Friday, February 13, 2009

Smile Dorama: Jun Matsumoto is Half-Filipino

Yes, Jun Matsumoto is half-Filipino, at least in the Japanese Dorama - Smile - which will air on April nights at 10:00 pm in Japan. According to reports, Jun Matsumoto - a well-known Japanese actor -will play a half-Filipino man whose father died and his mother has disappeared. Like a real Filipino, the character faces hardship with a smile and has a positive outlook in life. Paired with Matsumoto is Yui Aragaki. Aragaki plays a woman with speaking disability but lives her life positively.


I think Smile Dorama will tackle an issue faced by most half-Filipinos in Japan - racism. Despite being part Japanese, they are still racially discriminated. I've heard horror stories and accounts about this. The Japinoy (Japanese-Filipino) kids are being bullied in school but authorities seem not to care. It gotten so bad some Filipino - Japanese parents are thinking of building schools specifically to their kids to avoid the trauma of being abused. There was one proposal but I don't know whether it actually materialized. I hope the series will put these things to light. Though, it will not guarantee any changes, it is better than being invisible.

I will update this post as soon as the Smile Dorama airs.

Updated 3 - 22 - 09

Smile Dorama Trailer



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1 comment:

Seireina said...

I find it odd.. there's really that much discrimination? I could never tell. I mean Greece as a nation is very racist and yet me and other half-brit kids have never faced anything such. I always thought Japan was an open-minded society..