Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu SP (2021)

A Delightful Pregnancy/New Parent Story

This is a follow-up special to the excellent 2016 J-Drama Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu and if you enjoyed that series, then this special is absolutely a must-see. The film is a tad didactic about pregnancy and new parenthood, but I think that even people who have not seen the original series can enjoy it as a standalone movie.

The special continues roughly three years after the end of the series. Mikuri and HIramasu are now happily and genuinely (if not legally) married, and working hard at their jobs. Mukuri's Aunt Yuri has broken up with Ryota, and facing her prospects as a successful business woman with no life partner.

The story largely focusses on Mikuri and Hiramasu as they discover that a child is on its way, and have to deal with the usual issues of first-time parents in Japan which are complicated by the birth occurring immediately before the first Covid lockdown in Japan. The show deftly addresses the systemic resistance to the legally mandated parental leave by Japanese businesses, and places the two on the front lines of trying to change the work culture to reasonably accommodate pregnancy.

Most of the side characters return for the special, and the series continues to be unusually LGBTQ+ positive in comparison to most J-dramas. Hiramasu's gay previous boss Numata is now living with the guy he met in the final episode and there are a couple of other good solid moments of inclusion as well.

All in all, this special is a happy story about a young couple facing the challenges of pregnancy and new parenthood. It is a test for their relationship, but it is one that they work together to face, and in the end they have a loving, growing family in the new normals of life in Covid times and the acceptance of LGBTQ+ relationships.

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