The ninth episode of the Fuji TV Monday Getsuku drama "Saba-can, Going to Space," starring actor Takumi Kitamura , aired on June 8th. The words of encouragement given by teacher Nami Sugawara ( Natsuki Deguchi) to student Ayaka Fujikura (Anji Ikehata) resonated with viewers on social media.
◇The following contains spoilers.
Fujikura was a top-level sprinter in track and field during his middle school years, but an injury cost him a scholarship, ending his dream.
One day, Nami was told by Fujikura, "Dreams can be easily betrayed," but she couldn't say anything to him. Later, Nami called Fujikura aside and began by saying, "Come to think of it, I was thinking something similar when I was around your age."
Nami revealed that back then she thought, "There's no point in having dreams," and "They're never going to come true anyway, and even if they did, what difference would it make?" Looking at Fujikura, she said with conviction, "But I've come to understand something since I started having dreams. It's not that you change because you achieve your dreams. You start changing the moment you have a dream."
Then, as if to encourage Fujikura, she is shown giving him straightforward encouragement, saying, "I was able to change and learn to like myself. I think that's thanks to my dream. So dreams never betray you."
On social media, comments included: "You start changing the moment you have a dream. Dreams never betray you, that's profound!", "Even if you go in a different direction from that dream, the days you spent chasing it will give you strength", "It was great to see Nami, a first-generation member, talk about the importance of having dreams based on her own experience, when Fujikura, like her predecessors, thought it was pointless to have dreams", "Nami's kind and encouraging words to Fujikura really resonated with me", "Ikehata Anji is so cute", and "Ikehata Anji and Natsuki Deguchi together is divine".
The drama is an original coming-of-age story based on the true story of students at a fisheries high school in Fukui Prefecture who challenged themselves to achieve their big dream of "developing space food."
