Wataru Seken wa oni Bakari

Details

 * Title: 渡る世間は鬼ばかり
 * Title (romaji): Wataru Seken wa Oni Bakari
 * Also known as: Making It Through / Relentlessness is Found Everywhere
 * Format: Renzoku drama, across 10 seasons
 * Genre: "Kitchen sink" soap opera
 * Broadcast network: TBS
 * Broadcast time: Thursday 21:00 to 21:54
 * Original Soundtrack: Wataru Seken wa oni Bakari OST

Synopsis
Wataru is based on the life of Okakura Daikichi, a father of five daughters. Daikichi owns Okakura, a 5-star Japanese restaurant most people can only dream of dining. The storylines are based on each of the five daughters' lives, ranging from bitchy mother-in-laws, the kids, their husbands, and so forth.

The second oldest daugther is Kojima Satsuki. She is married to Isamu, who's family runs Koraku, a typical Chinese ramen restaurant. Satsuki and Isamu have two kids, Ai and Shin. Isamu's mother, Kimi once lived with the Kojima family (their home is upstairs, in the same building as Koraku). Due to declining health, Kimi moved to the United States and is living with her daughter Hisako. As of the 8th season, Hisako moves back to Koraku, and attempts to earn back her birthright. Satsuki's biggest problem is having to deal with Hisako, as well as Seiko who is very loyal to Kimi and Hisako. Because Satsuki has to work all day at Koraku and tend to her immediate family, she has no time for herself, or even for her four other sisters and her father.

The other sisters include Noda Yajoi, Takahashi Fumiko, Munakata Yoko, and Honma Nagako. Yajoi is a retired nurse, and has to deal with her divorced daughter Akari and her grandson. Fumiko runs a travel agency; she too has a problem with her son, Nozomi, who chose to become a guitarist instead of attending college. Yoko is an interior decorator and was recently married. And Nagako is a housewife who married into the Honma family. The Honma family are all physicians, who run Honma Hospital. --groink

Review by groink
The formatting of Wataru is very much like an American daytime drama (called a "soap opera") in that 1) it is continuous and never-ending, and 2) there are about a dozen or so different storylines going on in just a single season. For the average Japanese drama fan who is used to today's idol rom-com renzoku dramas, he would probably be turned off by Wataru because of its length, its topics, and massive confusion with the different storylines. Despite the differences, most people who do give Wataru eventually become addicted.

In earlier seasons, the focus among the five daughters were about even. In later seasons (Season 3 and up), I'd say about 50-percent of Wataru is focused on the Kojima family. I find their situation, along with Nagako's, to be the most interesting.

If you like family dramas, and have patience to watch for one year, Wataru is a MUST watch. In Japan, Wataru is HEAVILY marketed via merchandise -- from plastic figurines to Koraku-brand instant ramen.

As of this writing, there are eight completed seasons. --groink

Season Information

 * Season 1: 1990-Oct-11 to 1991-Sep-26 (49 eps, avg=18.2)
 * Season 2: 1993-Apr-15 to 1994-Mar-31 (49 eps, avg=23.8)
 * Season 3: 1996-Apr-04 to 1997-Mar-27 (50 eps, avg=26.6)
 * Season 4: 1998-Oct-01 to 1999-Sep-30 (51 eps, avg=24.7)
 * Season 5: 2000-Oct-05 to 2001-Sep-27 (50 eps, avg=24.3)
 * Season 6: 2002-Apr-04 to 2003-Mar-27 (51 eps, avg=23.5)
 * Season 7: 2004-Apr-01 to 2005-Mar-31 (51 eps, avg=18.2)
 * Season 8: 2006-Apr-06 to 2007-Mar-29 (50 eps, avg=18.1)
 * Season 9: 2008-Apr-03 to 2009-Mar-26 (49 eps, avg=15.3)
 * Season 10: 2010-Oct-14 to 2011-Sep-29 (47 eps)

Specials

 * 1994-Sep-29
 * 1995-Dec-28
 * 1999-Dec-23 (23.0 rating)
 * 2000-Apr-06 (20.9 rating)
 * 2012-Sep-17, 2012-Sep-24
 * 2013-May-27, 2013-Jun-03
 * 2015-Feb-16, 2015-Feb-23
 * 2016-Sep-18, 2016-Sep-19
 * 2017-Sep-18 (12.6 rating)
 * 2018-Sep-17
 * 2019-Sep-16

Cast
(Research and translations by groink)

Production Credits

 * Screenwriter: Hashida Sugako
 * Narration: Ishizaka Koji (石坂浩二)
 * Music: Haneda Kentaro (羽田健太郎)
 * Production: Inoshita Yasuo (井下靖央), Kawamata Komei (川俣公明), Yoshikawa Atsushi (吉川厚志)
 * Producer: Ishii Fukuko (石井ふく子)
 * Director: Yamada Nishiki (山田錦)

Recognitions

 * 70th Television Drama Academy Awards: Special Award