Mother (2010) User Reviews

I wish this series to be finished after episode 10, or has another ending!

[rkkaww2 · 9/10 · 14 December 2013]

I almost never write reviews. But this case is a special one for me! Please, don't tease me into pieces for my opinion… I would appreciate any reasonable counter-opinions.

First of all this is wonderful, admirable, emotional series! Adorable small genius – Mana Ashida! For the last 23 years never got so many emotions from movies like here. All my nerves at once were cleaned from years of their armoring! The first 10 episodes are almost genius! Ocean of tears together with bright scenes. Turbulence of feelings and emotions! Unpredictable turning points. Even some scenario assumptions are not so serious to draw enough attention for them. It's worth to see those 10 episodes!

But then the last episode occurred. I would like the series to finish at the end of the 10th episode. Sorry, but the last episode is an awful epic fail!!! And the reason for this is a horrible "OOC" – "Out Of Character" demonstrated (IMHO). I'll tell now my reasons. You can agree, or disagree. Probably you better know Japanese traditions than me. Through all the series we can watch the way for Nao and Reina/Tsugumi to become a real mom and daughter. There was not a single scene through the whole series to disapprove this statement! And in the last episode when Tsugumi ran out of orphan's home to Nao it's unbelievable what happens next! Unbelievable and illogical at least for me – natural Russian. Please, Asian friends, correct me if I'm wrong! OK, I can accept why Nao returns Tsugumi back to orphan's home. But I have no imagination to get reasons why Nao abandons Tsugumi until she is 20 years old!!! It's absolutely out of her character, which we could learn through all the series! My God, WHY after so many troubles, when Nao escaped from real prison for kidnapping after all she made even NO ATTEMPT to return Tsugumi?!!!

Why after giving a small cute girl, who rejected her own mother in favor of Nao, a hope for obtaining a family, love and own home, she betrays her?!!! I see no reason for this! A real Mom would never leave her child, even if laws are against her! A real Mom would do everything legal or illegal (we know Nao does can do illegal things) to return her daughter, or at least to keep in touch with her! And in the last episode we can't see even an attempt to do this!!!!! Even no promise to try this! What's the hell???!!! This kills me!!! Leaving her daughter until the end of her childhood looks like pushing of a small kitten rafting along a long river without any assistance observing her hard way from safe riverside!!!

Please, correct me if I got something wrong, because I can't believe my eyes! My soul is crying, that such final is impossible, like impossible looks how Tsugumi returns back to the orphan's home. In real life it would need force of several men to separate of a Mom from her child in the case of so close relations like Tsugumi established with Nao! There are plenty of methods to keep at least contact between Nao and Tsugumi. Starting from official request for affiliation and finishing with secret meetings near the fence, phone calls like that epic one from the end of the 10th episode. Personnel of orphan's home would pass test for refinement of cruelty of the 80th level to prevent such contacts, if they could detect real feelings of Tsugumn and Nao!

If it was my daughter and I found myself in a similar situation, I won't sleep until I try all possible and even impossible ways to return her back! And only if I finally fail in struggle with Juvenal justice, I could say to her: "I did everything to return you back, daughter". And what can Nao say to Tsugumi when she becomes 20 years old? That she had loved Tsugumi through all those long years, but did nothing to help her?!! It's beyond my imagination!!! Sorry, for such a long speech. I'm really fascinated with all the episodes except the last one! My heart can't accept such a final, – moving a child, like she is some kind of furniture without soul! I can't take Nao as betrayer because all the previous episodes, but I can't name her in another way observing what she had made in the last episode! I'd like to be wrong. Kindly asking to correct me, if you have enough arguments!

Ending: So sad but necessary

[farshadsadoughian · 8/10 · 12 October 2019]

In response to rkkaww2 I think there is a simple explanation why she decided to not see her daughter till she would become 20. The reason is that the laws asked them to do so, so it was forced. The other option was kidnapping her, but at the best, her daughter lost a normal life. She tried kidnapping her once, but it didn't work. She was ready to sacrifice everything for her, but there was no better option. So, I think she made the best decision. I just wish the laws would be kinder to them. And we shouldn't forget the bright side of the story: She saved her life and she became a real mother for her. Tsugumy is not alone anymore, she has a whole family.

