Marumo no Okite

Marumo no Okite

Poster
Also known as Marumo
Genre Drama
Created by Madoka Takiyama (Fuji TV)
Ayako Mizuno
Written by Tsuyoshi Sakurai
Kumiko Aso
Directed by Keita Kono (Kyodo TV)
Hidenori Joho
Miyako Yasojima
Starring Sadao Abe
Mana Ashida
Theme music composer Koji Miyashita
Ending theme "Maru Maru Mori Mori!" by Kaoru to Tomoki, Tamani Mook
Composer(s) Hiroyuki Sawano
Yutaka Yamada
Country of origin Japan
Original language(s) Japanese
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 11
Production
Producer(s) Fumi Hashimono (Kyodo TV)
Cinematography Seiichi Ito
Camera setup Multi-camera
Running time 54 minutes
Ep. 1: 20-minute extension
Ep. 7: 10-minute extension
Ep. 11: 30-minute extension
Production company(s) Fuji TV
Kyodo TV
Broadcast
Original channel Fuji TV
Picture format HDTV 1080i
Audio format Stereophonic
Original run April 24, 2011 – July 3, 2011
External links
official page

Marumo no Okite (マルモのおきて, lit. Marumo's Rule) is a Japanese television series which premiered on Fuji TV on April 24, 2011.[1] This television series stars Sadao Abe as Mamoru Takagi, a public relations officer with a stationery company. It also stars child actors Fuku Suzuki and child actress Mana Ashida as Mamoru's late friend Jun-ichiro's twin children.

The television series was broadcast as part of the Fuji TV's Dramatic Sunday time slot, which airs every Sunday from 9pm to 9:54pm.

Plot

Mamoru Takagi's best friend, Jun-ichiro Sasakura, suddenly dies from cancer, leaving behind his twin children, Kaoru and Tomoki. The children's mother had already abandoned them when they were young, and they have no other dependents left. The twin's relatives argue over who will take responsibility for them, and in the end, the twins are separated. However, the twins are extremely close, and both run away from their respective foster families. Marumo manages to find them, and after a brief struggle to bring them back, Marumo gives in and agrees that the twins can stay with him. Along the way back, a dog, which has been following Tomoki, follows them back to Marumo's house.

Marumo has no parenting experience, however, makes a great parent. He manages to care for the twins, together with the help of his landlord and the landlord's daughter. Over time, they face many challenges, with Marumo trying hard to balance his time between his work and taking care of the twins.

Cast

Takagi's Household

Marumo is a single man working in the customer service center at a leading stationery manufacturer "Akebono Stationery Company". The young Mamoru was played by Takanori Shimizu.

Izakaya "Kujira"

Akebono Stationary Company

Hirokawa Elementary School, Sumida

Class 1 of the 1st grade
  • Yasunari Kijima as Hayato Taniguchi (谷口 隼人)
  • Miyu Honda as Manami Endo (遠藤 まなみ)
and others

Others

His childhood version was played by Junki Shimoda.

Production

Marumo no Okite was first announced by Fuji TV on February 25, 2011.[3] Apparently, the name "Marumo" comes from the children's mispronunciation of Mamoru's name.[3] "Okite" means a promise in the Japanese language.

This television series will star actor Sadao Abe, child actor Fuku Suzuki and child actress Mana Ashida.[4] Sadao Abe will play Mamoru Takagi, a single man who is also an employee at a stationery maker.[4] He said that he had "suddenly become a father on Sunday nights" and that he looked forward to his role in this series.[4] Actress Mana Ashida previously made headlines in Japan for being the youngest lead star in a Japanese television drama when she starred in a NTV 2-hour long special Sayonara Bokutachi no Youchien.[3] She is also noted for her role in the 2009 television series Mother.[3] This will be her first lead role in a Japanese television series.[4] Together with child actor Suzuki Fuku, they will play Mamoru's deceased friend's twin children.[4]

On April 4, 2011, it was announced that Mana Ashida and her co-star Fuku Suzuki will team up to produce this drama's theme song in their debut as singers.[5] The duo will release the song under the temporary banner of Kaoru to Tomoki, Tamani Mook ( 薫と友樹、たまにムック Kaoru to Tomoki, tama ni mukku).[6] This theme song will be entitled Maru Maru Mori Mori! (マル・マル・モリ・モリ!), and it will include sections where the talking dog, Mook, will sing.[6] The song takes its name from the fact that Ashida will play the character Kaoru, while Suzuki will play the character named Tomoki.[6] The Mook is from the talking dog's name.[6] Hamada Miwako, the choreographer for the hit song Gake no Ue no Ponyo was the song's choreographer.[6] The single album for the song Maru Maru Mori Mori! was released on May 25.[5]

