This drama is about the "Lost Generation" of Japan. The "Lost Generation" refers to a group of Japanese in their late 20s and early 30s who can't find a regular job although they are willing to work, and have lost faith in society and their future. The seven main characters in this show either belong to the "Lost Generation" or are somehow lost in life.
"Osozaki No Himawari" deals with a somber theme in a light-hearted and positive way. It tries to convey the message that everyone has a purpose in life, but some people take a longer time to discover it. Just like some sunflowers bloom late.
The Main Characters
Kodaira Jotaro (Ikuta Toma), 28 years old
Kodaira Jotaro (Ikuta Toma), 28 years old
Nikaido Kahori (Maki Yoko), 28 years old
Fujii Junichi (Kiritani Kenta), 30 years old
Junichi has lived in Shimoto all his life and has never set foot outside Kochi prefecture. He works in his father's hardware store and his dream is to take over the store when his father retires. He loves his hometown a lot and is a volunteer with the local revitalization team. Due to the aging and dwindling population, many shops in the shopping street are closing down. Junichi feels anxious because if the shopping street disappears, he will have to leave town to look for a job. He tries to think of different ways to revive the street but to no avail. When the hardware store is forced to close down too, he becomes a NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training).
Shimada Hisashi (Yahiba Toshihiro), 30 years old
Hisashi is Kahori's big sister who was very popular in high school. She is married to a banker and has two daughters. She works as a part-time cashier in the supermarket, much to her husband's displeasure as he wants her to be a homemaker full-time. She finds daily life mundane and her relationship with her husband is cold. When Kahori returns to Shimoto, she starts feeling jealous of her who has a great career. She envies her little sister who had the courage and determination to leave Shimoto for Tokyo. When Junichi invites her to be a volunteer with the revitalization team, she is delighted. Things become complicated when they develop feelings for each other.
Morishita Ayaka (Kashii Yu), 30 years old
Ayaka is a nurse assisting Kahori in the local hospital. She is a dedicated nurse but a very private person. She took Hiroki in when he was homeless and has been cohabiting with him since. Jotaro falls in love with her at first sight and starts asking her out. However, unbeknown to all, she has a deep emotional wound from her previous relationship. She has been incapable of loving anyone else since her ex-boyfriend died from stomach cancer two and a half years ago. She moved from her hometown to Shimoto because she wanted to go to a place where nobody knows her.
Matsumoto Hiroki (Emoto Tasuku), 28 years old
Hiroki was a high school baseball player, and the "hero" of Shimoto because he helped his team to make it to the finals of the prefecture tournament. After high school, his baseball career did not take off and his dream was shattered. His father became an alcoholic after his business failed. Hiroki became despondent and ran away from home. He is cohabiting with Ayaka now and works as a rehabilitation assistant in the same hospital. However, he still can't let go of the title of the local hero and has no zest for life.
Imai Haruna (Kimura Fumino), 25 years old
Haruna's father is a senator and she works in the real estate company that her family owns. She has always lived a rich and sheltered life, and she never goes against the wishes of her overprotective parents. Deep down inside, she feels suffocated and craves freedom. She is in love with her university professor who is married. She tries to break up with the professor, but they get back together again when he tells her that he is getting a divorce. She realizes how naive she is when she discovers that he is lying. Meanwhile, her parents want her to marry a man they deem good for her, and she doesn't have the courage to say no.
The Ending
At the end of the show, everyone seems to have found what they want in life. Jotaro decides to settle down in Shimoto and become a rice farmer with Junichi. Kahori returns to Tokyo to pursue her initial dream. She and Jotaro start a long distant relationship. Hisashi has a talk with her husband and they agree to put in effort to make their marriage work. Ayaka lets go of her dead boyfriend and moves on. Hiroki makes up with his father and goes back to school to get a physiotherapist licence. Haruna finally tells her parents her true feelings.
Although we do not know if they will be successful in the path they chose to take, at least they are doing something to renew their lives. Some people start late in life, just like some sunflowers bloom late.
Haruna's father is a senator and she works in the real estate company that her family owns. She has always lived a rich and sheltered life, and she never goes against the wishes of her overprotective parents. Deep down inside, she feels suffocated and craves freedom. She is in love with her university professor who is married. She tries to break up with the professor, but they get back together again when he tells her that he is getting a divorce. She realizes how naive she is when she discovers that he is lying. Meanwhile, her parents want her to marry a man they deem good for her, and she doesn't have the courage to say no.
The Ending
At the end of the show, everyone seems to have found what they want in life. Jotaro decides to settle down in Shimoto and become a rice farmer with Junichi. Kahori returns to Tokyo to pursue her initial dream. She and Jotaro start a long distant relationship. Hisashi has a talk with her husband and they agree to put in effort to make their marriage work. Ayaka lets go of her dead boyfriend and moves on. Hiroki makes up with his father and goes back to school to get a physiotherapist licence. Haruna finally tells her parents her true feelings.
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