Since the release of the notice, Saito Takumi's maternity photos with a big belly have really attracted attention. If a man can get pregnant, this brain-opening proposition has recently been made into a TV series.

"Kentaro Hiyama's Pregnancy" poster

"Kentaro Hiyama's Pregnancy" was launched on Netflix last week. All 8 episodes were released at one time. Each episode was short and 25 minutes long.
At the beginning of the play, the male protagonist Kentaro Hiyama gave a monologue: "I never thought pregnancy would be so difficult. As a man, I never thought about how pregnancy would change the rhythm of life."
This is where the story unfolds.
"The Pregnancy of Kentaro Hiyama" is adapted from the manga of the same name. In the world set by the work, men have evolved the function of being pregnant. About 50 years ago, the world's first case of a pregnant man was discovered, and after that, men became pregnant women one after another. Although still an absolute minority, it has become a reality that men can have children. And the employee of the advertising planning company, Hiyama Kentaro (played by Takumi Saito), was also a prodigal son when his career was on the rise, and he had more than one partner who was not in a certain relationship. In an accident, Kentaro found out that he was "pregnant".
This absurd reality completely changed Kentaro's life. From his rejection at the beginning, he gradually accepted it, and even contacted many men with the same situation in the process. Through his own efforts, he made this group more acceptable to society. Find minority identity. At the same time, the relationship between him and his child's mother, Aki Seto (played by Ueno Shuri), has also aroused many small sparks of highly topical gender issues due to the exchange of male and female relationships. The two who are not lovers did not fall into the stereotypes When it comes to dating and starting a family, from the perspective of self, I choose to take responsibility and rebuild the relationship.

Stills of "Kentaro Hiyama's Pregnancy"

Entering from the rhythm of comedy, Kentaro's initial reaction to knowing that he was pregnant with a child is still a lot of laughing. Starting from a series of reactions that scared him to flee when he learned about the pregnancy on the ultrasound bed, the characters are absurd yet true. The feedback made it easy for this drama to enter the setting. It is not the comic-style exaggeration that is common in Japanese dramas. Most of the time, the performance is still within the basis and framework of life logic.
Taking the accidental pregnancy incident as the stage, a good show that is quite "cool" is a large-scale exchange of positions between men and women.
When Kentaro told Aji about the pregnancy, the other party's first reaction was, "Are you sure this child is mine?"

Stills of "Kentaro Hiyama's Pregnancy"

The proper "scumbag" upper body is the visual sense.
When Kentaro was about to kill the child, the tree let out a sigh of relief. But after a friend's suggestion, she made a small calculation and was a little excited about having her own child without going through the process of pregnancy. Turning to persuade Kentaro, this is a miracle blessed by God!

Stills of "Kentaro Hiyama's Pregnancy"

Kentaro was very angry, accusing the other party of standing and talking like a scumbag without back pain, and said aggrievedly, I want to vomit every day and feel uncomfortable, I am coldly looked at by my boss at work, and even if I have an abortion, my body will suffer a lot of harm. Whether I am born or not, I am bearing all this!

Stills of "Kentaro Hiyama's Pregnancy"

This style of painting, I don't need to say how familiar it is. And similar discussions continue throughout the play.
For example, Kentaro met another distressed pregnant man, his partner refused to marry him because of the child, and wanted to find an ex-boyfriend to get back together. He struggled painfully—

Stills of "Kentaro Hiyama's Pregnancy"

Including Kentaro's elders, they also experienced a fantasy history of male pregnancy gender inversion, and the mother told Aji many years later about her grievances as a mother who did not experience the October pregnancy process - "It wasn't me at the time. to be born."

Stills of "Kentaro Hiyama's Pregnancy"

The most interesting thing is that when Kentaro was smug enough to make a declaration to balance the dual challenges of raising a baby and a career, the female colleagues passing by laughed lightly, "Women have always been like this", which made Kentaro's self-motivation seem so " Ordinary and confident".

