Set in the sleepy city of Nara, “Shikaotoko Aoniyoshi” (Fuji TV / 2008) is a drama about a couple key things:
- A talking deer.
- A talking deer who tasks a human (“deliverer”) with completing a sacred rite in order prevent the destruction of Japan.
- (Japan’s destruction is also being expedited by a giant catfish casually resting among some tectonic plates, causing a ton of earthquakes. Or in a fault. I’m not a geologist!)
- In order to complete the sacred rite, the deliverer must find the “Eye”, and that’s how our story begins..
It sounds super cray on paper: a talking deer is asking you to save your country and it’s like, “bruh, I JUST moved here!”
What’s nice about it is that it could have been so much worse, but it actually ended up being better than average as an overall drama. What’s nice about is that not only was a very deft and tightly-wound “mystery”, it could have been that much worse, especially with the concept. And it wasn’t! Shikaotoko Aoniyoshi is very (read: very) slow paced, but not a single episode goes to waste in telling the story of Chiaki-senpai our hero trying to unravel these mysterious happenings around him. And despite the inherent crazy, the slow pace and whimsy is what keeps it down to earth. Somehow!
P.S. There are more talking animals.
Honorable Mention: King of Dramas (SBS / 2012). Hella meta drama about dramas with an awesome lead character.