Shizuka-chan and Papa(2022)

Shizuka-chan and Papa is a Japanese drama series about a young woman navigating life as her deaf father's interpreter. Shizuka lives with Junsuke, who runs a photo studio in the local shopping district. Her mother, also deaf, died when Shizuka was young, leaving her to rely on gestures and intense eye contact to communicate on his behalf—a habit that alienates her coworkers at the restaurant where she works part-time. When Keiichi, a regular customer, struggles to express himself to a shopkeeper, Shizuka steps in to help. The encounter sparks an unexpected connection between two people who both struggle with conventional communication. The series explores family bonds, isolation, and the possibility of understanding across difference.