Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge, Episode 4

The Actors
Rape-Huggist: Kamenashi Kazuya ♂
Rape-Huggee: Oomasa Aya ♀





The Context
This is a lame teenage-based drama where a good-looking popular guy tries to turn a socially awkward female into a confident woman, and they end up falling in love (*Note: I got so fed up with it that I stopped watching after the first rape-hug. So technically, I don't know if this is what happened... but I still know.) He will get free rent at the mansion he lives in if she turns into a lady, so when she agrees to go meet a man for an arranged marriage, he gets so excited that he rape hugs her.

The Result
As you can see in the video below, the rape hug only confuses her, since she is so socially awkward. Eventually they probably share a mutual hug and/or kiss in about the ninth episode, but the effect of this particular rape-hug is quickly forgotten.

The Depiction


What you have to understand about this dorama is that it is terribly overacted. He is so popular that crowds of women literally fall over when he passes by, and she is so socially awkward that she sleeps in a coffin. I am not making this up. I guess teenage girls like this kind of crap, but I digress. This rapehug begins with him pacing slowly behind her like an American lawyer from the South in a 1950s TV drama. Then, without warning he rape hugs her and whispers creepily in her ear. Then he begins dancing around because he thinks he will get his free rent. I guess this is a lame attempt at humour, but I firmly believe that you shouldn't joke about rape-hugs.



Awkwardometor ☆☆
In general, this rape-hug is not overly awkward because it is a terribly acted drama, and you know from reading the introductory blurb about this dorama that there will be many rape hugs anyway. It's just a shame that I had to watch four episodes to find the first one. Then again, do not confuse a paltry 2-star awkward rape-hug with implicit approval of rape-hugging a socially awkward female from behind in her own bedroom. If a girl can't be safe from rape-hug-attacks in her own room, what has the world come to?
 
Video
Observe the incredible overacting from Kamenashi with his sneak-attack followed by his stupid dance. Also pay attention to her face when she realises she has been rape-hugged in the behind. It's like rape-hugs are a standard excercise at Japanese Drama Acting school, because they all seem to do it the same way. 

Proposal Daisakusen, episode 8

The Actors
Rape-Huggist: Yamashita Tomohisa ♂
Rape-Huggee: Nagasawa Masami ♀





The Context

It was clear by the name of this series ("Operation Love") that there would be at least one great rape-hug scene. The drama is basically about a guy who travels back in time to woo the girl he really liked, and it is a brutal viewing experience of inept wooing-technique ("woo-nique"). This even includes a rape-kiss. Then, by the eighth episode he pulls off the classic come-from-behind rape-hug in a park at night immediately after being turned down.

The Result
I am pleased to report that this rape-hug did not go down well. Ideally she would have fought him off first (and/or given him a slap), but at least this behaviour was not encouraged by a successful outcome.

The Depiction



As is the convention, the rape-hug is preceded by a close-up of the rape-huggists face as he/she decides to go for it. Then, after he takes off towards his target, we are treated to the victim's perspective. The camera follows her as she walks away, and suddenly the rape-huggist appears from the right of the screen, grabbing her tightly around the shoulders and just below the neck, presumably to avoid touching her boobs. Then we see the classic early symptoms of post-traumatic stress syndrome spread across her face.

It's amazing that a rape-hug can make these two very good J-dorama actors look extremely average. That's the power of the rape-huggery.



Awkwardometor ☆☆☆
All signs point to 'awkward'. You have the 'from-behind' and the 'in the park at night aspects', as well as the conversation that happened prior to this event which basically had her saying:"we will never be together", and he decides to double-down. Although you can't see the long-shot of the event, I have the impression that his genitals may have been, lets say "too close for comfort", which is often the risk of a reverse-hug. However, we the viewer have been waiting for the rape-hug for the entire series. You know it's coming, and I would honestly rather had had it earlier in the series just to get it over with.  So when it finally happens, I almost felt relieved. It's like pulling a plaster - it's better to just do it right away because the suspense is not enjoyable.


Video
Enjoy this rape-hug in real-time, along with the sounds of rapist-footsteps followed by the awkward silence broken only by oblivious cars driving  by.

Nodame Cantablie, Episode 11

 The Actors
Rape-Huggist: Tamaki Hiroshi ♂
Rape-Huggee: Ueno Jiri ♀







*Remember the name Tamaki Hiroshi. By my own anecdotal evidence, he is by far the rape-huggiest J-actor around. Every dorama I've seen of his, he commits rape-hug, and often this includes some of the most violent and inappropriate ones. This certainly is a great introduction to his body of work. 

