Netflix’s newest Japanese family drama, Asura, portrays toxic family dynamics in a heartfelt and thought-provoking way. Set in 1979 Tokyo, four sisters, Tsunako (Rie Miyazawa), Sakiko (Suzu Hirose), Makiko (Machiko Ono), and Takiko (Yû Aoi) must overcome their anger after their father’s affair with another woman is exposed. Throughout the show, the sisters also bicker over different outlooks on love yet still find moments of laughter amid conflict, offering lessons on healing from family chaos and bonding with siblings.
The Emotional Damage of Cheating
Three of the sisters and their mother Fuji (Keiko Matsuzaka) all have issues with infidelity in their romantic lives, but are forced to put on a happy facade due to societal pressures. Tsunako, the oldest sister, is a widow and also the mistress of a married man. Makiko is married with two children but often suspects her husband of cheating with his secretary. Sakiko is the youngest and eventually marries a boxer, but his dangerous lifestyle leads to her cheating. Their relationships aren’t the healthiest, but they choose to stay regardless of their unhappiness because they follow their mother’s example. Most notably, in Episode 7, Tsunako adopts the “never divorcing” mindset, saying, “It’s better to have a cheater than no husband at all.”
Fuji’s fate in the show gives a valuable lesson on bottling up emotions as it can potentially cause damage to your physical health. While standing outside of the mistress’s apartment, Fuji has a stroke and passes away in front of Makiko as they are walking down the street. It’s also implied that she died from long-term stress (mostly from the emotional turmoil from her husband’s cheating ways). Even though Fuji always put up a front that she accepted her husband’s affair, the four daughters openly refuse to forgive their father for betrayal. After witnessing their mother not making a fuss about their father stepping out of their marriage, they continuously wonder if they should go through the same thing instead of being alone.
The Challenges of Sisterhood
Tsunako, Makiko, Sakiko, and Takiko often have family meetings that lead to arguments, authentically showcasing how hard it is to get along as sisters. The most prominent sister beef is between Takiko and Sakiko, as they are opposites in both personality and mindset. Takiko is book smart, insecure, and takes life too seriously, while Sakiko is playful, confident, and rebellious. Due to their differences, they hardly get along until something happens that requires them to let go of grudges.
When Takiko finally gets married in Episode 6, Sakiko shows up to the wedding with her famous husband and they flaunt their wealth. Then, Sakiko’s husband passes out after having a severe boxing match that gave him a concussion. Once he ends up in the hospital, Sakiko pretends to remain happy even though she is distraught. This pain leads to her having a one-night stand with a guy she met on the street, and he extorts her for money once he finds out who her husband is. This news causes Takiko to confront the man about his heartless actions and put a stop to the extortion.
Even though the sisters fight, they come together at the hardest moments in life and put their differences aside. Takiko summed up their complex dynamic in Episode 6 by saying, “It’s easy to be jealous of each other—except when my sisters get hurt.” As all four of the sisters go through hard life challenges, their bond and love for each other allow them to have empathy and understanding for each other. Ultimately, this show will pull at your heartstrings and make you realize that forgiveness will always heal broken family bonds.
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