Rape-Huggist: Nagase Tomoya ♂
Rape-Huggee: Hoshino Mari ♀
The Context
This rape-hug actually has no context. By which I mean, it is almost a meta-rape-hug. Mukodono 2003 is a dorama about an actor who tries to live a normal personal life, and on occasion we see him on TV or billboards, or in this case - acting a single scene from a dorama he is in. And sure enough, the one scene they chose to represent is of an isolated rape-hug. I love that the directors and writers decided to run with this. Stick with what you know, right?
The Result
Nothing resulted from this, apart from a queasy feeling in my stomach. You see, this would have been a perfect opportunity to comment on the status of the rape-hug in Japanese TV. Several of the other episodes in this dorama make really stinging observations on the ridiculousness of celebrity status and on Japanese media. Sure, it is mostly a stupid dorama, but a few times I was thinking "can they do this?" And then they just let this rape-hug slide by.
The Depiction
The filmography is perfectly stereotypical for this dorama inside a dorama scene. Sweeping shots and closeups of their faces. The actual impact isn't shown, however, opting instead for a series of quick cuts (similar to an overproduced music video during a difficult dance move that the lead singer can't actually do). And this includes the upper-arm grab. You see this occasionally in Japan - not even just on TV. Seriously, I have seen couples walk down the street with the male almost dragging his girl down the street by her forearm as if she was a child who just drew on the walls with crayon. I wouldn't think women would like this kind of treatment. But then, what do I know about women?
I also appreciate the closeup of her face where it looks like she has died inside. See, shouldn't it be a hint that no rape-hugee is ever visibly happy during the rape-hug?
Awkwardometor ☆☆☆
It's difficult to rate this one, however, the awkwardness is in the fact that everybody treats it so normal. I sometimes feel like a schitzo who sees horrible murders all over the place but noone else seems to notice. Am I going crazy? Does noone else see this? Rape-hugs are driving me towards insanity.
Video
Watch the entire over-preoduced scene, and after the scene ends observe the pan-out which shows all the people working on the dorama sitting around - not one of whom seems plussed.
