Dear People of the World (formerly Dear Americans)

I happen to watch this show while staying at a hotel in Okinawa. The hotel subscribed to Netflix so I could watch this American show on the hotel room TV. The TV show was remake of 1980’s popular soap opera of the same name. I watched that show while I was attending a university in the US. It was 1990’s so I watched the already re-runs of the show. I was addicted to the show, which helped me improve my English ability. The plot was not very much changed from the original version. A woman named Cristal was married to an oil tycoon Blake Carrington and joined his rich family but some people in the family such as her husband’s daughter and ex-wife were hostile to her and had quarrels with them. 

But there were some drastic changes in the drama, especially casting and setting of the characters due to the time difference. 

1. Normailised portrayal of gay characters; A son of the rich family, Steven was gay. In the original version, Steven and his family struggled with his sexuality and Blake even tried to cut off relationship with his son and removed him from successors of his family business. Cristal, his new wife dissuaded him from doing so because of her gentle character. Steven was married to a woman and had a child to another woman, Cristal’s niece, Sammy Jo. But Steven later got a love affairs with men and his family finally approved of his lifestyle. Although he was a gay character but no kissing scene of two men. 

In the new version, nobody questioned Steven’s lifestyle and he and his lover, Sam, Cristal’s nephew were happily married.

2. More characters of colors; in the original version, Cristal was a white woman but new Cristal was a Hispanic woman from Venezuela. Blake’s spoiled and flapper daughter, Fallon had a love affair with a chauffeur who was a white man but in this new version, the chauffeur was a Black man and had relationship with another Black man. Cristal’s nephew Sam who later became Steven’s husband is Hispanic as well. 

Sounds good but what is bothersome is these characters or their siblings had some criminal records due to the reality? 

In fact, even today, it is unrealistic that a rich conservative white parents would be happy to know their daughter had a love affair with a man of color. 

One more thing to note is more independent working female character setting than the original. In the new version, Cristal met Blake on the board meeting of his company as a board member, PR director. Fallon was a board member and later tried to take over her father’s CEO position. In the original Cristal was just Mrs. Blake Carrington and Fallon was just a spoiled child. 

Steven was not actively involved in his family’s oil business unlike the original version due to his liberal environmentalist thought. 

The new version indeed reflects the trend of 21st century such as more accepting of gay lifestyle and racially diverse demography. It was a good history and social study material for me who enjoyed watching the original. 

Last month US Supreme Court made a historic decision, overturning Roe vs. Wade ruling 1973. The court's ruling leaves abortion rights to be determined at the state level. Several GOP-led states have already moved to enact statewide bans. 

Next target may be gay marriage, sodomy law and voting rights for people of colour. 

American society is moving counter-clockwise recently. 

Kind of "Back to White America" movement in which Conservative White American traditions should be considered norm. 

Surely many liberal Americans oppose such movement especially among people of colour. 

So they try to move things back to their norms. But conservative White Americans have already determined their own norms and would never listen to other opinions. 

Even almost half a century passed since Roe vs. Wade ruling, this conservative Christian fundamentalist value still persists in American society. After all this is the core value of American society. 

Rather than creating further division within the society, why not establish a new nation within the continent like Native American tribe territory. Establish "White America"! 

Maybe somewhere in between deep South States such as Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. That would be a new state where only conservative White Christian Americans can be residents and live happily everafter without bumping progressive ideas such as feminism, religious freedom, racial equality, LGBTQ rights and etc. 

It doesn't matter what is right or wrong. What matters is whether you feel comfortable or not. Life is short. You can't deal with so many fusses. 

"White America" may be the realistic and practical solution for America sadly. 

Last month, one of Japanese district courts, Sapporo District Court ruled that current Civil Law that does not recognise the same sex couple as legitimate married couple is unconstitutional. It was a revolutionary decision for Japanese judicial administration since Japanese constitution claims that marriage is recognised only if both sexes agree. But the court says this statement does not mean gay marriage is banned but to rule only individuals can decide who to marry. In the old days, it was common that parents of the couple decided who to marry without their will. Gay marriage was out of imagination. 

Rather the court paid attention to the other part of constitution that states all the people must be treated equal. So the current Civil law which only admits heterosexual couple to the marriage is unconstitutional. 

However, some claim gay marriage is not allowed in the constitution as says “both sexes” and traditional family value does not conform to gay marriage. 

As for public opinion survey, Asahi Shimbun Newspaper revealed that 65% of Japanese citizens of all ages support gay marriage. 5 years ago it was less than half. The society has drastically changed recently. 

Japanese parliament already has two openly gay members. Their party Constitutional Democratic Party proposes amendment of Civil law. 

Even among conservative side, current ruling party LDP, one of young representatives, KOIZUMI Shinjiro, whose father was Prime Minister between 2001 to 2005, said he is for gay marriage and he would be very considerate father if his child’s sexual orientation was same sex person when asked if he was pro-gay marriage and what he would do if his child was gay. 

Japan is not Christian nation so religious faith would not be an obstacle. Only the old values and peer pressure are problems. I guess it is a matter of time that Japan approve gay marriage legally and socially. 

Currently around 30 nations in the world legalised gay marraige. Among G7 nations Japan is the only nation that does not legalise gay marriage. Marriage equality is an urgent issue if Japan wants to join truly advanced members of the world. 

I would be proud of being Japanese and love my country more than ever if that happens. 

While I locked down myself to prevent novel corona virus spread at home. I just happened to rent DVD drama programs "Ossan's Love" which was aired in 2018 on one of Japan's mainstream TV network channels, TV Asahi. The drama consists of 7 episodes. Each episode was about 40 minutes long.

What was shocking to me is the comedy drama featured male gay love affairs all the way although it was aired on the mainstream channel and then it became so popular that subsequent film version was released in nationwide theatres and another version of the TV drama was aired on the same time frame next year.

The story took place in a real estate agency in Tokyo. The protagonist is 33 year-old male worker named Haruta (Middle in the picture.) Although the story evolved around him, the most important character was his supervisor Kurosawa (right edge in the photo), 55 year-old man, which in Japan commonly referred to as “Ossan” meaning “Old guy” usually middle aged.

Kurosawa was head of sales department of the real estate agency, equivalent to vice president of the company and a rich man. One day Kurosawa told Haruta that he loved him and would divorce his wife (Second from right) to be with him. Haruta was shocked to know that because he did not share love romance with his supervisor although he respected and liked him as a good business man.

Kurosawa then asked his wife for a divorce and then Haruta got involved in Kurosawas divorce quarrel. But Haruta also got in love affair with another man, Maki (left edge in the photo) in the office. But Maki had another love affair with another male worker. Two gay love triangles crossed over in the drama. Finally Kurosawa proposed marriage to Haruta.

The drama was all about gay love and love romance between man and woman was sidelined in the story. The gay male characters were portrayed as normal and decent person, not like psychopath or deviant ones. This is the big difference from the past. Gay characters were very normal and positive in the mainstream TV drama. Gay love romance was treated just as equivalent to straight people’s love.

Not just broadcast nationally on mainstream media but the show became so popular that film version and another version in which similar gay love story took place in an airline company using the same main casts next year. In 2019 version Kurosawa was a captain pilot of the airplane and Haruta was a flight attendant. Airline company is really existing company meaning commercial airline company sponsored the program. 

Recently in Japan, more people have positive views on gay relationship and more people have become supportive of gay marriage. In national assembly there are two openly gay members, who call for legalization of the same sex marriage. Some municipal governments approved of the same sex partnership and provide certificates for the residents.

This show reflects this social change.

If you are interested, you can watch the English version of the show on Netflix.