"Tomorrow Will Be a Better Day" - Depicted "domestic violence in front of people" - "I learned about this for the first time" - "It brought tears to my eyes"

The second episode of Fuji TV's " Getsuku" drama "Tomorrow Will Be a Better Day " (Mondays 9pm) starring Haruka Fukuhara was broadcast on July 14th. It drew attention for its portrayal of the impact of marital quarrels in front of children, known as "domestic violence in front of children".

◇The following contains spoilers

Set in a seaside child consultation center, the story follows Tsubasa Natsui (played by Fukuhara) as a new child welfare officer as he faces a variety of children and their parents and grows together with them. This will be Fukuhara's first lead role in a " Getsuku" drama.

Tsubasa and Kurata (Hayashi Kento) suspect that 10-year-old Morisaki Nonoka (Yamada Shiori), a girl who repeatedly rides trains without paying, is a victim of domestic violence. They decide to talk to Nonoka's parents.

Kurata tried to explain that domestic violence in front of a child is when "one parent becomes violent in front of the child, or..." However, Nonohana's parents interrupted Kurata and denied that they had ever been violent or been violent against the child.

Kurata changed the question. "So, have you ever had a heated argument? This type of domestic violence in front of children also includes non-violent marital quarrels. There are children who feel fear due to arguments, helplessness because they want their children to get along, and even guilt because they think they are the cause of the quarrel. All of these are considered psychological abuse," he explained. However, Nonoka's parents dismissed the issue, saying it was just a marital quarrel and overblown.

A few days later, Nonoka called the Hamase City Child Guidance Center. Tsubasa and Kurata rushed to her house. Away from her arguing parents, Nonoka was alone in her room. Wearing headphones so they couldn't hear their arguing, Nonoka was breathing heavily and looked like she was in pain. Tsubasa gently said, "Everything's okay now. I'm glad you called."

Nonoka's parents made excuses to Tsubasa and Kurata, saying, "Even though we had a fight, it was just a little argument" and "It was nothing serious."

In response, Kurata asked, "From whose perspective do you think it's no big deal? Have you ever imagined what it must feel like for a child to have to listen to their beloved mommy and daddy vent their anger and yell at each other every time they see each other, for tens of minutes, an hour, or sometimes even several hours at a time?"

"What heals the longest from abuse is not the bruises or scars on the body, but the wounds in the heart, which we don't know where they are," she said.

On social media, comments such as, "I guess fights between parents can naturally hurt children and lead to domestic violence. I learned a lot about domestic violence in front of children," "I'd never heard of domestic violence in front of children before. For a child to have their parents be friendly in front of them is a great asset in itself," "I could understand how children feel so well that I was moved to tears...," "Nonoka made me cry. It reminded me of some of the feelings I had as a child," and "Domestic violence in front of children...it really hits home."