Beach Boys is a Japanese drama that was broadcast in 1997. I watched it from France after discovering the drama GTO, which features the same lead actor. It also stars Ryoko Hirosue in one of her first roles. Recently, she made headlines after an incident involving a nurse in a hospital, for which she was taken into custody and later released. Whatever the circumstances were, I hope that everyone involved is safe and recovering. The drama follows two protagonists in their twenties who accidentally meet in a small inn by the sea. Almost every character portrayed in the story carries flaws and hidden “truths” they are afraid to face, yet they are gradually compelled to confront them and grow from the experience.
Isn’t our ability to reflect on our errors what makes us human?
No one is perfect, and no one can truthfully claim to be. And if someone did—and managed to create a religion still followed thousands of years after a brief life on Earth—then perhaps that person was not merely human. Babies learn by making the same mistakes repeatedly, adapting with each iteration. This is the essence of neuroplasticity—a principle shared with the learning mechanisms of artificial intelligence, now a growing part of our society. Yet recognizing our own missteps, unprompted, is rarely easy. Often, it takes someone close—our partner, family, or friends—to mirror our actions back to us, especially when they feel the impact of our behavior. As social beings, such interactions are vital: they encourage us to consider other perspectives, integrate them with our own, and eventually evolve our understanding and thinking.
When we truly understand that we need our surrounding nature, maybe things will finally change.
This is how we grow, and the drama depicts it beautifully. The performances are quite solid, and the characters become endearing as their stories unfold. We can easily see ourselves in them. Sometimes, stepping away from the noise—work, obligations, even our own inner fears—is the first real move forward. And that becomes even more achievable in a natural setting. There is something inherently calming about being immersed in nature, something that can only be understood by experiencing it. It’s a strange irony, then, that some of the world’s largest polluters seem the furthest removed from this simple truth.
But we can change. That is the beauty of our brain: its ability to rewire, to adapt—neuroplasticity. Some people simply need more time, and more errors, before they reach that realization. But instead of labeling such individuals as lost causes or enemies, we should offer them support and understanding. We can guide them toward awareness, but we cannot force them to see. Showing them the path starts with recognizing our own shortcomings first.
What about you? Have you ever experienced a moment in nature that made you reflect on your past and rethink your actions? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
#tales-posts
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