J-drama: IS ~ Otoko Demo Onna Demo Nai Sei ~ August 22, 2011

I guess most people are sighing for more summer vacation, but mine won’t end until September, where my first semester in uni starts. Therefore, I’m wasting spending my last days of laziness to watch a lot of drama series. As all series began airing this summer, many of them haven’t finished yet, so I’m watching quite a few to make the waiting time more durable, lol.

One of the dramas I’m watching right now is called IS ~Otoko Demo Onna Demo Nai Sei ~

It’s about Haru, who is not like everybody else, but born as an inter sexual or IS, which means Haru can’t be classified as either a boy nor a girl. Even though Haru’s parents were shocked to hear their child was IS, they raise their child with love.  When they have to choose Haru’s gender for the birth certificate, they choose a girl. But later in Haru’s life, his personality turns out to be more that of a boy, and he is therefore treated as one by everybody else. However, Haru’s life becomes complicated when he has to attend high school as a girl, as that is the gender written on Haru’s birth certificate. He comforts himself with the thought that “it’s only for three years”.

But Haru’s view of himself as a boy is tested, when he get’s his first period, and doesn’t have a clue what to do. Luckily for him, his new friend Miwako helps him out. In class Haru has to stick to the girls, even though he would rather see himself hang out with the guys. His efforts to behave like a girl are quite hilarious!

Haru’s true identity as IS, is a secret he has to hide in order to avoid people’s prejudices and bullying. But his best friend from kindergarten Leon knows about, whom Haru protected from the kids who made fun of his naturally curly hair *aww*

Leon and Haru are still good buddies, when Haru is forced to change his identity to female, which makes old ladies from his neighborhood think he’s having a gender identity disorder. Poor Haru..

Haru also befriends a boy from the school’s soccer team, Kenji, whom Haru can share his soccer fandom with. However, Kenji grows more and more warm feelings towards “Girl Haru”, while Haru wants their relationship to stay as friends. But Haru’s body (and maybe mind too) is becoming more and more femine, which complicates things.

Haru’s new best friend is Miwa-chan, though. She appears to be a beautiful, cute girl with a perfect life. Or so it seems, when Haru visits her home at least. But that turns out to be a merry façade and Miwako is actually struggling with a father who is never home, and a mother who want’s to control her life. She is very happy to have found a friend in Haru, and they become even closer, when Haru share’s his secret with her.

Even though this drama has it’s funny moments, it mostly has a serious feeling to it and you get to deeply know the characters, which I like a lot. I think this drama has a fresh feeling to it, with many new faces (I haven’t seen any of these actors before) and it never gets boring to watch. The drama also deals with a subject that is quite uncommon, which I find very interesting and thought-provoking as well. Furthermore, it’s quite nerve-racking to see if Haru will be able to keep his secret, and whether he will become more like a girl later on. I still have six episodes left (out of 10) so I’m very very excited to see what happens >o<

Besides IS, I’m also watching Kingyo Club (check my sisters blogpost), which is very sweet and romantic, as well as Ouran High School Host Club that is hilarious!