"Nigeru wa haji daga, yaku ni tatsu" is a very entertaining series that will keep the viewer's attention throughout its short 11-episode run, with lots of funny and charming moments, interesting characters and a different view about family and housework.
Mikuri is a young woman of 25 who cannot find a stable job. She starts a part-time cleaning Tsuzaki's house. Both seem happy with the arrangement, but then she offers him an outlandish plan: they will live together, she will take care of everything: cooking, cleaning, shopping... and he will pay her a salary. And so society accepts it, they will tell everyone they are married. Will they fall in love?
You can tell the story of "Nigeru wa haji daga, yaku ni tatsu" from minute one. It has a couple of nice twists, but in general it plays it safe as they come. We have a romance here, let's enjoy it. Luckily for the viewer, things are kept fresh, with lots of rhythm, and the acting helps, Aragaki being her most charming ever and Hoshino doing a great job as the lonely man who just works and believes he has left the chance of love and a relationship behind. The fact that they live together but cannot tell anyone that they are not married does for some very funny moments. The show also delivers in its more intimate situations, and we will learn to care for the characters and their stories. It is also interesting that a show offers some views about the importance of labor, especially housework, which is normally done for free (made free job), what normally makes it be seen as 'less' or 'worthless'. The TV series has its heart in the right place and challenges the viewer's opinions on a couple of topics.
On a down note, it could be said that the show cannot overcome some traditional views about people: we need to have a partner in life and live in a relationship. Everyone seems to be in need of a partner, as if being single (or some other arrangement) cannot be enough. Another point is that the love story between Mikuri and Tsuzaki is a little bit difficult to believe. What do they find in each other that attracts them? The show does an average job (or poor sometimes) in making us believe that they may be made for each other, and it leaves us with the feeling that it may be that just contact (as in living together) with another person is enough to end together.
Mikuri is a young woman of 25 who cannot find a stable job. She starts a part-time cleaning Tsuzaki's house. Both seem happy with the arrangement, but then she offers him an outlandish plan: they will live together, she will take care of everything: cooking, cleaning, shopping... and he will pay her a salary. And so society accepts it, they will tell everyone they are married. Will they fall in love?
You can tell the story of "Nigeru wa haji daga, yaku ni tatsu" from minute one. It has a couple of nice twists, but in general it plays it safe as they come. We have a romance here, let's enjoy it. Luckily for the viewer, things are kept fresh, with lots of rhythm, and the acting helps, Aragaki being her most charming ever and Hoshino doing a great job as the lonely man who just works and believes he has left the chance of love and a relationship behind. The fact that they live together but cannot tell anyone that they are not married does for some very funny moments. The show also delivers in its more intimate situations, and we will learn to care for the characters and their stories. It is also interesting that a show offers some views about the importance of labor, especially housework, which is normally done for free (made free job), what normally makes it be seen as 'less' or 'worthless'. The TV series has its heart in the right place and challenges the viewer's opinions on a couple of topics.
On a down note, it could be said that the show cannot overcome some traditional views about people: we need to have a partner in life and live in a relationship. Everyone seems to be in need of a partner, as if being single (or some other arrangement) cannot be enough. Another point is that the love story between Mikuri and Tsuzaki is a little bit difficult to believe. What do they find in each other that attracts them? The show does an average job (or poor sometimes) in making us believe that they may be made for each other, and it leaves us with the feeling that it may be that just contact (as in living together) with another person is enough to end together.