To the Shining You Episode 30 "Connecting Words" Synopsis & What to Say This Week

Michinaga came to Mahiro to ask him to write a story to rival "The Pillow Book." And so the opening part of "The Tale of Genji" finally appeared!

This week's M-man is here. Starting this week, everyone on the 4th floor, except for Michinaga and Yukinari, will be sporting beards. They have gone from being young aristocrats to being middle-aged men.

What's funny is that some people look good with beards and some don't. It suits Michinaga. Enomoto Tasuku has always played bushy, bearded characters (sorry to all Enomoto fans), so it doesn't look that strange, but it doesn't suit Kinto. Beards just don't look right on that smooth, beautiful face...

And what was the food lined up at the banquet where the 4F gathered, especially the yakitori-like thing? I'm a little curious. So, this week's "Say Whatever You Want" starts with a small detail, but to be honest, I am deeply moved.

The premise is that Abe no Seimei played a role in the creation of "The Tale of Genji." It's so interesting.

The opening line of The Tale of Genji, "In some time," appeared in the preview for the next episode. It was truly a long-awaited appearance.

I was so moved that it had finally come! I had expected that Michinaga would come to ask for a favor someday, but the way he got to that point was incredibly well done.

Regardless of whether it is historical fact or not, it is interesting to think that Abe no Seimei played a part in the creation of The Tale of Genji. However, it is strangely convincing, and I can't help but wonder if it really happened.

Bai Juyi's "Xin Yuefu" is used casually. I am impressed by the fine detail of the work.

And what impressed me as being well done was the scene where Michinaga and Michiko plead with Emperor Ichijo to turn his attention to Shoko.

The scroll that Emperor Ichijo received at this time was "Xinrakufu" by Bai Juyi. Although it is used casually, this "Xinrakufu" is the text that Murasaki Shikibu later used when teaching Chinese classics to her lady-in-waiting, Shoshi.

With the help of Murasaki Shikibu, Emperor Ichijo finally begins to take an interest in Shoshi, who has acquired a basic knowledge of classical Chinese... This is probably how the story will unfold, but it's amazing how the book that triggers this, "Shin Gakufu," is casually mentioned!

The foreshadowing is carefully laid out, from Mahiro to Murasaki Shikibu and then to The Tale of Genji.

Bai Juyi has appeared many times before, but the title of this volume, "Connecting Words," is very apt and spot on.

One prays for rain, the other worries about his daughter. The contrast between Michinaga, who "risked his life," and Noriko is striking.

What's even more wonderful about this scene is when Noriko presses Emperor Ichijo, saying, "Even if it means risking my life."

Michinaga looks at Noriko's profile in shock and half-amusement.

Michinaga, for his part, asked Abe no Seimei if he would be willing to shorten his own life by 10 years in order to pray for rain.

Because the rain-making prayer was successful, Michinaga may have been regretting deep down what he had said to Seimei.

At that time, his wife suddenly says, "Even if it means risking my life." This striking contrast, and Emperor Ichijo coolly telling Noriko, "You don't have to risk your life for something like that," as he leaves, is a really well-crafted development.

The production team's love for classical literature is evident throughout the film

Mahiro teaches waka poetry to Kinto's wife. This scene is also very well directed.

The first poem Mahiro recites is a poem by Ki no Tsurayuki, which is also included in the Hyakunin Isshu. Nearly 100 years have passed since Ki no Tsurayuki composed it.

And Mahiro preaches about the importance of "mono no aware" (the pathos of things) left by Ki no Tsurayuki. This is also a case of "connecting words". It's like I'm taking a high school classical Japanese class all over again.

In both the "New Music Hall" scene and this scene, you can feel the production team's respect for classical literature.

What was even more interesting was when he read a story written by Mahiro called "The Story of the Magpie" to his wives. The content that Mahiro reads is excellent.

"The man who was pretending to be a woman really wanted to be a woman, and the woman who was pretending to be a man really wanted to be a man. I was going to put both of them to the test, but I decided not to."

Mahiro read out a passage from "The Tale of the Magpie." What is the deeper meaning behind it?

Thinking that it might be "Torikaebaya Monogatari," which I had only memorized the outline of in high school classics class, I quickly did a search and found that "Torikaebaya Monogatari" appears to have been written about 100 years after Mahiro's time.

Hmmm... what was Oishi Shizuka's intention in deliberately inserting a scene like this?

Are these words expressing the feelings of Mahiro, who cannot get involved in politics because she is a woman, and who is mocked by her father and brother for "having too much knowledge means you will never be happy"? Or is it perhaps an attempt to throw a stone into the current gender debate?

Either way, it's a pretty profound scene.

As a masochist who likes "Izumi Shikibu," I was a little dissatisfied with the character design.

Akane, also known as Izumi Shikibu, also appeared. She declared that "The Pillow Book," which is a trend in the Imperial Court, is not interesting, and wore a see-through uchikake that exposed her upper arms. She also candidly admitted that she was sleep-deprived after talking with the prince.

Izumi Shikibu is known as a free-spirited woman who had many love affairs, but the way she was portrayed is a bit questionable. Couldn't she have been portrayed as a woman with a deeper meaning, someone who was free-spirited but kept it hidden in her heart and expressed it in her waka poetry?

Sei Shonagon was a good fit, but Izumi Shikibu was a little too deformed, which was kind of painful.

This is because I remember being deeply moved by the waka poem "Black Hair" by Izumi Shikibu, which appeared briefly in the trailer for M-Man.

This waka poem goes, "As I lie there, unaware of my disheveled black hair, the first thing I long for is the person who combed it."

This straightforwardness would make even Akiko Yosano look pale in comparison. Compared to the slightly more formal works of Murasaki Shikibu and Sei Shonagon, how can you describe this straightforwardness? And it was written 1000 years ago!

I am a little worried that such a wonderful poet will be portrayed in the drama as simply a free-spirited woman.

Ah, once again there will be a break next time! It's cruel to have it take a break after building up so much excitement...

Mahiro is worried about how to treat his daughter, Ise is vindictively cursing Michinaga, and his younger brother Takaie is getting closer to Michinaga. Will the feud with the Nakakanpaku family continue?

When will Mahiro become Akiko's wife and come to be known as Murasaki Shikibu? When will Emperor Ichijo start to turn his attention to Akiko? And what about the relationship between Mahiro and Michinaga?

It looks like everything will start to move dynamically in the next episode, but there will be a break due to the coverage of the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics.

During the last Tokyo gubernatorial election break, I wanted to shout, "Tokyo residents aren't the only viewers," but if it's the Olympics, I guess it can't be helped. But I really can't wait for the next one.

What is the review of “To Shining You”?

"Premium Japan Literature Club" (exaggeration) was formed by people who love literature within the Premium Japan editorial department. For literature lovers, the 2024 taiga drama ``Hikaru Kimi e'' was a perfect opportunity to discuss this and that. Volunteers from the editorial department will continue to freely review articles. Editor S and Editor N reviewed the differences between historical facts and dramas, a deep dive into foreshadowing, and more!