I'm Home

Ieji Hisashi, a salaryman who works for a securities company, has a fuzzy memory of the recent five years because of an accident at his job posting. His wife of five years, Megumi and their 4-year-old son seem to wear masks. He can neither tell their facial expressions nor their emotions. He also struggles about his love for them. On the other hand, Ieji feels an attachment to his ex-wife, whom he divorced five years ago, and their daughter. What sort of days did he have in those five years which are a blank to him? Ieji sets out on a journey to find his past self with a mysterious bunch of 10 keys that he has. He becomes aware that he was a cold, career-minded man before the accident, and the persona that is gradually revealed is beyond the imagination of his present kindhearted self.

I'm Home (2015) is a Japanese television drama based on a manga by Kei Ishizaka, broadcast on TV Asahi as a single ten-episode season of roughly fifty minutes each. Takuya Kimura stars as Ieji Hisashi, a securities company salaryman who has lost a fuzzy five years of memory after an accident at his job posting. Returning to his life, he finds his wife Megumi (Aya Ueto) and their young son seem to wear masks to him, their faces and feelings unreadable, while his thoughts keep drifting toward his ex-wife and daughter. Each episode follows his quiet investigation as he sets out with a bundle of ten mysterious keys, slowly uncovering evidence of who he became during the blank years. Supporting players including Miki Mizuno and Kei Tanaka help shape the tangle of old loyalties around him. The engine is simple and human: a man trying to reconcile the kindhearted father he has become with the cold, ambitious persona he is discovering. The atmosphere is wistful, uneasy and intimate, with a mystery undercurrent that rewards patient viewing. Fans of Memento and amnesia-driven family dramas will find resonance here.

• Mementoslow burn amnesia mystery, emotional family drama with a hidden past
• Mr. Sunshinedomestic drama with secrets, identity uncertainty and a protagonist reconstructing his past
• Ashita no Kiokumemory loss premise and emotional family reckoning in a Japanese drama format

Created by

Kei Ishizaka

Release Date

2015-04-16

Episode runtime

50 min

Rating

7.1 / 10 (10)

What is I'm Home about?

A salaryman wakes up with five years of his life erased and must follow a set of mysterious keys to discover the cold man he used to be.

What is I'm Home like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of I'm Home as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.

Is I'm Home violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in I'm Home.

Which shows are like I'm Home?

Shows with a similar feel include Memento, Mr. Sunshine, and Ashita no Kioku.

How long is I'm Home?

I'm Home: 1 season, 10 episodes.

Is I'm Home still running?

No, I'm Home has ended.