What I Realized About My Values by Tracing the Works I Loved ― From Winter Sonata to Aiko Sato ― 2026/5/27 (Wed) R8

Recently, I often see songs by Arashi on Instagram.

It seems their final concert is approaching, and old footage and songs like “One Love” keep appearing in my feed. It made me feel nostalgic.

I was never a particularly big fan of Arashi.
And yet, I have always liked “One Love” for some reason.

From there, I unexpectedly started remembering the films, dramas, and writers I used to love.

So I began to wonder: what kind of works did I actually like?

I must have watched many things, but I have forgotten most of them.
Still, when I list only what remains in my memory, I notice something in common.

The first that comes to mind is Winter Sonata.

I visited Korea around that time, before it became a huge hit in Japan.
I remember seeing Winter Sonata merchandise in a shop and thinking, “What is this?”

After that, it became a major boom in Japan.

What I liked most about it was the feeling of “missed connections” that runs through the story.

Feelings are not fully expressed in words.
It is frustrating, quiet, yet emotionally deep.

I also think I liked Choi Ji-woo’s understated, graceful presence.

Then there is Boys Over Flowers.

Even now, I find it a little surprising how deeply I got into it.

I even bought the DVDs. I suppose I liked it that much.
They were probably sold later on Mercari.

Even though I was not a huge Arashi fan, I was drawn to Tsukasa Domyoji played by Jun Matsumoto, and Tsukushi Makino played by Mao Inoue.

Domyoji is arrogant and rough, yet strangely clumsy and devoted.
Tsukushi looks ordinary, but she never breaks.

Looking back, I think I have always preferred people who are not just “strong on the surface,” but “unbreakable at the core.”

In films, I especially liked The Devil Wears Prada.

Miranda, played by Meryl Streep, is cold and intimidating, and clearly a difficult boss.

But she has pride in her work and never compromises her identity.

That kind of strength really attracted me.

She does not simply shout or dominate; she controls the atmosphere through intelligence and experience.
And there is also a sense of loneliness beneath it.

I think I have always been drawn to that kind of character.

Another Meryl Streep film I cannot forget is Sophie’s Choice.

A mother forced to make an impossible decision during war.

After watching it, I could not easily put my feelings into words.

More recently, I was surprisingly drawn to The Apothecary Diaries.

Even though I rarely pay for content, I watched it all the way to the end.

When I think about why I liked it, I realize it may be because of Maomao’s sense of distance from others.

She does not flatter anyone.
But she is not cold either.

She quietly observes, with deep knowledge of medicine and poisons.

I also think I was drawn to the slightly Eastern-medical atmosphere.

As for writers, I especially liked:

* Aiko Sato
* Seiko Tanabe
* Keiko Ochiai

Aiko Sato often writes with anger, but that anger is strangely humorous and makes me smile.

Seiko Tanabe writes with softness and humor, yet loneliness and reality quietly appear beneath the surface.

Keiko Ochiai influenced me greatly when I was younger.

She did not hide her background, lived independently, and naturally showed that marriage is not the only form of happiness for women.

For my generation, women like that were still quite rare.

Looking at all of this now, I realize that I have always been drawn to:

“women who do not lose themselves.”

Not people who loudly display strength, but people who live quietly, a little awkwardly, yet never bend their core.

When I see such characters, I feel a sense of reassurance.

When I was younger, I only thought I “somehow liked” these works.

But now, looking back with age, I feel that my values and way of seeing life were already reflected in the things I loved.

Perhaps people discover their hidden hopes and values through the works they are drawn to, without even realizing it.



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