Asura: A New Series on Netflix

阿修羅のごとく

1.

There are heavenly beings and there are humans. Then below the realm of humans are the asura, hungry spirits, and finally the hell-bound. I always admire the crowded and stratified universe of Hinduism. Ashura existing below humans on the spirituality scale, they are said to be ruled by their emotions. Like anger, ignorance, and greed. Creatures driven by ego in the Hindu pantheon. But as these beings migrated east to Japan they had a kind of awakening, still sometimes consumed by jealousy and anger but at other times serving as heralds of peace and compassion.

Ashura, in Japanese.

The new Netflix show Asura is already being described as the best TV series of the year and it’s only January! I wasn’t aware of the original novel by Kuniko Matsuda that the show is based on until a friend mentioned it. In fact, I had never heard of the earlier show which was before my time on NHK in the 80s. But I definitely had heard of the award-winning director of this new series, Hirokazu Koreeda.

Asura centers around four sisters. It’s so reminiscent of my favorite novel by Tanizaki. The Makioka Sisters is one of my top ten books of all times. I have read it numerous times—and for me, part of the appeal is the lovely depiction of those four sisters. Each with a distinct personality, they fight and can become jealous of each other, say mean things, but they mostly laugh and cook and share meals and support each other. Anyone with a sister will really appreciate the way they interact. It is sweet.

That is how the four sisters are in Asura. Adorable. But maybe all that female energy was too much for the father. Maybe he wanted the son. I don’t know, since I haven’t read the novel. But the story is about his affair with another woman and the boy he raises with the woman —Mostly, it is about the non-trivial effect this has had—and continues to heave—on the sisters and their mother. On his “real family.”

2.

Female jealousy

Hell hath no fury….

In a traditional Japanese wedding ceremony, the bride often wears a white headdress—called tsunokakushi 角隠し— with her wedding kimono. Tsuno kakushi means “hiding the horns” ~~~ remember in the rainy night conversation in the Tale of Genji, when “da boyz” are talking about what attributes make an ideal woman or wife and they narrow in on this idea of permissiveness and not easily made jealous?

Ashura are ruled by emotion—especially negative ones like anger and jealousy. But are these emotions always negative? I don’t know. I guess they take a toll on people physically and emotionally, but don’t you want your romantic partner to show some jealousy? Anyway, there was something delicious about the opening scene, which shows each of the sisters throwing things at their partners, displaying anger.

Not so simple or black and white. The eldest is herself having an affair with a married man, causing a lot of distress to his wife; while the second eldest, who is married with two beautiful children finds her father’s affair has triggered an intense suspicion of her husband; for isn’t he doing the same thing? Probably not and yet the suspicion is debilitating.

The third eldest knows her partner is —in fact—cheating but she thinks that is what men do and she scolds her sisters for being too uptight; whilst the youngest is the truly straight-laced sister. A librarian, she ends up falling for the private eye who uncovers their father’s affair!

In the show, it is only their long suffering mother who hides her horns…. but at what cost?

3.

The Director of the series, Hirokazu Koreeda has been compared to Yasujiro Ozu. Koreeda explains that his influences lay more with British director Ken Loach and Japanese director Mikio Naruse—as well as with Taiwanese directors Hou Hsiao-hsien and Tsai Ming-liang.

Like a lot of bookworms, I am less interested in film, so I’d not heard of any of these directors. But as a novice, I can say that watching a Koreeda movie effects me in the same way that Ozu does. A deep emotional impact often causing tears—and I really appreciate the way human relations and conflict are often expressed quietly, almost like in a British cozy. With all the murder, you would think those murder mysteries would make audiences feel tense. But that isn’t what happens because the characters are so nice to each other. Considerate, civil, and nice. Dysfunction and conflict are not always depicted in meanness or neurotic behavior—sometimes there is only a certain look to show you the character is feeling an asura-like emotion.

In Koreeda’s wonderful film Our Little Sister, this quiet way of pushing back could be seen as a kind of resistance. As with Asura, there are four adorable sisters who are navigating life after their father’s betrayal of the family. In the movie the father leaves and divorces their mother, presumably abandoning the girls. The initial spark of their father’s betrayal leads them to first come strongly together but then to adopt and raise the child of their father’s affair: “their little sister.”

In this movie, their resistance to social expectations is even stronger—and more beautiful than in Asura; for in Asura while they just express their anger openly, in Our Little Sister they actually act on it, turning the betrayal narrative on its head. After all, says the eldest, the little sister wasn’t even born yet when her father did that.

It is an absolutely beautiful film!

I still haven’t seen Monsters or Shoplifters, but am hoping to see them both soon!

I love how Netflix is bring the world to us. Please recommend your favorites!

(The elder sister is played by legendary (?) actress Rie Miyazawa. She was all people talked about my first few years in Japan first because of the publication of a fine art nude photography book, Santa Fe, and even more publicity in 1992 with her engagement to sumo star Takanohana! It was HUGE—and so I was excited to see her again on the screen after so long).