The fourth episode of the TBS drama series "Until My T-Shirt Drys" (Fridays at 10 PM), starring Yu Aoi, aired on July 31st. Various theories are circulating on social media regarding why Mitsuru, played by Kenichi Matsuyama, hasn't returned to Sakiko (played by Yu Aoi).
◇The following contains spoilers.
One day, Sakiko told Itsuki (Ayumu Nakajima) that she had received a letter from Mitsuru. The letter contained the message, "If it starts drying poorly, clean the filter," along with an illustration showing the location of the washing machine filter.
Sakiko also revealed to Kiuchi that Mitsuru had been in contact with Naoto (Fumiya Takahashi), an employee at the coffee shop "Hikouki." She analyzed the reason for this, saying, "He probably wanted to ask (Naoto) how I was doing." She continued, "This letter means 'I'm fine' and 'I'm not coming back.' It also means that Sachiko will have to manage the laundry by herself."
Regarding the reason why Mitsuru hasn't returned, comments on social media included: "I think Mitsuru left because he's ill," "The theory that Mitsuru is seriously ill and won't come back is the most convincing so far," "Mitsuru and Azusa (Kaho) are siblings, so maybe it's familial Alzheimer's?", and "It would be more comforting if Mitsuru actually had early-onset Alzheimer's and decided to leave before Sacchan started to dislike him."
Other opinions included: "Is Mitsuru involved in some kind of incident?", "I wondered if his coffee shop business wasn't going well, and he was on the run with a huge debt," "Maybe Mitsuru and Azusa are actually siblings, and their parents are criminals or involved in a religious cult, and they each have something they can't (or don't want to) tell their spouses about?", and "Is Mitsuru's parent some kind of cult leader? Does he have no choice but to take over?"
The drama is an original story by screenwriter Miku Ubukata, known for hit works such as "silent" (Fuji TV), and this is her first time writing for a TBS drama. It depicts the "love" and "secrets" of two couples whose lives are turned upside down by a series of unfortunate events following a traffic accident.
