Mikami Sensei (2025)

The personal is political

The main story revolves around highlighting societal issues such as media sensationalism, political corruption and relative poverty. It is impressive that that the drama is able to showcase these topics that are seemingly beyond the individual power are actually deeply related to politics and within the same setting of modern Japanese educational system.

There is clear depth in the character development. Each episode highlights a different issue faced by a particular high school student. The main character, Mikami carefully provide guidance for his students towards resolution through critical thinking and open discussion. This deepens the relationship between Mikami and his students, as they are able to mature and learn from each other through understanding and motivation. Each plot is closely linked to the main character background, which is unravelled and slowly revealed as the story progresses.

What differentiates this show from others is that there is attempt to bring up cultural, political and moral issues in Japan. For instance, it recognised the perspective differences of American and Japanese students in relation to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the Pacific War. While it is unconventional for mainstream drama, these are only touched briefly and appears unpolished and rushed in the plot.

Overall, the cast did an excellent job in portraying the issues and relationship between characters. The ending music lyrics also matches the theme of the story well. It is a worthwhile watch for viewers interested in learning about Japanese issues.

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