Dream Again, Episode 6

The Actors

Rape-Huggist: Sorimachi Takashi ♂
Rape-Huggee: Kato Ai ♀

The Context

This is a very convoluted script, and by 'convoluted' I am combining the words "Confusing", "Vomit" and "diluted". A famous baseball player starts sucking and retires, and the drama starts just when he rediscovers his fire for baseball and decides to mount a comeback. This upsets his girlfriend and somehow leads him to throwing his engagement ring into a river. Then he literally gets struck by lightning and dies, only there was some kind of clerical error so he comes back to earth inside another man's body. I don't know how Sorimachi - who is the god of Japanese doramas - got sucked into this piece of crap conference-meeting power-script. In one short span of the dorama his daughter who has a non-specified terminal illness collapses, recovers, runs away, there is a shitty little scene of trying to find her, and then she tries to commit suicide by walking into the ocean while he holds her back and slaps the sense back into her. I'm not trying to give a recap of this dorama, but if they manage to put all those clichés into one small section of the plot, you can bet your life they'll find space to include a rape-hug somewhere. 

The Depiction

Usually I place the video clip at the end, but in this case I think it is worthwhile to take a look now, just to see how many clichés are forced into this one scene like a fat man's haggis. So, she doesn't know that this man is actually her reincarnated ex-fiancé, but they find themselves talking while overlooking the view from a bridge at night. Then, the ominous soft piano music starts to play as the camera slowly zooms in on his face to show that he is completely tuning out whatever she is saying. Then he makes a lunge to grab her wrist, and in slow motion pulls her towards him.

Then, once the action is complete, the theme song by Kobukuro kicks in. This artist is used for many themesongs in doramas and although I don't have any evidence, I would think that his voice is the voice of rape-hugs. I'm saying if rape-hugs had it's own nation, Kobukuro would be singing the anthem before every sports event that Rapehuggistan is in.

 

The Result

This rape-hug is used as the cliff-hanger between episodes 6 and 7, and the seventh episode ends with her brekaing free of the rape-hug and briskly walking away. So, the result was not looking good - and he knows it. In fact, one of the next scenes is of Soramachi talking to his guardian angel. Did I mention that he has a guardian angel and that this script is a total piece of shit? 

Watch the following clip (with fansubs) where Sorimachi asks his guardian angel (he is the one who is glowing blue. Duh.) as to whether he should apologize. The angel replies:

"As an adult you might need to say a word of apology. You suddenly hugged her after all."

There you have it: an angel - a divine messenger of god (or whoever it is that gives a shit about the Japanese) - is on the fence about the legitmacy of rape-hugs. 

Meanwhile, the poor victim in this matter is showing signs of severe trauma. While sitting at her desk her phone starts ringing. When she sees that it's him she has a flashback of the rape-hug - which she admittedly did almost accept - but her fiancé had only recently been struck dead by lightning. Give her some time to mourn, dammit! Then she does a double face-palm. Where's her guardian angel when she needs one?

Remember, rape-hugs are not a victimless crime.

Awkwardometor ☆☆☆☆☆



I'm giving this a full five-star rating.I don't care that he is actually her spouse-to-be, and that she almost accepted the advances. It's at night on a secluded footbridge, and he literally grabs her wrist. Seriously, when do you ever grab someone's wrist? The answer is when you are trying to lead someone somewhere against their own will - like a naughty child to the corner of the room. That is not a good way to woo. And throw in the fact that she is mentally fragile after her fiancé suddenly dieing only a few months earlier, and the trauma she showed afterwards.  

The follow-up converstation with the guardian angel is almost on the right track about showing remorce, but eventually belittles the gravity of the act. That conversation was backed by a peppy comedic tune, whereas the facepalm scene was something out of a pyschological thriller. 













What are we doing here people?

Papa to Musume no Nanokakan, Episode 6

The Actors

Rape-Huggist: Kato Shigeaki ♂
Rape-Huggee: Aragaki Yui ♀


The Context

This is a body-switch drama where a father who works at a marketing company who gets a contract for a teenage girl's fragrance line is out of touch with his teenage daughter. Then they eat magical peaches and they switch bodies, because that's what happens when you eat magical peaches, duh! oh what hilarity. Surprisingly she is able to navigate the corporate world and make the marketing campaign a success, and he is exposed to the fact his daughter is of dating age and in the end they learn many things about each other. That's where this rape-hug comes in - the boy that she has liked for a long time finally summons the courage to make physical contact with her. The only problem is: she is actually her father! Oh, humour directed at tweenage girls is always the best. Only except the exact opposite. What I am trying to say is that this entire drama is a terribly bad and unfunny version of the remake of Freaky Friday, which is already a terribly bad and unfunny movie that I once watched back in the days when airplanes only had one movie to choose from.

The Result

 

The horny teenage boy imposes his will upon her, who is actually her father, and after a few seconds of accepting the embrace (which is actually kind of gay statutory kinky when you think about it) she/he fights him off with a biblical "thou shalt not pass" - type pose. He takes this rejection very hard and turns and walks away. Has the father ruined the relationship of his daughter? We'll have to wait until the next and final episode. (P.S. thank the sweet lord this dorama wasn't a full 10 or 12 episodes...)

