In this blog post, I will summarize the characteristics of romantic dramas and offer my personal interpretation, focusing on the film “Tokyo Tower.”
What is a romantic drama?
A romantic drama is a sad story that stirs the emotions—in other words, a poignant love story. The word “poignant” aptly captures the nature of this genre. Longing is more emotional than rational in nature; it is a form of emotional sorrow.
However, not all sorrow is the same. There are various kinds, such as sorrow caused by anger, sorrow caused by physical pain, and heartache. Longing is a bit different. It is not so much a subjective emotion as it is an objective one; it is called “longing” because it is a feeling experienced not in isolation, but when looking at and feeling for someone else.
So why is it so poignant? It is sad because the characters are sacrificed by their social environment or reality. When social circumstances clash with a character’s desires—that is, when “difference” itself acts as a form of immense violence—it creates frustration and sacrifice. Audiences empathize and feel this longing because they are aware of such social realities and recognize that they, too, could find themselves in the same situation.
In some ways, the longing in melodramas may be nothing more than a fantasy, but audiences empathize precisely because that fantasy is not entirely impossible. Love is a crucial theme for humans regardless of age—from the moment of conception before birth to the time after death—so people cannot easily detach themselves from emotions related to love.
Melodramas evoke emotions not only through their plot but also through their visual and auditory composition. Visuals and music reinforce the story to facilitate emotional identification with the characters. Comforting and beautiful visuals are more suitable than surreal or expressionistic imagery, and since fast, upbeat music during sad scenes can make it easy to distance oneself from the emotions, music that stimulates the senses is used. Due to the genre’s inherent nature, the effect of music is particularly emphasized.
Why did I choose “Tokyo Tower”?
To be honest, I don’t particularly like romantic films. The reason may stem from the nature of melodramas themselves. I rarely watch them because they tend to be too clichéd, with similar plots and structures, and overly sentimental, artificial direction.
If I had known only the plot of this film at first, I would have dismissed it as just another “affair” between a man in his 20s and a married woman in her 40s and not watched it. However, “Tokyo Tower” broke some of the conventional mold I had expected, and as a result, it shocked me.
One line in particular changed my perspective. What Kimiko said to Koji: “That’s right… because we have choices… because we have infinite freedom to choose our partner… …it’s different from me…” This single line resonated deeply with me. I had always held a conservative view that in human relationships, one must be considerate of the other and that betrayal should never occur.
But that line made me rethink the limitations of human existence and the nature of choice. A 35-year-old married woman is, first and foremost, a human being living her own life before she is a wife, and if this is a love that might be her last, it can be that desperate. Who is in a position to judge that desperation lightly?
After watching the movie, I thought deeply about the purpose of romance, and my conclusion was that “the purpose of romance is the continuation of love.” I felt that a relationship where love does not endure is bound to break apart eventually, and from the perspective of an individual living a single life, the choice to sustain love deserves respect.
People’s tastes and reasons for liking movies vary.
Some view this film as glorifying infidelity, and many criticize it. However, the reason this work is meaningful to me is that it provided an epiphany that completely overturned my existing notions.
“Tokyo Tower” as a Melodrama
From an iconographic perspective, while distinct symbols do not always appear in the melodrama genre, several icons exist in this film. Examples include the bracelet Koji gave to Kimiko and the cross necklace Koji wore when he first met Shifumi. These props frequently appear on screen as mediators connecting the two, who cannot easily meet.
The most important symbol is the Tokyo Tower, which serves as both the title and the setting of the film. The Tokyo Tower appears as the utopia of love that Koji and Shifumi longed for. Although they gaze at the same tower from different locations, the constraints of reality make it difficult for them to view it together. At the climax of the film, after many characters have come to terms with the wounds of reality, the scene where Shifumi pushes her husband aside to rush toward Tokyo Tower in response to Kojima’s phone call dramatically reveals the significance of this symbol.
In terms of characters and setting, the main characters are two married women and two young men. Both Shihumi and Kimiko are attractive, but their personalities and lifestyles are polar opposites. Shihumi runs a shop in a bustling district and loves books and music, while Kimiko is an active housewife who is full of energy, even taking flamenco lessons. Shihumi does not show much resentment toward her husband, but Kimiko strongly dislikes her husband and is eager to meet Koji.
The young men are also different: Kojima is quiet and introverted, while Koji is dynamic. Even minor details, such as the fact that Kojima doesn’t smoke, set them apart, allowing a diverse audience to empathize with the characters. While it’s difficult to relate to someone who is too different from oneself, the film’s intention to appeal to a wider audience by presenting these four contrasting characters is evident.
The film’s conflicts primarily stem from issues within the couples. Conflicts with external figures—such as Shihumi’s husband, Kimiko’s husband, or Kojima’s mother—are not prominently featured; instead, social realities and societal expectations weigh down on the characters, creating internal conflict. While the intensity of this social pressure varies for each character, the pressure from age differences and the judgment of those around them is clearly a major source of conflict.
In the conclusion, the fates of the two couples diverge. One couple stays together, while the other breaks up. This approach aims to simultaneously satisfy two conflicting desires: the audience’s hopes and the barriers of reality. A pro-social ending and an anti-social ending coexist, prompting the audience to decide for themselves which path to choose. The relationship between Shihumi and Kojima does not offer a clear resolution; instead, it concludes with the line, “Even if your heart drifts away tomorrow, I will still love you,” revealing the uncertainty of reality.
Summary
The melodramatic element in ‘Tokyo Tower’ lies in the fact that it is, at its core, a poignant love story. When we view the characters not merely as a married woman in her 40s and a young man in his 20s, but as a man and a woman in love, the poignancy that is the essence of melodrama becomes apparent.
In Kimiko’s case, the melodramatic nature of this work is evident in the fact that, although she is in a position where society dictates she should not be in love as a married woman, she is no different from anyone else when it comes to love, and that she is a character who hesitates and makes sacrifices due to an oppressive social environment.
The music also contributes significantly to evoking emotion. The music by Norah Jones and Tatsuro Yamashita colors the love set in the city, quietly yet passionately capturing the protagonists’ wandering emotions. In particular, Norah Jones’ “Sleepless Nights” graces the opening, adding her sweet voice to the night view of Tokyo, while Tatsuro Yamashita’s “Forever Mine” is used in the climactic ending in Paris, delivering a deeply moving experience.
Meanwhile, Tokyo Tower slightly reimagines the conventions of traditional melodramas. While women are often the ones who make sacrifices in such stories, this film features two couples, presenting a structure where the man makes the sacrifice in one couple and the woman in the other. This aspect is one of the film’s strengths; overall, it maintains a neutral and inclusive perspective, allowing the audience to form their own judgments.
