Substitute Bravo, the Need for Approval, and Friends

Being told "we're through" hurts much more when you're an adult.
I was thinking about that while watching the NHK night drama "Substitute Bravo!".

The drama's plot and why it struck a chord

The protagonist, Karina (Kana Kita), is suddenly told by her best friend, Yumi (Hana Amano), whom she met when they were six, that they are no longer friends.

She doesn't know why.
She can't even see her.

Confused, she enters a ramen shop and encounters Yumi again.
Working there as if nothing had ever happened.

From there, the story begins to move quietly.

"Ramen x Ballet x Female Friendship"
This combination, which seems a bit eccentric, is actually very straightforward.

It depicts the moment a relationship breaks.
And what remains after it is broken.

Friendship sometimes ends for no reason.
That reality stayed in my heart.

The need for approval and the act of ordering a "substitute"

The ramen shop "Tameguchi" has one rule.
A substitute noodle refill has never been ordered.

That setting is strangely good.

The act of ordering a substitute noodle refill
becomes a "choice" rather than just an additional order.

I thought while watching.

Ordering a substitute noodle refill
might be a small form of self-approval.

"Should I stop?"
"Isn't that enough?"

Going beyond those voices to say, "One substitute refill, please."

It's not for anyone else.
It's an act to tell yourself today, "That's fine."

It's just a trivial thing, but
there is certainly a moment of self-affirmation in it.

What were friends, anyway?

As we grow older, the word "friend" gradually changes its shape.

People who were once naturally by our side,
before we know it, are gone.

It's not that any major event occurred.
It's just that distance grows over time.

This drama scoops up those vague ways of parting.

Why did we drift apart?
Why couldn't we put it into words?

There is no clear answer.
That is precisely why it feels so close to reality.

Relationships, rather than breaking,
might just be unraveling little by little.

The need for approval is a form of connection.

The term "need for approval" is sometimes spoken of with too strong a meaning.

But I think there is something much simpler at its core.

I want to be connected to someone.
I don't want to be forgotten.

Karina continuing to chase Yumi is
an emotion that is an extension of that.

Wanting to be acknowledged is also
a way of saying, "I am here."

That is not something special.

And, tonight as well,

51 years old, Asahikawa, sales, AI music, living alone.

That is who I am, here again today.

It's not that I want to be strongly acknowledged by someone.
I just wish to be known, if only a little.

I already have the courage to order an extra serving of noodles.

So, perhaps it would be okay
to use that courage in a slightly different direction.

For example, calling out to someone.
Or, trying to reach out to a relationship that has been left broken.

I don't know yet if I can do it.

Even so, it was a night when I felt that way.

Beyond the steam of the ramen,
I felt like I could see the outline of myself, just a little bit.

May 25, 2026, in Asahikawa