He adopted his wife's worst nightmare and called it love.
The young daughter of Keizo Tsujiguchi, a respected physician who runs his own hospital, is found murdered. Keizo secretly blames his wife Natsue because he suspects her of having an affair with his colleague Murai, and having been too distracted to keep proper watch over the child. Being a proud man, he does not accuse her directly, but concocts, instead, a twisted revenge against her. Pretending it is to comfort his devastated wife, Keizo arranges for them to adopt a baby girl. What he hasn't told Natsue, is that the baby is the orphaned daughter of the murderer, a tragic day-laborer who has hanged himself while in police custody. He plans to reveal the child's origins after Natsue has given her heart to the child-- when it will cause the greatest possible hurt.
Acting
Naoko Iijima's devastation as Natsue—she doesn't know, but we do.
Direction
Fujita stretches cruelty to four hours; somehow you can't look away.
Writing
The adaptation weaponizes dramatic irony like a knife.
Director
Meiji Fujita
Satomi Ishihara
Yoko Tsujiguchi (around 18 years old)
Naoko Iijima
Natsue Tsujiguchi
Kayoko Kishimoto
Tatsuko Shimada
Yuya Tegoshi
Toru Tsujiguchi (around 23 years old)
Kazuki Kitamura
Manami Honjo
Yukako Matsuzaki
Shunsuke Kubozuka
Sota Kitahara
Akiyoshi Nakao
Tatsuya Mitsui
Shihori Kanjiya
Junko Aizawa
Misako Yasuda
Yumi Kano
Chikako Kaku
Keiko Mitsui
Yuichi Kimura
Yoko Ohshima
Takehiko Ono
Detective Wada
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Based on Ayako Miura's 1964 novel, previously adapted as a 1966 film—this version updates the postwar class tensions for 2000s Japanese television prestige.
Satomi Ishihara was 19 during filming; her character's arc from innocent adoptee to woman discovering her origin story mirrors her own transition from idol to serious actress.
JP
