Final Fantasy XIV: Dad of Light - Final Fantasy
When anime or game series become extremely popular in Japan, franchises often introduce a live-action film of the series into real life. In the past, there have been successful recreations with famous Japanese actors, such as the live-action Attack on Titan films. There have also been rumors that some franchises would release one but have not yet done so, such as Evangelion, due to the production team's loyalty to the original animated version. For Final Fantasy, the franchise first released a live-action drama television series, which was the opposite of the orthodox live-action style. The series originally premiered on April 17, 2017, on the MBS/TBS network in Japan and featured the story of a father and son who "play" the game Final Fantasy XIV together. The television series is called Final Fantasy XIV: Dad of Light and is an eight-episode drama miniseries that focuses on the main character Akio Inaba and how he rekindles his relationship with his elderly retired father Hirotaro through the online MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV game.
Plot
The story begins with the main character, Akio Inaba, a young, salaried office worker in his twenties. Although they have lived together in the same house since childhood, Akio and his father had very little communication while Akio was growing up, to the point that their conversations rarely exceeded a few words.
One day, Akio's father, Hirotaro, quit his full-time job and had to retire. The fact that someone was so dedicated to his job and suddenly quit his job baffled Akio and his mother. Akio was stunned and shocked by his father's sudden change, but due to the lack of communication over several years, he struggled to talk to his father to find out the reason for his early retirement. Akio remembers that one of the few bonding moments he and his father had during his childhood was playing Final Fantasy III together when he was little. Hoping to rekindle his passion for Final Fantasy and find a way to reconnect with his father, Akio bought Hirotaro a Final Fantasy XIV game. Akio hatched a plan to befriend his father in-game and unknowingly join his guild on the MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV. During the game, Akio learns and discovers a painful secret about his father and the reason why he left his job.
Development
The story of Final Fantasy XIV: Dad of Light was inspired by a series of blog posts titled Hikari no Otousan, written by Final Fantasy XIV player Ichigeki Kakusatsu SS Nikki. In his blog post of over 60 posts, he details how the father-son duo used the game to rekindle their father-son relationship. The television drama was produced by Square Enix and directed by Teruo Noguchi and Kiyoshi Yamamoto. The series features clips, cutscenes, and action scenes of Akio and Hirotaro playing Final Fantasy XIV characters.
Characters
Here is a list and description of the characters who make an appearance in the 8-episode drama television series.
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Akio Inaba - The main character and son of Hirotaro Inaba. An ordinary office worker in his twenties. He uses the online game Final Fantasy XIV to bridge the gap between him and his father.
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Hirotaro Inaba - Akio's father. In his sixties, he was rumored to be the next president of the company he worked for, but one day, he returns home and suddenly quits his job.
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Kimiko Inaba – Akio's mother and Hirotaro's wife. She was stunned by her husband's sudden decision to quit his job and can only see it as early retirement.
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Yoko Shoda - Akio's colleague at his company. At first, she was cold towards Akio, but eventually, she grew closer to him.
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Takahiro Hakamada - Akio's senior colleague at his company and a good friend of Akio's. Takahiro lost his father at a young age and can understand Akio's situation.
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Hajime Ono - Hirotaro's good friend who tries to get Hirotaro back to work.
Famous actors
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Yudai Chiba - Chiba plays Akio in the television series. He is a Japanese actor and model born on March 9, 1989, in Miyagi Prefecture and is affiliated with Japan Music Entertainment. Chiba is a promising young actor who has appeared in a variety of television series and films. His most famous and well-known role is that of Alata (Gosei Red) in Tensou Sentai Goseiger. In 2017, he won the Newcomer of the Year Award for his role in the Japanese samurai comedy film The Magnificent Nine at the 40th Japan Academy Prize ceremony.
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Ren Osugi - Osugi was a famous Japanese actor born Takashi Osugi. He was born on September 27, 1951, in Tokushima Prefecture, Japan. He passed away on February 21, 2018. Osugi was a highly regarded actor with a long acting history dating back to the 1980s, working with many other famous titles and directors such as Takeshi Kitano and Susumu Terajima. In 1999, he received the Best Supporting Actor Award at the 1999 Yokohama Film Festival.
