It has been more than 20 years since Morita Satsuki’s (Inamori Izumi) son, Tomoya (Kakazu Issei), killed a second grade elementary school boy. Tomoya’s younger brother, Naoto (Okada Masaki), who was born after the incident, hates him and even puts a distance between himself and his mother. Tomoya and Naoto used to be on good terms, and the young Naoto had admired his kind elder brother. However, when Naoto was 12, Tomoya (Mukai Osamu) suddenly left home without a word to him. Naoto, who knew nothing, was saddened. It was only during his second year in high school that he learnt through the internet about the crime that his brother had committed years earlier. This came as a big shock to Naoto, whose family had hidden the truth from him. He blamed his mother for keeping quiet about the incident and vented his anger. No matter how Satsuki told Naoto that the whole family loves him, he could not accept it and regretted being born. Naoto has spent his days alone since then. Then one day, he sees a drawing displayed in a studio he had accidentally entered, and his tears flow. The person who had drawn it is Suma Kana (Mizukawa Asami), the granddaughter of the studio’s owner, Suma Tetsuto (Ito Shiro). Feeling something towards Naoto, Suma asks him to work at the studio. Naoto, who starts working there, is saved by the cheerfulness of the Sumas and feels comforted. And he slowly begins to reach out to Kana. Before long, Naoto and Kana are united in marriage, but he tells her that he does not want to have children because he has a strong desire not to be saddled with children. However, Kana is pregnant. She wishes to give birth, but he tells her it is better if the child is not born. Thinking that he will hurt Kana if this goes on, Naoto decides to meet his older brother in order to severe everything … …
家族の愛とは、絆とは…
少年が少年の命を殺めるという事件を通じて、被害者と加害者の家族の苦悩と葛藤を真っ向から真摯に描いたヒューマンドラマ「アイシテル～海容～」。
母子の愛情そして家族の再生をテーマにしたこの物語は、2009年春、放送と同時に大反響を巻き起こし、多くの視聴者からの支持と同時に各方面から高い評価を博しました。
そして、同ドラマの原作者・伊藤実氏による続編連載漫画「アイシテル～絆～」が昨年完成しました。物語は、大人になった加害少年の家族に起こる様々な出来事が、その弟の目線で描かれていきます。「海容」編は主に母子愛が中心に描かれましたが、今作は加害者の弟が大人になっていく姿を通し、家族の絆を描き、普遍的な愛をテーマに物語は展開していきます。
過ちを犯した少年もまた、時とともに大人になる…
一生付いてまわる犯罪者という十字架…
それはまた、その加害者家族も同じ…
