The 51st episode of the NHK morning drama "Omusubi" (General TV, Monday to Saturday 8:00 AM and others), starring Kanna Hashimoto, was broadcast on December 9th. In the episode, the shoemaker "Nabe-san" Takao (Naoto Ogata) showed a positive attitude for the first time, which became a hot topic among viewers.
Since losing his only daughter Maki (Miyu Oshima) in the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, Takao has lost hope in life and is isolated in the Sakura-dori shopping district. Maki's best friend Ayumi (Riisa Naka), who now works as a used clothing buyer, comes up with the idea of buying used shoes, having Takao remake them, and selling them. However, Takao is reluctant to accept Ayumi's request.
In episode 51, Ayumu suddenly has to leave Japan for work and go to Los Angeles. Yui (Hashimoto) asks him, "What are you going to do with the shoes you were going to ask Maki's father for?" Ayumu tells her what Maki had said to him when she was alive.
Yui went to Takao with a large number of shoes and asked him to "repair my shoes after all." She then revealed that Maki had boasted that Takao was "the best shoemaker in Japan" and that she thought he looked the coolest while working, and that was why she asked Takao to repair her shoes.
The next morning, before leaving for Los Angeles, Ayumu goes to Maki's grave to say hello. Then, Takao appears and shows her the remade shoes, saying, "I made just one pair as a test run." Ayumu praises the workmanship, saying, "They're really good," and "They're better than I expected." When Takao asks, "Who would wear such flashy shoes?" Ayumu replies, "Maki would be happy to wear them. Because... I'm trying to be a gal."
When Takao asked, "What's a gal?" Ayumu explained that they are people who do what they love and enjoy their lives wholeheartedly, regardless of what others think. Ayumu said that because she kept her promise to Maki and became a gal, she sometimes feels sad and lonely and wants to cry, but she's somehow managed to laugh. Takao smiled and said, "There are 19 pairs left. I'll make better ones than that and charge you a lot."
Seeing Takao showing a positive attitude for the first time, comments were made on social media such as, "Nabe-san's smile brought me to tears," "Congratulations! Nabe-san is back," "I'm glad to finally see him smile and be positive," "The time that had stopped since that day has finally started moving again," and "As expected of the best shoemaker in Japan. He does a great job even though it's his first job."
