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Before the Kimchis.. There was a Rika

"Kanchi was standing there as Satomi bent down to tie up his loose shoe lace. And from the opposite direction, a familar figure was walking towards his direction. It was a busy morning in Tokyo but his eyes can't miss that person. Because that person was Rika Akana. She didn't seem to realise his presence but he couldn't seem to ignore her presence. Should he call her? Or should he let the past be the past?"

That is one scene in Tokyo Love Story that I could never forget, and excluding Oshin, that drama was my first Japanese drama. It's really a bitter sweet moment when you come across such situation. Should you call her? Should you pretend that you don't see her?

The following scenes were even more memorable.

"Do you ever regret it?" Rika asks. She was refering to that fateful day few years back. Rika gave Kanchi a deadline to make up his mind, whether to choose Rika who was his present or to choose Satomi who was his past.

Rika was waiting for him at the train station and he didn't show up in the end. So she left in tears. Of course she never knew that Kanchi actually decided to choose Rika in the end. But he was just too late.

"A little bit.. just a little bit" answers Kanchi jokingly. That was his greatest regret in life but Rika mustn't know about that.

Now everything has changed. Satomi is Kanchi's present and Rika is Kanchi's past. Kanchi knows he should never make the same mistake. So he chooses his present.

Rika laughs and teases him that she would tell Satomi that he regretted his decision.

How could she not know that Kanchi still has a strong feeling for her? Kanchi's passionate eyes betrayed his casual answer. And Rika's single hood betrays the liberated image she tries to project.

The longer they chat, the harder it will be to hide the feeling. So they decided to part, for good.

I don't remember how they did it but I think they had this habit everytime they part, where they would stand with their backs facing each other, count from one to ten, and take one step towards the opposite direction with each count. It was just so heartbreaking.

No one should have looked back, but both couldn't resist looking back. It's just fate that they looked back at different time. So both walked away thinking
"Maybe you are totally over me after all. I shouldn't be your life anymore. Thank you for everything. Thank you that you once loved me so."

Comments

Linda said…
if i'm not mistaken...

i remember that Rika left early, a lil bit earlier before the deadline. Kanji was there on time, but still too late...

i think this could be what she had in mind, "if he really loves me, why would he think twice about choosing me?"
Linda said…
hv asked Owen bout it. hehe...
now i'm sure.
Kanji came right before the train departed. He thought he was on time. But Rika was not there.

She had left with the previous train.

uh, i miss that heartbreaking moment...
Anonymous said…
Hi! Thanks! Loved this blog entry about tokyo love story. I watched it way back and recently just watched it again...I guess the truth is at the very end, kanchi made his choice and decided not to give Rika up but Rika too made her choice that perhaps she had tried too hard in the past and now it's her turn to let go. I really loved this show a lot. I still believe that Kanchi actually does love Rika immensely but is tied back by a sense of responsibility to satomi(since she's so weak and so totally needs kanchi). Was it my imagination or did kanchi not really seem very happy with satomi at the very end? I realise he always seems more cheery and energetic with Rika:)

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