"Shotengai no Pianist" drama: Episode twelve of thirteen recap

 

 Air Dates: October 3rd to December 26, 2022  Monday nights at 10:30 pm on BS Shochiku

Thirteen 25 minute episodes, subs once again done by GEO9875 at DA

Also known as Pianist in the Shopping District

Main Cast: Usually have to update this section often but don't think that's going to happen in this series. Most of the action will be taking place at the Kajiwara Music Store which is in the shopping district in an unnamed small city.

Kiita Komagine as Ren Sawamoto.... Young man about 22 or so in age who works as an electrician. He still lives with his mother and about ten years ago his father disappeared, how and why were revealed in the final two shows. Ren is so talented at the piano but ten years ago stopped playing, when his father left? It seems so as the family piano was sold at that time and it appears Ren has found it at the Kajiwara music store, will finding it spark his interest to start playing again? Yes it did and even after not playing for ten years Ren is still a master.

 Mio Yuki as Modori Kajiwara.... About twenty in age and works at her father's music store, she seems to run the place. Midori isn't all that talented as far as music goes but has a dream to be a painter and wants to attend an art school. No one seems to recognize her talent except for Ren, the pair never met until the first episode.

 Hiroto Yoshimitsu as Yosuke Kajiwara.... Midori's father and seems to be nice man, also a big fan of music and thinks that his daughter doesn't have much talent at painting!

An Hasegawa as Moe Kato.... Daughter of the next woman and is ten years old. Moe loves the piano but has to sneak into the Kajiwara store to play their street piano as her mother hates the the instrument and would rather see her daughter studying 100% of the time. Moe is a beginner but does show a lot of talent and her favorite piece is "Fur Elise" by Beethoven. 

Maki Kubota as Masae Kato.... Moe's mother who as explained hates the piano and owns a clothing shop near the music store, she says the piano is way too loud which I think is a lie. But she has softened her views about the piano as the series has gone on and really encourages Moe these days to play it.

 Naho Toda as Sakiko Sawamoto.... Ren's mother and to date don't know much about her but seems she's been secretly communicating with Ren's father all these years.

Short promo video for episode twelve

Previous recaps:

Episode one .... Episode two .... Episode three .... Episode four 

Episode five .... Episode six .... Episode seven .... Episode eight

Episode nine .... Episode ten

 

 Down to the final pair of recaps for this series and do get a tad sad when a drama ends. This is the first part of a two episode series, my prediction was that Ren would meet his father in the final show. Won't view the last episode until this is written up and that prediction could go either way, perhaps they won't meet face to face but it may be some sort of reunion. If you've been reading these recaps you know that a famous composer from the past is featured and one of their pieces is the episode's title. For today we have the Czech composer Antonin Dvorak and the main piece that Ren will be playing is "From the New World", the second movement in that composition is very popular in Japan.

 We did hear Ren play one other Dvorak piece which I thought was better and that ten year old girl Moe who is above sure knows her classical music. In the second screenshot above is Midori saying she thought a man was observing Ren playing but took off when she appeared. Midori was correct with what she saw and this man will be a key figure very soon, that's him in the third screenshot. The weather doesn't look like Winter but Christmas is just around the corner, am thinking about a week away. Midori had a bright idea which is to hold a Christmas concert at the Kajiwara Music Shop, she's all excited as usual and of course the main draw will be Ren playing the piano! That man who Midori saw is real and has a name which is Kubota in the fourth screenshot above, he contacted Ren and his mother Sakiko to ask if they could meet up?

 Kubota is a man in his mid thirties who has traveled up from Osaka, it's never been revealed where this drama has been set but where would it be warm in Japan at Christmas? Okinawa may be a logical choice but know the series isn't set there. Ren's father Tadashi left the household ten years ago and Ren never knew the exact reasons until the last episode but to his dismay the family's piano was sold, Ren was about twelve at the time. Tadashi did say he would return to his wife and son in ten years, the date for that is only about a week away! Tadsshi had left because his business was struggling and it eventually went bankrupt, the man has a lot of pride and didn't want to return until his debts were paid off and he was successful again. 

 Kubota had a lot of info about Tadashi, he knows him well as the pair work at the same company! Kubota's father Yukihiko had worked at Tadashi's old company but when it went under he returned to Osaka. Soon after Tadashi arrived in the city and suggested to Yukihiko they start another company in the same line, now both should know how to make it profitable. Don't know it's name but the company manufactures natural fiber products and eventually the younger Kubota came on as a director. It took some years but now the company is a success and that's left Tadashi confused on what to do? He's tried calling his wife Sakiko many times but could never go through with it, Tadashi is doing well in Osaka so what should he do.... stay there or return to his family?

 Whatever his decision is sure Ren's father will make the correct one in the next show. Kubota had revealed Tadashi has become more itchy to meet his family again as he's watched some of Ren's videos of him playing the piano at the Kajiwara Music Shop, he may feel guilty about selling the family piano. Soon after that Kubota took his leave and have no clue if we'll be seeing him again but he did give Ren and his mother so much useful info. It's getting much closer to Christmas, still no date has been said but it has to be just a few days away.

 After hearing his father has viewed the videos Ren came up with a brainstorm which is to have Midori stream the Christmas concert live, she had always just taped them and then after would upload the video. Sure Ren will pick out a piece that his father loves and perhaps he'll also give Tadashi some sort of message. Ren's mother has never been to the music store to see her son play live so bet she'll also be at the holiday concert. That wraps up this recap and so often the first five minutes of an episode are a bit too slow. That was the case once again but after that the remaining 18 minutes are always so enjoyable and informative too, next post has the recap for the final episode.