To the Shining You, Part 39: Unbreakable Bonds" Synopsis & Whatever You Want to Say This Week
The curse-filled Ise dies! Even Korenobu dies! Michinaga's dark side is getting worse and worse.

This week's episode is about N-ko. It started with the birth of Akiko's second son, who was born a year apart, then Tametoki's father found out that Masako was the father of Michinaga, and then Ise, who was Michinaga's rival, passed away. To top it off, Mahiro's younger brother, Korenori, suddenly died of an illness. It was a very busy episode.

Was Tametoki's dad the only one who didn't know that Kenko was Michinaga's child? How stupid...

Finally, Kenko has also worn her formal attire. Michinaga has sent sake, rice, sweets, and silk fabrics to the Tametoki residence. Kenko's formal attire is as luxurious as the one worn by the Empress Dowager. Tametoki's father and his younger brother, Korenori, are also surprised at the extravagance.

Koreki exclaims, "After all, your own child is adorable." Mahiro and Itomo take it as normal without giving it much thought, but Tametoki's father asks, "What did you just say?"

The only one who didn't notice was Tametoki's father. He was shocked that his daughter, who was married to his best friend, Nobutaka, was having an affair with the Minister of the Left.

Tametoki was worried about whether Nobutaka knew about it or not. However, when he told him that he knew everything and that he had said that they would raise the child together, he looked relieved.

I mean, it would be a shock for a strict Tametoki to know that his daughter had even had an illegitimate child with the Minister of the Left. Of course, not only Mahiro, but Tametoki and Korenori would also treat him well.

When Tametoki was invited to a banquet on the day of the Rat, he stared at the Minister of the Left. He left in the middle of the banquet and behaved very suspiciously. Later, Michinaga came to Mahiro's office and asked how Tametoki was. Mahiro was also embarrassed. He had a bad look on his face.

It seems that the incident where Tametoki left the banquet on the day of the rat in the middle of the banquet, incurring Michinaga's displeasure, was a real event, and is described in the Murasaki Shikibu Diary. The use of this real episode is excellent! It's exquisite.

Kenko is still in her rebellious phase. She says nasty things like she doesn't want the gift that the Minister of the Left gave her.

However, after Kenshi began serving Akishi as her lady-in-waiting, the family's fortunes began to recover, so perhaps Michinaga's direction was at play after all.

Ise dies. If you curse someone, you'll end up digging two holes!

And this week, Ise finally dies. Exit. If you think about it, it was a short life. Born as the eldest son of the Nakakanpaku family, his younger sister Sadako became the consort of Emperor Ichijo. He was enjoying his prime and doing well. He had a bright future ahead of him, and so did those around him. Until the Chotoku Incident.

From this point on, the gears of fate began to misalign. The more they struggled, the more they went in the wrong direction. In the end, there was a parade of curses, curses, and more curses on Michinaga and Shoshi. Didn't your parents tell you as a child that if you curse someone, it will come back to haunt you? This is the saying that if you curse someone, it will come back to haunt you.

Shohei Miura, who played Ise, had memorized and recited a real spell for a powerful curse scene, but his instructor told him, "You don't need to use a real spell." Even though it was a play, if he recited a real spell, disaster would occur. Scary.

When Korechika passed away, he asked his son Michimasa to become a monk rather than bow his head to Michinaga. He also asked his daughters never to serve as ladies-in-waiting.

After Korechika's death, his eldest daughter became the wife of Michinaga's eldest son, Yorimasa. However, due to Michinaga's persistent efforts, his younger sister, Chikako, became a lady-in-waiting to Empress Shoshi.

Apparently she resisted strongly, but was forced to serve, and brought along her four ladies-in-waiting. What a pitiful princess.

Black Michinaga accelerates in the race for the next emperor's throne

Although his fall is not as spectacular as Ise's, the dark side of Michinaga is gradually beginning to show its true face. He probably hasn't lost his ambition to make the world a better place, as he promised to Mahiro, but when Empress Akiko gives birth to Prince Atsunari and Prince Atsunori in succession, his eyes start to change.

They began to consider that the next Crown Prince (Heir apparent) should be Prince Atsunari, born to Empress Shoshi, rather than the first prince, Prince Atsuyasu, born to Sadashi. After Sadashi's death, they tried to quickly have Atsuyasu, who had been raised by Empress Shoshi at Fujitsubo, come of age and distance him from Empress Shoshi.

After his coming-of-age ceremony, Michinaga ordered that he be moved to Takesanjo Palace, not to the Imperial Palace, but Takesanjo Palace is the place where Prince Atsuyasu was born and where Empress Sadako died after giving birth. It was a very shabby mansion, so shabby that it was said that an oxcart could not enter the gate. It was terrible to move him to such a place!

Michinaga has read Mahiro's stories too much, and he has superimposed the relationship between Akiko and Prince Atsuyasu onto that between Hikaru-no-kimi and Fujitsubo, which is a bit delusional, and I'm worried about it. Mahiro was also surprised at how exaggerated it was.

But in fact, wasn't the person who was more of a worry than Shoshi her younger sister Kenshi, who married the Crown Prince, Prince Itsada (later Emperor Sanjo)? That's the way the story is portrayed.

Prince Ise was 18 years older than him, and he had four sons and two daughters with his wife, Shoshi, who had already entered the Imperial Court.

From Kenja's point of view, she was quite unhappy with the marriage, but she was excited by the sharp dancing figure of Prince Atsunari, Prince Kojeong's eldest son. There are signs that Kenja, a playful and thoughtless daughter, is more worried. This is more suspicious than the relationship between Princess Akiko and Prince Atsunari.

Koreki died while away from home. He passed away before his father and sister.

And finally, this day came. Korenobu suddenly fell ill and passed away suddenly!

He wasn't very thoughtful, and he wasn't as good at studying as his sister Mahiro, but he was a cheerful and fun guy. His carefree optimism must have saved Mahiro and the others so many times.

His luck had just started to improve, but his end was so unfortunate. The death of someone close to you is painful, but deaths that are out of order, such as deaths of the opposite sex, are especially painful.

The pain of a relationship that cuts through one's body... I felt that way when Ito, the wet nurse who raised Koreki, cried out. I also felt deep sadness in Mahiro's tears that she was trying to hold back.

To Kenko, who is still in the midst of her rebellious phase, her mother's emotional, tearful appearance seemed different from her usual self. I hope this will be an opportunity for them to become closer.

This is just my wild imagination, but I don't think Koreki resembles either Tametoki or his mother, Chiha. Speaking of carefree optimism...isn't it Uncle Nobutaka?

Is there a way to read the name "Shukuyo" for two generations of mother and daughter? I was daydreaming like that!

"To You, the Shining One" is approaching its climax. I'm excited and curious about the next episode.

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!