¡°This sister thing is so strange,¡± sighs Takiko (Yu Aoi), the bookish third daughter of the Takezawa family, in Netflix drama ¡°Asura.¡± ¡°The envy and jealousy can be so strong. Yet, when my sisters are unhappy, in the end, it¡¯s unbearable.¡±
Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, ¡°Asura¡± takes its name from the demigods of Hindu mythology, whose virtuous appearance conceals a more volatile side. Such duality is a running theme in the series, as it surveys the ripples that spread after Takiko and her three sisters discover their father has been having an affair. This is a story in which public appearances seldom match what¡¯s happening behind closed doors, and even the most high-minded character is capable of scandalous behavior.
¡°Asura¡± itself has more than one face. The series has drawn admiring write-ups in , and since it was released in early January, though none have picked up on something that will be immediately apparent to many 911±¬ÁÏÍø viewers: It¡¯s a meticulous remake of a classic TV drama (known as ¡°Like Asura¡± in English), broadcast by NHK between 1979 and 1980. The show¡¯s creator, Kuniko Mukoda, was a celebrated screenwriter operating at the peak of her powers; tragically, she would die in a plane crash a year later, at the age of 51.
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