To the Shining You: Episode 34 "Awakening" Synopsis & What I Say This Week

Mahiro's story becomes a trend in the Imperial Court. The people around him are interested in finding a model. "Is Hikaru Genji talking about me?" A self-conscious noble also appears.

This week's M-man is here. The story of Mahiro becomes a trend in the Imperial Court. And the introduction to the writing of "Wakana" from the scene of the little bird that escaped, which was also depicted on the fan given to him by Michinaga... This was the 34th episode, packed with "The Tale of Genji". It was fun!!

This taiga drama will teach us the flow of history once again.

I was nervous about what the monks who had swarmed over from Kofuku-ji Temple would do, but nothing happened and it ended up being a bit of a disappointment.

Actually, while watching the last episode, M-man was thinking, "Wow, that Buddhist sculptor Jocho did such wild things," but it turned out that it wasn't "Jocho" who came in, but "Jocho." The difference is "Jocho."

If you fast forward through the first theme music part of a recorded episode and watch only the main story without checking the names of the characters, you will end up making this kind of foolish assumption. (If you see the characters first, you may have a vague idea of ​​the flow of the episode, so in fact, I often skip over the theme music part.)

But then I suddenly remembered that Taira no Kiyomori burned down Kofuku-ji Temple and other temples. Kiyomori burned down Nara about 180 years after Michinaga's time. 180 years ago was still the Edo period. It's a long time ago. I somehow thought it didn't take that long to move from the heyday of the Fujiwara clan to the Heike era, but I didn't realize that 180 years had passed in between. This drama has made me realize that again.

"Could it be about me?" "It must be about my husband." Many people thought the same, which is why it became a trend.

Well, it's "The Tale of Genji" parade. I'm so happy. The scene Kinto was reading to his wife was a scene from "Utsusemi". And when his wife says "Maybe something similar has happened to you," Kinto is a little flustered. He must have had some idea. At the time, his wife was well aware that her husband was sneaking off to another woman.

Nariyoshi, who read it while resting his head on a woman's lap, brazenly exclaimed, "Is the shining man talking about me?" The nobles of the time must have secretly thought to themselves, more or less, that they were doing something similar. And the ladies-in-waiting must have been spreading rumors that this was about that person. That's why it became a big trend in the Imperial Court. In other words, it was a kind of exposé book.

I have some deep feelings when I think about the time when I was reading (or was I forced to read?) the expose book while crying during my university entrance exam. I didn't even want to look at the conjugation table of auxiliary verbs. Many years have passed since then...

This is quite a meaningful statement coming from the son of Takaakira Minamoto, who is considered the model for Hikaru Genji.

One scene that was quite meaningful and interesting was when Minamoto Toshikata (Akiko's older brother) asked Mahiro, "Why did you make Hikaru-no-kimi the Genji?" Mahiro replied, "Because the prince can't do whatever he likes," to which Toshikata replied, "I was remembering my father, Takaaki."

Takaakira Minamoto has long been said to be the model for Hikaru Genji, and the remains of Takaakira Minamoto's residence were introduced in the final episode of the program, "Visiting Places Associated with Takaakira." It's only natural that Toshikata would remember his father, and what's more, it was Michinaga's grandfather who caused Takaakira, who was said to be intelligent, to be exiled to Dazaifu. It's a very powerful scene.

I suddenly wondered, who translated the modern Japanese translation that Kinto and the others were reading? Yosano Akiko? Tanizaki Junichiro? Enchi Fumiko? Tanabe Seiko? I might be able to find out by comparing the translation of that scene with the lines on TV, but I don't have the energy to do that... Sorry. Maybe it's "Oishi Genji," where Oishi-san has newly translated just this part?

"All the lords are cute." Hey, you say that, Mahiro-san.

When the Kyokusui Banquet was interrupted by rain, the nobles engaged in a "boy talk" in front of Akiko behind the blinds, which was incredibly funny!!

I remember a scene in the first episode where after playing a polo-like sport (I forgot the name, so I looked it up and it was "da-gu"), the young Michinaga and his friends were having a boys' chat, and Mahiro was eavesdropping on it. Mahiro told Akiko, who was listening to the nobles' boys' chat, "All the lords are cute," and then said with a smile that the emperor was no different from those nobles.

I want to say, "Hey, Mahiro-san, you acted so innocent in front of Izumi Shikibu, but you have such a philosophical attitude, saying things like, "Lords are like that." But when you think about it, both her late husband, Yoshitaka, and Michinaga, were characters full of childishness, so I guess it's inevitable that she would be so philosophical, and I'll forgive her.

Come to think of it, in a TV commercial for the sake "Shochikubai," in response to Yujiro Ishihara's question, "Then let me ask you, priest, what is a man?", the priest played by Jukichi Uno replied, "A child." Sorry for this silly old Showa-era story.

Returning to "To You Who Shines". In terms of the story's development, Mahiro's suggestion is very important. Akiko, who is a sheltered young lady who does not understand male psychology well and even said that she "doesn't understand what men are saying" and what is interesting about "The Tale of Genji", opens up to the outside world and becomes free from the shyness that led her to be called "foolish". As always, I am constantly impressed by how well the story develops.

Is Mahiro projecting herself onto Murasaki no Ue? But is that okay?

"The dog let the sparrows escape. The sparrows were hiding in their cage."

It's finally here! Just as Ms. N predicted. It's the very famous passage from the fifth chapter, "Wakana." The idiot M-man finally realized that it would end up like this, but Ms. N had seen through it in the first episode.

Hmm. So that means that "Hikaru Genji - Murasaki no Ue" overlaps with "Michinaga - Mahiro." I'm a masochist who was deeply moved to find out that that was the case. But wait a minute. Although Murasaki no Ue was loved deeply by Hikaru Genji, she was not able to become his legal wife in the end, and she raised a child that Hikaru Genji had with another woman, eventually dying before him. Although she was the most important heroine in "The Tale of Genji," she lived a life that could hardly be called happy. If that overlaps with Mahiro, I feel a little sorry for her and worry.

"I wrote this at the request of the Minister of the Left." There's no need to be so honest.

Emperor Ichijo praises Mahiro's story, saying, "Your story speaks directly to me."

When Emperor Ichijo asks her why she wrote it, Mahiro honestly answers that Michinaga asked her to. I was a bit worried that she didn't need to be so honest, but her honesty is a good thing. With Mahiro's advice, Akiko begins to open up a little, and it feels like the day when love will blossom between her and Emperor Ichijo is approaching.

You'd think Michinaga would be happy, but he is restless because he can't have a child, and in the next episode, it seems he will go on a pilgrimage to Mount Kinpu. In the preview for the next episode, there is a mountain climbing scene that makes you think it's a "climber's high". And Ise is making some ominous moves. It seems that we can't just be happy about the appearance of "The Tale of Genji". The muddy power struggle in the palace is currently underway. There will surely be a rift in the relationship between Michinaga and Emperor Ichijo.

Here's a little spoiler, or rather, a little tidbit that has nothing to do with the main story. Upon investigation, it turns out that "Josumi" from Kofuku-ji Temple, who broke into Michinaga's residence, was accompanying Michinaga on a pilgrimage to Kinpusen. Did Michinaga force him to accompany him, or did he sneakily accompany him in an attempt to repair their relationship, knowing he couldn't compete with Michinaga? It's probably the former. Historically, this was a time when Michinaga's power was growing stronger and stronger. So I feel like I want to tell him, Ise, that it's time to give up now, and stop struggling.

"I've always loved you," says Akiko, tearfully confessing her hidden feelings. I can't wait for next week.

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!