The third episode of the Fuji TV drama series "Ramune Monkey" (Wednesdays at 10 PM), starring Takashi Sorimachi, Nao Omori, and Kenjiro Tsuda, aired on January 28th. Nao Omori's character, Hajime Fujimaki, bursts into rage, saying, "We're only 50, and we've got a long way to go!", resonating with viewers of his generation.
◇The following contains spoilers
Hajime, along with Yuta Yoshii (Sorimachi), Kikuhara Kikuchi (Tsuda), and cafe employee Hakuba (Riko Fukumoto), visits his middle school physical education teacher, Junji Eto. Eto, who was nicknamed "Jason" for not hesitating to use corporal punishment, is now hospitalized and can barely move his arms and legs.
The moment he met the three again, Eto declared, "I knew what I was going to say. You guys haven't grown up to be any good adults." He continued, "I don't think of scum like you as my students. It makes me sick. Get out of here," but he seemed to be aware of the recent situation of the three.
Eto said whatever he wanted. "Kids are the ones you hit. Hitting them and training them is education," he said, and branded the three "pathetic adults." Hajime couldn't stand it anymore and retorted, "No one pays any attention to you. No one even comes to visit you. What a miserable life you've had!"
Still, Eto insisted, "I have fangs." Hajime rambled, "Fangs? Don't make me laugh. You can't even eat properly anymore, can you? We can still eat anything. We can eat steak and pork cutlets in one go. Are you jealous? We're only 50. We still have a long way to go!"
On social media, the film became a hot topic, with comments such as, "'We're only 50. We've got a long way to go!' This line really struck a chord with me as a woman in my 40s..." "That one sentence really struck me," "So true, don't underestimate your 50s," "That really hits home - you still have a long way to go in your 50s!" and "It's a story about a man in his 50s who is past his prime, and it conveys loneliness about what he's lost, but also a little hope that he can still do it! It's really good."
The original story and screenplay for the drama was written by Ryota Furusawa. It is a "youth-recovering human comedy" that depicts the reunion and rebirth of two middle-aged men who were both passionate about making kung fu movies when they were in junior high school in 1988, but now feel like their lives have reached a dead end, thinking "this isn't how it was supposed to be."
