Japanese Drama: Kanna San (カンナさーん)
Broadcast Date: July 18, 2017
Airs: Tuesdays
Total Episodes: 13
Leads: Naomi Watanabe

Synopsis: Perpetually happy and energetic, Kanna Suzuki gives her all for her seemingly perfect little family with her husband Rei and four year old son Reon. Excitedly preparing a lovely night with her husband, Kanna gets the shock of her life when she finds out that Rei is having an affair. After the initial first burst of anger, Kanna’s heart softens as everyone advised her to forgive and forget. However, instead of getting an apology from Rei, Kanna gets another punch in the gut as Rei confesses that he is in love with the other woman. Realizing there is no point holding onto a husband who doesn’t love her anymore, Kanna asks for a divorce and vows to do everything she can to continue be the perpetually cheerful mom to her son.

 

Ninja’s First Impression:

J-drama is always good with their feel good shows but Kanna San! is especially hitting all the right notes for me. I am not familiar with the manga this one is based on but it is still obvious that Naomi Watanabe is perfect for her role. Dramas with overly bright heroine sometimes get on my nerve so I was a bit nervous after reading the heroine’s description, but happily, I love Kanna’s character right from the start.

I especially love that having a cheery disposition doesn’t mean our heroine was immune to pain and disappointment of having her heart broken but her courage to continue to smile came from her determination to live up to her son’s hope for her. Moreover, how can you not support a show where a plump woman who seems to be completely okay with her weight is the heroine?

I feel like I say this every time I write a first impression for a Japanese drama, but here I go again… I am not holding out hope for a romantic plot. I was hoping maybe Kanna might have a new love interest after her cheating husband leaves but judging by the amount of screen time Rei’s (the husband) gets I am starting to wonder if he is not going anywhere.

 

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