The Context
They are both music students, and she has been chasing him like a pack of rabid dogs after a terrified 6-year old carrying a bag of dead kittens. She even rape-kissed him earlier on, but he couldn't take a hint - all the way until this - the last episode. Like many final episodes of Japanese doramas, the girl gives up on the guy and goes to her hometown. In this case, it is in Kyushu - the very bottom island of Japan. While she is there, he realises that he likes her and takes the bullet-train, local train and taxi all the way from Tokyo. This is a very long trip and prohibitively expensive so it cannot possibly be spontaneous. Then, from the taxi he gets a phonecall from her, and the taxi passes her walking alongside the river. He gets out of the taxi without her knowledge and just watches from afar. If he were wearing a rubber mask, this would have changed the context completely. Then, he begins a confident stride and rape-hugs the crapp out of her.

The Result
She is shocked, and he doesn't help the situation by making thinly veiled threats ("If you reject me again..."). After about 90 seconds, she touches his arm to make the rape-hug legal. Then he is introduced to the family, and you'd think everything is fine between them. But no, they never really get together - at least not until the 2nd special episode.

However, the biggest apparent result of this rape-hug is thousands of girls wetting themselves at this special moment. Seriously, there are message boards talking about how "suteki" and romantic this moment was. All I have to say is: Really women? Really? Really? And that is why I began this website.

The Depiction



We have a dramatic sunset backdrop, and a series of sweeping shots. Also, the point of impact is so violent that it reminds me of this nature video. But visually this rape-hug is most notable for the range of facial expressions. You can clearly see his expression when he decides he's going for it. Then his face truly gets scary.  Tamaki at his rape-huggy finest.
As great as his face is, I can't get enough of her sheer state of shell-shock. I mean, she has been rape-hugged in the behind from a guy who has literally travelled half the length of Japan to commit this act.
Then, after they stand there for a long time, a boat goes by with her father on it.



Awkwardometor ☆☆☆☆☆
This rape-hug gains the full 5-stars for awkwardness. In fact, it was this very rape-hug that sowed the seed for J-Dorama Rape-Hugs. For the full awkwardness and sheer-dragged-out-ness, do check out the video below. 


Video

Bonus: 

Like many dorama's Nodame Cantabile is a remake of a manga and anime. Either way, here is a cartoon version of the same incident. Some may say that this dorama was merely being true to the original, but that doesn't make it any less rape-huggy. Yes, it is very faithful. Faithfully hug-rapey.

Discuss: Is a rape-hug better or worse when it is in animated form?

Buzzer Beat, Episode 5

The Actors

Rape-Huggist: Yamashita Tomohisa ♂& Kitagawa Keiko ♀
Rape-Huggee: Yamashita Tomohisa ♂& Kitagawa Keiko ♀





 

  










The Context
He is a star basketball player who has gone on a pre-season camp. While away, she realises that she likes him and travels across Japan to surprise him. When she arrives, he is alone in the gym crying about being cheated on, which obviously gives her 2nd thoughts. But as she is about to leave he regains his manly status by rape-hugging her, only to realise that it is extremely awkward. Then, he lets go and as he is about to leave, she retaliates and rape-hugs him back.

The Result
This rape-hug comes halfway through the series, and it kicks off their official relationship. In this sense it can be seen as a successful sequence of rape-hugs. It shouldn't be, but it can.


The Depiction
The rape-hug scene is in an empty gymnasium and on both rape-hugs it clearly shows the shocked expressions on both of their faces. These are notable not only for the near-immediate retaliationm but also for the high degree of difficulty of the rare kneeling rape-hug. Upon the impact of the first rape-hug the soundtrack falls dramatically silent, as if someone is just fainting. And on the 2nd one we also see the double-shot - the knockout punch, as the annoying end theme song starts to signal that everything is okay and we don't need to call the police.

Awkwardometor ☆☆☆
This sequence in Japanese Drama history really illustrates the lack of romantic awareness in the genre. It would have been incredibly easy to make this a genuine romantic moment simply by having her return the hug the first time. Why wouldn't she happily return the hug - after all, wasn't she the one that travelled all the way across the nation to express her love? So instead of one great hug to consecrate this inevitable relationship, we have two incredibly awkward rape-hugs. Secondly, why wouldn't he return her hug after just rape-hugging her? Admittedly he does slightly return the hug but not to the level to erase the awkwardness. Perhaps there are couples who are genuinely this awkward, but wow. 




Video
Watch the entire sequence, along with the impressively bad soundtrack.