This is a comment for the review "I wish this series to be finished after episode 10, or has another ending!"

[risyomei · 10/10 · 3 December 2014]

I am a Chinese living in Japan for more than seven years. I am trying to answer the question 'Why Tsunami has to be sent to the children facility' from prospective of Japanese culture.

First of all, Japanese are extremely rule obeying. As an educated normal Japanese, it is uncommon to break the law, even for justice. But Nao did it to save Tsugumi, which seems quite reasonable from the view of Chinese like me, but not the case for Japanese people. It is mainly because if you don't have a legal identity, you will have a serious problem living in Japan. For instance, providing the affiliation ( the company or school name you belong) is mandatory to rent a house or buy cars. Also, 70% of medical expenses is covered by public insurance only if you have legal identity.

Nao knows that even if she abducts Tsugumi again, they will not have any insurance, Tsugumi will have trouble going to school, and most importantly, she can not fake the little girl's death again, which means that police will keep searching for them. On the other hand, Nao watched the video taken in the facility by Shunsuke, and she know that Tsugumi would have a happy life there, so she decided to leave the girl there.

A lot of Japanese people think this drama has 'Happy Ending', I can not agree with them when I finished this drama first time. I think that little girl should stay with Nao. After watching it for three times, I finally understand that it was the best for Tsugumi to stay in the facility until 20.

One possible alternative might be that friends of Nao adopt Tsugumi and give Tsugumi to Nao secretly, which would be preposterous from Japanese perspective.

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I would say I prefer the drama ends at episode 1 or 10. The formar makes it a great movie, and the latter leave a huge imaginaly space for audience.

Mana Ashida how cute she is!

[JIROMA · 10/10 · 18 January 2020]

That 5 years old girl Mana Ashida was brilliant! I had never seen a talent like that at this young age! How did she do it that difficult roll? She make you laugh when she want, and she make you cry when she want, she was acting very natural ,and touch your heart at every scene in this drama. She is really a 5 years litlle star with a huge cuteness and huge talent! I think the success of this drama beside the amazing story and scenario return to this little child. There was two remade for this drama but the orginal child Mana Ashida was the best ever.

Powerful and moving.

[martin-fennell · 10/10 · 8 April 2019]

If you want to watch an 11 ep drama that will certainly get the tear ducts going ,and with some brilliant performances,, I recommend this one.

Although the title is Mother, it might been more appropriate to call it Mothers. Though the main story concerns a woman who takes on the role of "mother" for an abused child. It also tells of other kinds of mothers too. Perhaps some of it could be seen as a little bit contrived; but overall I believe it deals with it's themes in an honest way.

I'm hopeful for a second season, especially now that Mana Ashida is 19 years old.

[galaxystonema · 10/10 · 25 September 2023]

Nao and Tsugumi's genuine commitment to each other, their promise to reunite upon Tsugumi's 20th birthday, has left me eagerly anticipating the release of season 2. The series, with its touching storytelling and compelling characters, has undeniably made a profound impact on my heart and emotions. As a viewer, I find myself deeply connected to the narrative journey, and I wholeheartedly hope that it will carry on, continuing to captivate audiences like myself, providing more opportunities for us to immerse ourselves in its heartfelt storytelling and explore the complexities of its compelling characters.

What a mother can do to protect her child

[yasoo-04 · 10/10 · 10 October 2015]

This drama might seem very sentimental or concerning child abuse and its consequences, however, after I finished watching it, I realized that the show delivered a meaningful picture of what mothers go through to protect their children. It shows how far a mother can go to provide the best for her children, this was demonstrated through Nao and her care for Rena, Nao's real mother and how she sacrificed herself and went to jail to protect her child (not to abandon her on purpose), and even Nao's adoptive mother, when she decided to support Nao even if it will eventually affect herself and her other daughters. I even felt that Rena's real mother had struggled to protect her child, even though she ended up hurting her, and this showed that there is a thin line between being over-protective and abusive. Although the ending may not be considered a happy ending by everyone, but in my opinion it should the strong bond that a mother and child have together. I recommend watching this show, it made me almost cry in some episodes but it is worth watching.