Edition 205 - Rikuoh

This is only the 6th time I have mentioned a Netflix series in my newsletter. The main reason for that remains the time I have on hand. I mostly stay away from TV/web series as leisure is at a premium at this stage of my life. However this series called Rikuoh about a struggling traditional Japanese socks (tabi) maker which ventures into running shoes was just made for me.

Despite my pal Arun recommending it to me in Apr, I hadn’t found time to watch it much beyond the trailer and maybe 10 min. That changed in the last 24 hrs. I have bingewatched the series and loved it. My kids also watched it a bit and my younger one was so excited that he ran a few laps outside our home on his own. So far, I have not managed to do that despite being a running coach and a passionate runner :)

It is a lovely series and among many reasons to watch it, even if know little about running, it is the first time I have seen any TV series with the characters cheering the output of a durometer! It has all the necessary ingredients for a lovely story - small vs big, turnaround, father-son dynamics and for those of you who know their running: New Year Ekiden etc, all depicted reasonably authentically. Watch it.

Also, recommend anything else you have seen in the last decade (Rikuoh is from 2017) that you think I should try