Additionally, Ryo Oka voiced the talking dog, Mook [2]

In the last episode of Marumo no Okite, it was revealed that the show will have a special program, but it said that the program's broadcast date was unconfirmed. Later, on September 2, Fuji TV announced that this program will be aired on October 9, 2011.[7]

Broadcast

Marumo no Okite was aired in the Fuji Television's Dramatic Sunday television drama time slot, which is aired on Sundays, 9pm to 9:54pm.[1] The series debuted on April 24, 2011, and its first episode was extended by an extra 20 minutes.[1] Its seventh episode was also extended by an extra 10 minutes.

The last episode of this series was extended by an extra 30 minutes.[8] Before the airing of this episode, a special program entitled Naite Waratte 2-jikan Marumaru! Genki Mori Mori Special (泣いて笑って2時間マルマル!元気モリモリSP) was aired.[8] The program was hosted by the lead stars Mana Ashida and Fuku Suzuki.[8] The last episode also featured a special guest appearance by AKB48 member Atsuko Maeda, who would be starring as Mizuki Ashiya in the following television series Hanazakari no Kimitachi e -Ikemen Paradice-2011.[8]

In an announcement made on September 2, 2011, it was announced that the Marumo no Okite SP would air on 9 October 2011 at 9pm on Fuji TV.[9] The show retained its main cast, and was a two hours long special program.[7]

The series made a return in 2014, showing the life of the twins 4 years later after the main series.[10]

Episodes

Episode title Romanized title Translation of title Broadcast date Ratings
Ep. 1
独身男と双子が家族!? 犬がつなげた絆
Dokushin otoko to futago ga kazoku!?-Inu ga tsunageta kizuna
A Single man and a Pair of Twins Make a Family!? The Bond a Dog Made
April 24, 2011
11.6%
Ep. 2
今日からここがおまえらの家
Kyō kara koko ga omae-ra no ie
From Today, This Will be You Guys' Home
May 1, 2011
12.9%
Ep. 3
入学式、マルモは来ないの?
Nyūgaku-shiki, marumo wa konai no?
Marumo's Not Coming to our School Opening Ceremony?
May 8, 2011
12.3%
Ep. 4
マルモがいない夜に大事件!!
Marumo ga inai yoru ni dai jiken!!
Big Happenings on Marumo's Night Out!!
May 15, 2011
12.7%
Ep. 5
母ちゃんが双子を返せって…
Kāchan ga futago o kaesette…
Mom Says, Give Up the Twins…
May 22, 2011
15.6%
Ep. 6
マルモの顔なんて見たくない
Marumo no kao nante mitakunai
Marumo, I Don't Even Want to See Your Face
May 29, 2011
15.6%
Ep. 7
双子の実母、ついに現る! 涙のお誕生日パーティー
Futago no jitsubo, tsuini genru! Namida no o tanjō-bi pātī
The Mother of the Twins Revealed at Last! A Birthday Party in Tears
June 5, 2011
16.1%
Ep. 8
双子がいたら恋はできない?
Futago ga itara koi wa dekinai?
Do the Twins Stop Me Falling in Love?
June 12, 2011
16.8%
Ep. 9
オレ、薫に手上げちゃった
Ore, Kaoru ni te age chatta
I Raised My Hand to Kaoru
June 19, 2011
17.2%
Ep. 10
おばちゃんは、ママですか?
Oba-chan wa, mamadesu ka?
Is "Auntie" Our Mama?
June 26, 2011
15.6%
Ep. 11
おきてを守ったから
ずっと楽しかったよ。
マルモありがとう、
そしてさようなら
Okite o mamottakara
zutto tanoshikatta yo.
Marumo arigatō,
soshite sayōnara
Your Rules Kept Us Safe
and Made Every Day Fun
Thank you, Marumo, and Good-Bye.
July 3, 2011
23.9%
Ratings for Kanto region (average rating: 15.48%)[11]
Special 1
マルモのおきてスペシャル
薫と友樹、友だちの願いをかなえるために
カッパさがしの大冒険
マルモがいつか結婚して子どもができても、
薫と友樹のことをずっと好きでいてね
Marumo no okite supesharu
Kaoru to Tomoki, tomodachi no negai o kanaeru tame ni
Kappa sagashi no dai bōken
Marumo ga itsuka kekkon shite kodomo ga dekite mo,
Kaoru to Tomoki no koto o zutto sukide ite ne
The Law of Marumo Special:
Kaoru and Tomoki, In Answer a Friend's Prayer
Have an Adventure Searching for Kappa.
Even When Marumo Marries and has Kids
He'll Always Love Kaoru and Tomoki
October 9, 2011
16.7%
Special 2
3年ぶりに帰ってきたよ!
双子の夢と初恋にしゃべる犬…
2人の成長を見守るマルモの決断は?
でもマルモは本当のパパじゃないんだよ?
3-Nen-buri ni kaettekita yo!
Futago no yume to hatsukoi ni shaberu inu...
2-Ri no seichō o mimamoru Marumo no ketsudan wa?
Demo Marumo wa hontō no papa janai nda yo?
Return after 3 years!
The dog speaks of the twin's dreams and first love
Mamoru's decision to watch the two children growth process?
But Marumo is not their real dad!?
September 28, 2014
12.9%

