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.  

Yume no California, Episode 2

The Actors

Rape-Huggist: Kaito Ken ♂
Rape-Huggee: Shibasaki Kou ♀

The Context

They are a couple who have been dating for quite some time, and it is quickly established that the reason they are dating is only because he has money and she doesn't... have a personality. Before and during the rape-hug he talks trash about her friends, but because he is from a good university he does it in a way that kind-of makes sense to a weak-willed female who is a model and makes it clear that she isn't very smart. Because from the outside, this is the perfect Japanese relationship: A rich, older, jealous man and a dumb, younger beautiful woman. This scene comes when she is starting to make other friends - one of whom owns a penis - so he becomes extremely posessive and forbids her from seeing them again, and suggests that she stops working so she never has to go out into society again. You know, "love".

The presence of a rape-hug in this particular dorama could have been fortold by glancing at the title of this episode which is 「君を抱きしめたい」 "Kimi wo dakishimetai / I want to hug you". That's a red-flag right there. Actually, I think this establishes prior intent.

The Result

They soon break up. Good. However, as profiled in episode 7, she rape-hugs another character. See, it's a vicious cycle like bullying where the victims then become the assailants. We must break this cycle.

The Depiction

 

 

This rape-hug is structurally extremely similar to the previous entry in J-Dorama Rape-hugs (Sleeping Forest Episode 7). They are both of jealous men who are trying to prevent their partner from leaving them. They are at home at nighttime. Their victims are both emotionally-dead and they approach them from behind while saying very creepy things. Compare and contrast the two.

Again, it is very difficult to really get a grasp on domestic rape-hugs, but I do know one thing for certain. That, if you are hugging an emotionless person from behind while saying anything, it will sound very creepy. Come on "Work with me and I'll encourage you?" Sure, that's an awkward translation by a fan-subber, but context is everything. He could be singing the Lion King sountrack and it would sound creepy.

Awkwardometor ☆☆
This gains one star more than the Sleeping Forest episode 7, based on the motives of the males. In Sleeping Forest, he is trying to hide the fact that he murdered her entire family before her eyes when she was 11 years old. In Yume no California he is trying to make her withdraw from society so she will be entirely his. Okay, when I put it like this, it almost sounds like I'm trying to make an argument that subjugating women is worse than multiple homocide. But in terms of the actual contact, in the first rape-hug they are both hysterical, where in the second he is complete, douchebag male tarnishing the good name of the hug.

Video
There's not much to see that wasn't in the GIF, but try watch this video and read the subtitles without thinking "Wow, this guy is a total psychopathic douche-nozzle."

Yume no California, Episode 7

The Actors
Rape-Huggist: Shibasaki Kou ♀
Rape-Huggee: Domoto Tsuyoshi ♂



The Context
In this dorama, Domoto is the classic "dick in a glass case" / eternally in the friend-zone. She is an old classmate and who happens to be a model (and way out of his league). She is dating another man who she doesn't really like, so when they have an argument, she immediately arranges to meet the friend-zoned friend. Spurred by her weakness, she pulls a hideous face and takes a huge run-up for the dramatic rape-hug.


The Result
This rape-hug results in him being totally confused and her feeling guilty because in Japan inter-gender friendships cannot allow any physical contact - inluding accidental hand-brushes when opening a door. It would have been an inconsequential event, however, this was also overseen by a mutual friend who instead of being shocked at a violent rapey-hug, assumed that the two were having freaky monkey sex at any opportunity and was too embarrassed to mention it.

The Depiction
The cinematography pulls out all the cliche stops for this rape-hug including Shibasaki's hideous face of torment as she makes the decision to rape-hug, then a sweeping long-shot as she makes violent contact and he stands his ground like a loyal (and dead) British soldier in the Boer War. Then, upon contact we hear the beginning of the dorama's theme song 'California Dreaming' to indicate the magnitude of this shocking overseen event, and see the very different emotions on both their faces.

Contrast the Ali-like speed of her hands, with his daytime gargoyle defenselessness against her. 

Awkwardometor ☆☆☆
This is extremely awkward for a female-instigated rape-hug due to several factors. The facial expressions lend some credibility to my suspicions that Shibasaki is kind of crazy. He is playing a character who seems to be a virgin - or at least acts like one - and has absolutely no idea what to do. He's basically in a prison of rape-hug. Add onto that, the setting of a park at night (prime raping real-estate) and that they are overseen by a mutual friend. It would have been a four-star awkward rape-hug if this wasn't so obviously a device to extend this dorama a few episodes-worth of superflous forced dorama airtime.

Video
Enjoy the rape-hug in real time, along with the annoying introduction to California Dreaming.  

Yume no California, Episode 4

The Actors
Rape-Huggist: Tanabe Seiichi ♂
Rape-Huggee: Kitagawa Hiromi ♀







The Context
These are two peripheral characters in this human dorama. He is a coworker of the main character and he has a wife and a child. She is also a co-worker who has fallen in love with him despite the fact that he is morally out of bounds. However, as Chris Rock once said “It's hard for a man to turn down sex … if they chase us, we can't run that fast.” So, by the fourth episode she asks "are you not feeling well?" he can't control his emotions and commits rape-hug.

The Result
To put it nicely, the rape-hug cured her affections. It's like really wanting to own a pair of skinny jeans, and you save up for months and months, and when you finally get a pair and try them on you look like a douche because you are wearing skinny jeans. That's because it's the moment you realise that you are basically wearing leggings with pockets and a belt. 

He is like those pair of skinny jeans. She has been biding her time, and then finally he cracks. But just before he does, she realises that his hair is stupid and he is nowhere near as smooth as she once thought. She just stands there like an alien probe victim standing alone in a field unsure of what just happened.

Fair enough. When a guy's reaction to a girl asking "Are you not feeling well?" is to rape-hug her, then he probably isn't well at all.


The Depiction
The rape hug begins with him dramatically turning his head - evil hamster style - and the camera takes a wide shot showing the rape-hug as a silhouette in front of the sunset. It cuts to close ups of him panting and looking scared, her face in sheer terror, and his face as he closes his eyes. It is unclear whether he is savouring the moment, or if he is regretting his actions. Then the scene cuts away to an unrelated scene as this 'romance'  is basically thrown under the rug.





Awkwardometor ☆☆☆

In his defense, she had been sending signals his way for a long time - but this was definitely not one of those moments. How could he screw this up? If he wanted to cheat on his wife and kid, he had every chance in the world but he had to ruin it - an amazing feat really. This was a layup. But instead of scoring the easy basket, he pooped his pants, slipped in his poop, and fell face first into his poop. 

Video
Pictured: How to ruin a sunset.