Stills of "Kentaro Hiyama's Pregnancy"

The perspective continues to return to Yaji, and the setting of independent women who like to be fathers is simply too suitable for Ueno Shuri. Although there is a lot of "scum" in the words, after the gender reversal, it can be seen that the creator's ambition to discuss the issue of reproductive division of labor and gender roles can be seen.
For example, she proposed to Kentaro that she wanted to become a supportive family member and raise the children together. When Kentaro was moved and proposed to marry him, she immediately refused, "Co-parenting is one thing, marriage is another. She has a clear attitude and clear boundaries; when Kentaro was about to give birth, she received a coveted job offer but was going to work abroad for two years, and she accepted the job with a little hesitation. She said that she is not pregnant, so she cannot take on the role of motherhood like a normal mother, and when she thinks about what kind of mother she wants to be, she hopes that her children will one day be proud of her mother's loyalty to herself.

Stills of "Kentaro Hiyama's Pregnancy"

In the film, there is such a famous line: "A man raised a matter of course, and it caused quite a heated discussion, because the voice of women has been ignored for a long time."

Stills of "Kentaro Hiyama's Pregnancy"

When Kentaro said this, the male colleague on the side immediately joked, "After getting pregnant, you became a feminist."
But as the plot progresses later, the audience will also find that this is not a drama that focuses on gender contradictions or the division of parenting responsibilities. What it's really talking about is another issue - how minorities and disadvantaged groups accept themselves, find peers, connect with them for courage and growth. The core of such a theme is something that a large number of Japanese film and television dramas are very keen to express.
The introduction of the original comic is written like this, "Why can a woman be blessed when she is pregnant, but a man will only become a laughing stock when she is pregnant." With dissatisfaction with this society full of discrimination and prejudice, Hiyama Kentaro decided to use his pregnancy as a weapon to change this society! Around "Kentaro Hiyama's pregnancy", people or families related to him or not related to him have all changed because of his actions...

"Kentaro Hiyama's Pregnancy" manga poster

You see, this is the main line of the plot. The setting of an unintended pregnancy is an opportunity to make it into trouble, become a minority, and bear the pressure and criticism of public opinion. In the social environment where pregnant women hide and find it difficult to live in themselves, Kentaro, an advertising man, is the first to stand up against the current. "Where" is a stronghold for the disadvantaged male mothers to find themselves and self-confidence.

Stills of "Kentaro Hiyama's Pregnancy"

At the same time, Kentaro has also continuously gained an understanding of life and love from these people, and he has also changed from passive acceptance at the beginning to a more active and active commitment to his pregnancy.

Stills of "Kentaro Hiyama's Pregnancy", maliciousness towards male pregnant women

At the press conference that ignited the fetal gas, Kentaro was so frank with his voice as the society: Everyone's life may have an accident, no one can be spared, and the attitude towards the accident determines whether you are. Who.

Stills of "Kentaro Hiyama's Pregnancy"

So whether a man is pregnant, or a woman is infertile at an older age, or you happen to be a member of LGBT, or you have a disability, or you have been sexually assaulted or bullied... This world is too easy to use "abnormal" as an excuse , to easily ridicule or exclude some people. Or everyone may, because of an accident, become the object of being damaged and damaged. And this drama also tries to remind us to accept those unexpected episodes in life more firmly and calmly while showing kindness to others.
I also like the relationship between the parents whose genders are reversed in the film. There is no stereotyped "marriage of children", and there is no forcibly falling in love and feeding cp sugar (but they are obviously very suitable!), they are like comrades in arms, each other Appreciate and support each other's life, accept and think about their responsibility for a new life like two independent adults, not be kidnapped by secular concepts, nor selfish to avoid responsibility, and finally enter completely from the heart. In a virtuous and joyful state of acceptance of new life and new relationships. Even if it has nothing to do with love, it is born of love and beautiful courage.

Stills of "Kentaro Hiyama's Pregnancy"

It is true that during the whole process, women face family and career choices because of pregnancy, physical and mental damage and suffering suffered during pregnancy, unfair treatment in the workplace, social prejudice against women of childbearing age, etc. In terms of gender transfer, it still seems a little overhead and frivolous. What's more, with the blessing of the protagonist's halo, Saito's pregnancies actually become an acceleration button for a period of life, and the relatives, partners, and companions around him have actually given great support and comfort, which is a very Healing to the plot line. This is also a pity that some viewers feel that the show is a bit of a waste of settings, and while the angle is novel, it is inevitable that it will fall short of power.
But as Ueno Shuri said before the broadcast: this is a lighthearted work, and at the same time gives everyone the opportunity to deepen their understanding of gender differences and minorities. From this point of view, this short drama is still interesting and meaningful enough.