Reception

Marumo no Okite was scheduled at the same time slot as the much anticipated television drama JIN 2 that is shown on the TBS's Sundays 9:00pm Drama slot.[12] However, Asahi Shinbun reported on 7 June 2011 that Marumo no Okite managed to get within a 2.6% rating difference.[12] Later, the 7th episode ratings crossed the 20% marking and reaching a high of 21.1%, rivaling JIN 2's peak of 23.7%.[13] On the same day, JIN 2 posted an average rating of 18.7% and viewership peaked 21.5%.[13]

Marumo no Okite debuted with an average rating of 11.6% for its first episode, with the viewership in Sendai (Sendai TV) reaching a high of 17.2% in that episode.[14] Later, the drama's 7th episode managed to garner an average rating of 16.1% in the Kantō region (Fuji TV).[13] During that episode, the viewership briefly peaked at 9.57pm with a rating of 21.1%, marking the first time the drama has crossed the 20% mark.[13]

Marumo no Okite's final episode garnered a 23.9% rating in the Kantō region and a rating of 20.6% in the Kansai Region (Kansai TV).[15] The viewership rating peaked at 27.5% during the time period from 10:14pm to 10:16pm.[16] The average rating of this episode is 6.7 percentage points more than the previous record set by the eighth episode.[8]

Actress Mana Ashida received the "Best Performance by an Actress" award at the 2011 Tokyo Drama Awards for her role in Marumo no Okite.[17] She shared this award with actress Kyoka Suzuki, who won the award for her role in the NHK television series Second Virgin.[17]

Soundtrack

Single "Maru Maru Mori Mori!"

Main article: Maru Maru Mori Mori!

Original Soundtrack Album

Marumo no Okite Original Soundtrack
Soundtrack album
Released June 1, 2011
Length 75 minutes
Label Pony Canyon

The Fuji Television Serial Drama "Marumo no Okite" Original Soundtrack (フジテレビ系ドラマ「マルモのおきて」 オリジナル・サウンドトラック ) was released on June 1, 2011 by Pony Canyon.[18] It was released in the CD format, and it contains 75 minutes worth of soundtracks.[18]

