Rikuô

Fantastic, full of heart, brought tears to our eyes, every time, with every episode.

Not high-budget, but it totally compensates for it with it's Massive Heart and Spirit!

So much wisdom about life - so many angles - so much resilience - about never giving up, in face of everything - about the strength of the Human Spirit, Teamwork, and Believing in Our Dreams.

We were totally enchanted by this series, that we found out-of-the-blue on Netflix.

I only wish there'd be a Season 2 and more - we would watch them all.

Note: also amazing focus on actual work and making a new, successful product. What that takes. The among or research and detail that went into that, for creating this series, mist have been substantial - it is surprisingly deep in this sense!!

...and also, Team Rikuoh, We Love You All - each and every one of you - You Are Amazing Actors and People!!

Domo Arigatou Gosaimasu!!!

Go, Rikuoh, Goooo!!!!!!

Rikuo is about a family run company which makes shoes and their struggles to make running shoes. The story is okay, with the family dynamics, especially the son - father relationship. Also, the struggles of the company and the athlete to make his come back and ran the marathon are kind of interesting, though they get tiring after a while. The drama overall is boring and tiring. It took me a bit of an efford to watch, as the twists and the plot itself weren't original and there wasn't much to be expected. The performances, finally, were nice. So, 4 out of 10.

This Japanese TV drama series, in general, is very watchable. But. There are things that just feel so amateurish or inappropriate:

How a bank loan officer could be so rude and impolite to his customers who try to get a loan from the bank? Besides, the interest rates of such loans never been discussed. When a business applies for loan, it must have collateral for such loan. But this old manufacturer never submits anything as collateral for the loan.

When the school places an order for Riku OH shoes, it never clearly show how many pairs for each size. S/M/L/XL never stipulated, and what is the delivery day, and what are prices for each size.

When the boss of the shoe manufacturer give a pair of test trial running shoes to the wounded runner. I really don't know how he knows what the feet size of that runner, yet he just bring a pair of his product to him. How possible it could be?

The acting of some of the actors, male or female, sometimes are just too exaggerated, over acted. There are exaggerated yelling and screaming in this series, but it's typical in any Japanese movie or TV drama series, you just have to take for granted and get use to it.

Most of the actors, especially the leading old protagonist who play the 4th generation of a fading traditional Japanese product. A great actor, he just looks like the guy fighting and struggling for survival. He is one of the Japanese National Treasures.

This serial is highly recommended, if you could get over those flaws as I have mentioned above.

This is a wonderful inspiring Japanese TV series which promotes determination, courage and dignity. It shows how to never give up in the face of all adversity.

A wonderful feel good series with sports genres and an overall good series to watch with the whole family.

It is the story of a small Tabi making factory who has been running for over 100 hundred years. Due to changing times and circumstances the need for Tabi socks has changed and orders are declining. In order to save the family business the owner, Mr Mizakawa needs to come up with an idea so as not to have to decrease staff and close the factory.

He decides to start making Marathon Running Shoes and in the process tries to encourage an elite marathon athlete to wear his new Tabi Marathin Shoes, optly named Roku Oh.

If you are facing any kind of adversity, this story will will you hope and courage to continue.

Highly recommended.

A nice show spoilt by an overly dramatic soundtrack and overly sentimental 'speeches' that made it seem a whole lot more cheesy than it actually is! I think the style will be loved by those people who are earnest to a fault, but I found that it grated on my somewhat jaded sensibilities.

I would have loved it a lot more if I'd been 11 when I first saw it, if you know what I mean.

A lot of great acting was overridden by a soundtrack that belonged to an action or epic adventure movie. And whilst this is a type of adventure, it didn't warrant being blasted over by what was essentially noise. Especially in a moment where you would have felt all the things on your own without the track trying to lead you by the nose.

If they'd gone for the style of 'Midnight Diner' series, I'd have responded to it and enjoyed it much more. Whereas what they did with this direction came off as melodramatic and twee, rather than serious and heartfelt.

Some will love it, however whilst I respected the story and the attempt to convey it, it wasn't mature enough a production for me. I felt it was a series for kids 8 to 14.