mayumi Asaka as Yumiko Yoshioka
- Dankan as Taiichi Yoshioka
- Tomiyuki Kunihiro as Nobuhiko Asami
- Jun Fubuki as Makiko Asami
Reception
The series recorded an average viewership rating of 6.4% in the Kanto region during its five-episode run.