Track listing

No. TitleMusic Length
1. "ramdom-E"  Hiroyuki Sawano  
2. "The Beginning of a Beginning" (はじまりのはじまり)Yutaka Yamada  
3. "The Noisy Breakfast" (どたばたあさごはん)Yutaka Yamada  
4. "The Warmth of a Family" (かぞくのぬくもり)Yutaka Yamada  
5. "Let's Go and Play!" (あそびにいこうよ)Yutaka Yamada  
6. "Memories of a Dream" (ゆめのきおく)Yutaka Yamada  
7. "I Don't Want to be Alone" (ひとりぼっちはいやだよ)Yutaka Yamada  
8. "Dancing the Can-Can Dance and Hopping Round and Round" (ぐるぐるぴょんぴょんけんけんぱ!)Yutaka Yamada  
9. "The Things that Happened that Time" (あのときのこと)Yutaka Yamada  
10. "Under the Sun" (おひさまのしたで)Yutaka Yamada  
11. "Secrets by the Two" (ふたりのひみつ)Yutaka Yamada  
12. "ramdom-E<BPM64v>"  Hiroyuki Sawano  
13. "Akebono Stationary Company" (あけぼのぶんぐ)Yutaka Yamada  
14. "Rush Job" (やっつけしごと)Yutaka Yamada  
15. "Taihen, Taihen" (たいへんたいへん)Yutaka Yamada  
16. "Tekuteku, Tokotoko" (てくてく、とことこ)Yutaka Yamada  
17. "Warm Feeling" (やさしいきもち)Yutaka Yamada  
18. "A Whole Flower by Marumo" (はなまるまるも)Yutaka Yamada  
19. "A Cloudy and Rainy Day" (くもりのちあめ)Yutaka Yamada  
20. "Are we Really a Family?" (ほんとのかぞく)Yutaka Yamada  
21. "The End of Today" (きょうのおわり)Yutaka Yamada  
22. "We Will be Happy Forever" (しあわせはいつも)Yutaka Yamada  
23. "Missing Piece"  Hiroyuki Sawano  
Total length:
75:00

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 芦田愛菜の模範的回答に阿部サダヲ脱帽. eiga.com (in Japanese). April 15, 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-26.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Ryo Oka voices Mook". "Marumo no Okite" official website (in Japanese). Fuji Television Network, Inc.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 芦田愛菜、6歳で主演「マルモのおきて」. SANKEI DIGITAL INC. (in Japanese). February 25, 2011.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 芦田愛菜 :次は連ドラ初主演 阿部サダヲとフジ日9「マルモのおきて」で. Mainichi Shimbun Digital Co.Ltd (in Japanese). February 25, 2011.
  5. 5.0 5.1 天才子役・芦田愛菜が歌手デビュー!. Sankei Digital, Inc. (in Japanese). Retrieved 2011-07-09.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 "芦田愛菜&鈴木福、新ドラマ主題歌のCD発売 芦田、出来は「97点!」". Oricon, Inc. (in Japanese). April 4, 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  7. 7.0 7.1 「マルモ」2時間特番、10月9日に放送. SANKEI DIGITAL INC. (in Japanese). September 2, 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 最後に大台突破!「マルモのおきて」7ポイント近くアップ! (in Japanese). Sports Nippon Newspaper. 4 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-08.
  9. 「マルモのおきて」スペシャル番組10・9放送. SPORTS NIPPON NEWSPAPERS. (in Japanese). September 3, 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-05.
  10. 「マルモ」3年ぶりSPで復活!4年生に成長した愛菜&福. SANKEI DIGITAL INC. (in Japanese). June 5, 2014. Retrieved 2015-01-13.
  11. "Video Research Ratings" (in Japanese). Video Research Ltd. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
  12. 12.0 12.1 「マルモ」が「仁」を射程に…日曜9時 (in Japanese). asahi.com. 7 June 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-24.
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 マルモのおきて :視聴率右肩上がり 瞬間最高視聴率21.1% エンディングのダンスシーン (in Japanese). Mainichi Shimbun Digital Co.Ltd. 6 June 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-24.
  14. 愛菜ちゃん引っ張る「マルモ」仙台17.2% (in Japanese). asahi.com. 28 April 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-24.
  15. 「マルモのおきて」最終回23・9% (in Japanese). Sports Hochi. 4 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-08.
  16. マルモのおきて :最終回視聴率23.9% 最高視聴率27.5% 「イケパラ」の前田敦子もゲスト出演. Mainichi Shimbun Digital Co.Ltd (in Japanese). MANTAN WEB. 4 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-10.
  17. 17.0 17.1 嵐・二宮主演『フリーター~』、東京ドラマアウォードでグランプリ受賞 (in Japanese). Oricon, Inc. 30 October 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-30.
  18. 18.0 18.1 "フジテレビ系ドラマ「マルモのおきて」 オリジナル・サウンドトラック on Amazon Japan". Amazon.com, Inc. (in Japanese). Retrieved 2011-06-02.

External links

Preceded by
School!!
(16/1/2011 - 20/3/2011)
Fuji TV Dramatic Sunday
ドラマチック・サンデー
Sundays 21:00 - 21:54 (JST)
Succeeded by
Hanazakari no Kimitachi e
(10/7/2011 - 18/9/2011)