Seirei no Moribito

Seirei no Morbito (精霊の守り人) is a Japanese drama currently airing on NHK. It is an adaption of the children's novel series written by Nahoko Uehashi. The show is currently in its second season and is produced by NHK Taiga Fantasy.

Usual examples of melodrama all seem to be realistic-fiction, stories from the world the author or creator currently inhabits. They reflect current social upheaval and changes and focus on relationships. Though Seirei no Morbito is set in a fantasy world, I believe it still has some melodramatic aspects.

The plot may revolve around spirits, but the core of the series is the main character Balsa. Balsa is a wandering bodyguard. The reason why she pursues this line of work is embedded in her past and revolves around her adoptive-father. In Season 1, Balsa is forced to take on a job guarding Chagum, a royal prince, from assassination attempts by his own father. Other characters are introduced including Tanda, Balsa's childhood friend, Torogai, Tanda's teacher, Shuga, a star-diviner in court, Second Empress, Chagum's mother, and Toya and Saya, two orphans Balsa is acquainted with. The story highlights and contrasts the relationships between the characters and explores what a familial relationship looks like.

Another aspect of the drama that touch on aspects of melodrama is its treatment of the Emperor and the Yaku. Chagum's father is the Emperor of Shin Yogo. In the past the Yogojin came from Yogo and conquered the Yaku and founded Shin Yogo. The Yaku are clearly analogous to Japan's aboriginal people where the divinity invested in the Emperor seems to parallel Japan's past. Despite setting up this dichotomy, the story treats the Yaku within the story without judgement.They are not cast as savages or barbarians, despite their belief in the Spirit World. The separation between Shin Yogo histories and the Yaku, as well as the effort the Shin Yogo Empire put into eradicating Yaku histories and stories comes into play in the plot too. 

Currently, melodrama still carries a negative connotation. Seirei no Moribito is, at heart, a fantasy drama but it is one grounded in the very realistic and relatable characters and the relationships they form. But I think it provides a window into how melodrama can evolve - where the coincidences and tropes are not shoehorned in, but used to provoke thought and reflection on our current lives.