Miman City

Watching this OLD Jdrama is kinda funny.. you see people in outfits from 10 years ago... slouchy shirts, high waists.... but the story kinda captivated me..

It's called Miman City or "Bokura no Yuuki" ("The Keys to the City - The kids are in charge") which is about how an entire city (Makuhara city) becomes managed solely by children after a government-hidden accident results in all of the adults being killed.

The kids are not allowed to escape due to the poisonous "microbe" which has affected all in the city, which kills all, once they reach 20years old. Thus, they are trapped in the city, and given only a measely 1 meal a day ration by the government who "claims" they are taking care of them.

What really strikes me is how the series portrays the very essence of human nature through these children. Left on their own, firstly, survival instinct kicks in and the children begin to fend for themselves leading to snatching & stealing. Money is no use. The children start little trades with each other, using food or anything edible, as food is scarce. They then form groups and struggle for power, where a more powerful group exerts power over weaker kids, even to the extent of tormenting them just to make them obey. To the extent that they really stab each other and one is killed. Though, that settles it and the groups stop fighting for a little while...

Then some time later, a leader was chosen, and further disputes from an opposing group leads to "elections" being conducted. Finally, the desire to escape unites the opposing group and they work together for their freedom... and later, they work again together to try to expose the government's secret...

I really liked it... ah... what a powerful message of human survival... idealism,... versus total desperation (when the kids lamented about how there is no more future for them)....

It's about WHO to have faith in (the government to free them one day? or to lose faith altogether)...

And it's about community (..should we save each other or just fend for myself?)

So many issues on life and death.

When one of the kids (Yamato) makes it out to the city to get medicine for an injured friend, he looks at everyone in the city, living their lives like nothing has ever happened. Of course, they don't know what happend (coz it was a government cover-up). They have water, they have food.. they waste food... they chit chat and have fun. ALL these happens and Yamato observes... and you could just feel that sense of injustice... the children of the Makuhara city in comparison, have nothing, no food, no water, no future, they would die when they reach adulthood.

It's a stark painting of the rich and the poor... the hopeful and the destitute. Very heartwrenching.

Arh... it's lovely, tho this doesn't make me a missionary.... I just love sad stories... man... awful...