The Depiction

 

This rape-hug follows a similar formula to what we have seen before. It takes place in a quiet park, he makes a small speech and suddenly lunges in taking her by surprise. We know that she is surprised because look at the size of those whites of her eyes. It's amazing what a simple surgery can do. Then he grasps her by the upper arms to look at her to guage her reaction. Then she does a Moses and parts those seas, the drama heightened by a low angle.

Awkwardometor ☆☆☆

I 'm inclined to rate this higher based on the fact that she is playing 15 year-old, however Aragaki was actually 19 when this dorama was filmed. But it is still slightly disturbing that he, a high-school aged boy rape hugs her and when she flinches, instead of being apologetic, he runs away offended as if she is a slut. I'm not 100% sure, but I think this sends out the wrong message to the teenage girl audience that this dorama was absolutely geared to. Seriously people, this is a problem that every year affects younger and younger people.

Video

Get the full experience of the wide eyes and highly over-acted rejecting the hug. Also, pay attention to his disgusted expression right before he walks away.  

Yume no California, Episode 6

The Actors

Rape-Huggist: Nomura Hironobu ♂
Rape-Huggee: Kuninaka Ryoko ♀


The Context
They both work at the same company, although she is a temp-worker who tries her hardest not to look like she hates her job. The two spark up a non-romantic relationship until he eventually asks her out. This event occurs after the date when she runs away when she reveals that she has been divorced. I'm not quite sure what the motivation was for the rape-hug, but I suspect the guy didn't know what else to do in that awkward moment - may as well make it as awkward as possible, right? And when the rape-hug wasn't bad enough, he tries to turn it into a kiss.
 

The Result

What did the five fingers say to the face? Glorious. Although really she should have slapped him before the hug. You know, you really have to be firm with Japanese people who are interested in you - men and women - because they just aren't used to hearing the word 'no'.

The Depiction

This is a classic night scene in a park, and the camera cuts back and forth with close-ups of their expressionless faces. I find it quite odd that a couple of low-angle shots are shown for no apparent dramatic or symbolic effect. I think even the director felt awkward when in the editing room so he just slapped all the shots together.

Awkwardometor ☆☆☆☆

While I definitely applaud the use of open-palm violence to combat rape-hug, the slap didn't actually result from - or punish the hug itself. But the reason for the awkwardness is the guy's complete inability to read the situation. First of all, usually when a woman is literally running away from you and you do run after her, chances are that she wants a little bit of distance. Then his words preceding his rape-hug are hardly the most romantic: "[knowing you're divorced] only makes me more interested in you". And then somehow after embracing a motionless human being, he thinks that trying to kiss it is a good idea. It's a tough watch, like seeing a skateboarder approach a set of stairs knowing you're watching a programme called "Stupid People Getting Hit in the Nuts".

Video
To truly appreciate just how long a short scene can be, take a look at the video. Also, note how when the guy leans in for the kiss, the intrumental version of California Dreaming jumps in. I don't quite know how this song was relevant to this dorama (apart from a flimsy conversation that worked it into the storyline), but I like the harmonica wailing out the tune as she runs away.  

Buzzer Beat, Episode 7

The Actors

Rape-Huggist: Mizobata Junpei ♂
Rape-Huggee: Kanjiya Shihori ♀


The Context
He is a professional basketball player on the verge of being cut from the team, and she is a college student studying to be a flautist. The end up moving in together - making it clear that they are just friends - to save money. Then suddenly, he starts feeling hug-rapey. and she feels the creep of evil about to happen. She gets up and flees, however she is a woman, and he is a professional sportsman so he quickly grabs her.


The Result
They end up together. I mean, you knew this would happen all along, but I was just hoping that the rape-hug would be the deal-breaker rather than when friendship blooms into love.


The Depiction

 
The opening act of this scene begins with them talking on the floor. This is when his conversation gets creepy, he says that he likes her, and she says "What is this? It's a strange situation", as she gets up and tries to flee. Like a greyhound at the track, as soon as the prey moves he also gets excited, chases her and grabs her from behind, wrapping his arms over her arms and holding her firmly around the stomach. 

"Wow."

That is the word she utters. "Wow". My thoughts exactly. Only, whereas my "wow" is more to do with the fact a man is chasing a woman to rape-hug her, hers is "wow, I just made a boyfriend."

They stand there motionless as he whispers in her ear his case for them being together. I have to give him credit for this, as if he is unsuccessful, instead of having a girlfriend he would be kicked out of his house, and have a criminal record and a restraining order. That's one hell of a risk. 





Awkwardometor ☆☆☆☆☆
I'm giving this the full level of awkwardness. For one, it is from behind and there is the typical blank look of fear on her face. Also taken into consideration is the extremely awkward conversation (also, thanks to the fan-subber for the stilted English translation that adds to this) and there is the quotable "wow" to keep this rape-hug extremely fresh in your mind. I guarantee you that this will not be easy to unremember. But then, any time a man is literally chasing a fleeing woman to rape-hug her you're probably looking at a 5-star on the awkwardometor.

Video
"Enjoy" the gut-wrenchingly awkward conversation and the pathetic attempt to flee. Also pay attention to the placement of his hands - they almost brush the underboob - and in his attempt to minimise surface-area contact he clasps his own fist on her midsection which makes it look like he is giving her the heimlich.