Right away, I’ll say that this is not the goofy romcom I was expecting it to be. Although there are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and lighthearted comedic scenes, this drama gets heavy at some points and definitely moves into the melodrama category occasionally. But what made this drama so amazing is that it continually challenged my expectations of the comedy genre and the difficult emotions never felt unnatural. I laughed and I cried many times and found myself re-watching scenes again and again. The dialogue was fascinating, very quotable, and definitely gave me a new outlook on love and relationships.
It's the cast and characters that really make this drama special. Not only is the acting superb, but the individual characters are very complex and unique. Mikuri, the drama's heroine, overanalyzes and missteps often, can rarely reign in her colourful imagination, and is bold as brass, but that’s what makes her endearing and I loved watching her grow. Even the most minor characters shine in this drama! Each character is so well developed in their personalities and desires that you can’t help but root for everyone to find happiness!
Definitely don’t miss this beautiful drama!
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"We Married for Job" paints some of the most prominent recent Japanese cultural phenomena including soushokukeidanshi (herbivore men) and bankon (getting married later in life) as well as older examples such as the role of women and men, the value/happiness of housewives, perception of homosexuality, oyakoukou (filial piety), work dynamics, collectivism and the stress of shuushoku katsudou ("job hunting") among others.
The most striking thing as a student would most definitely be "experiencing" those phenomena. No matter how much one reads or researches, the 'click' moment didn't come to me until watching this drama. Until now, herbivore men had been a mere concept - a niche group of strange men no-one knew about. After Hoshino Gen's endearing performance, however, I felt myself relate and connect to a lifestyle I always found myself unable to picture. More than anything, it was a refreshing take on Japanese society - the good, the bad and the ugly - that doesn't ever really get shown on television in a non-condescending way.
'Nigeru wa haji da ga yaku ni tatsu' not only depicts Japanese society freshly and without disdain, but challenges the everyday thoughts, relationship dynamics and ideals of the Japanese. A moment that particularly stood out for me was in episode one, when the character of Moriyama Mikuri contemplates the worth of housework as an occupation, and how her changing opinion on the monetary and meaningful value of housework changes in further episodes. Another particularly notable example for me was the character of Tsuzaki Hiramasa's ideas about homosexuals and how they change in a brief conversation. Most of all, the drama in essence, had the purpose of challenging traditional and changing ideas of "love". Marriage without love, love with someone you can't marry, the lines and blurs between relationships and the beautiful sentiment of loving ourselves, and allowing ourselves to love others.
As for the drama technically speaking:
CAST
Lovely cast fully of well-known and lesser-known professionals, who provided a diverse range of looks and personality to the show. I had high hopes for Hoshino Gen, and he really delivered in my opinion. Aragaki Yui is just as lovely as ever and never fails to impress. The side characters were also extremely impressive, though I won't delve into it.
SOUNDTRACK
I won't even touch Koi (the ending title, Love) because I think it speaks for itself. The rest of the soundtrack did however put me off a little. It was quite typical of a Japanese drama, which was relatively welcome, but the repetitious backtracks and instrumentals always turn me off a bit. It was no means bad though, and well used -- never a classic "where's the music??" realisation moment.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Loved it. I'm no expert, but the TV-themed cuts were absolutely hilarious and really well shot as well. You really do notice a difference between drama and the other TV styles it depicts. I also thought the "hanky-panky" (as the subtitlers opted for) was interesting and rather cute. Nothing ever sore to the eye.
I really do love this drama - it is definitely one of the best I have seen objectively. I have my own tastes and favourites, but in terms of quality and just likeability as a drama, I really can't fault it. Anyone who is interested in watching it - try reading a little deeper and you won't be disappointed.
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The characters are also quite surprising to me as a longtime drama watcher, where every! single! character! has a strong sense of responsibility, intellect, maturity, and most importantly nuance. The most frustrating thing about dramas is how dumb and childish some of the characters can be, and it’s really refreshing to have an ensemble of perfectly logical characters (even if sometimes quirky) for once. Having watched too many stupid dramas it’s now second nature to me to brace for annoying decisions/reactions in dramas that will result in draggy plot arcs but so far Nigehaji has always pleasantly surprised me in this aspect.
The characters also represent character tropes often exaggerated in other dramas, but instead given complexity – a nerdy bachelor (but not socially inept), a sunny heroine (but not pushy), an old maid (but not desperate or bitter), a handsome “jerk” (but not arrogant and self-centered), a gay character (but his sexual orientation is not made a big deal), just to name some of the more prominent characters. This is thanks to both good writing and good acting.
But personally the true charm of Nigehaji, what makes this drama stand out from other recent dramas, is how serious and real they can get about contemporary social issues, without making the dialogue feel too heavy or unnatural. The social commentary is only sprinkled subtly over casual conversations among the characters but yet the range, depth and nuance that they’ve managed to capture is really impressive to me.
Rewatch value is 1000/10 for me because I'm not usually a rewatcher type but with this I pretty much watched each episode at least 3 times -- can't get enough of the sophisticated humour and the fluff
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I'll be honest: I didn't enjoy this drama as much as I hoped I would. Make no mistake: I believe that the drama's high rating is well-deserved, but ultimately, it just wasn't my cup of tea.
I think there were two main reasons for that: first, the pace was relatively slow and not much happened in terms of plot, and second, it had a bit too much realistic feel to it for me to love it, I prefer dramas that provide escapism from grey reality of life and this drama just wasn't it - but this is just my personal bias and I won't hesitate to recommend this drama to anyone who prefers a more realistic take on a romantic comedy.
I do admire how this drama cleverly subverts trope expectations and over-used cliches and focuses on real issues of a diverse group of relatable characters. Other highlights include:
+ believable character development
+ no love triangle
+ the characters listen to and help each other, there are no misunderstandings that would lead to some extreme unnecessary hate/angst, the characters communicate, they are honest about their feelings
+ I appreciated that women in this show are diverse in terms of age and family situation (there is a 49-year-old carrier driven woman, a freshly divorced single mother, a middle-aged housewife...) and they are nothing but supportive of each other. They even discuss traditional gender roles and how social expectations influence their lives. How often do you see that addressed in dramas?
+ there was no antagonist
+ LGBT+ characters who are (from my point of view) portrayed in a realistic, non-offensive way and not just as a source of cheap jokes
+ funny dream sequences in which the main heroine pretends to be a part of some well-known reality show or imagines to be questioned on camera about things she's going through at the moment - hilarious concept!
ACTING/CAST 8
Great performances from everyone! No complaints in this department - but I also cannot say that I became an instant obsessive fan of any of them. I will be happy to see them in other shows when the time comes though.
MUSIC 7.5/10
I admit I remember next to nothing about the background music itself, but I've got to give points to the catchy opening and ending songs. Actually, I believe that the series' ending ("Koi" by Hoshino Gen) with its hilarious dance sequence might be the most entertaining ending theme since Hana Kimi's "Peach".
REWATCH VALUE 6/10
Fairly low for me, as I found the drama's pace too slow. But I will likely rewatch my favourite parts!
OVERALL 7.5/10
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This review may contain spoilers
honestly? eh - spoilers tag is just a precaution i keep it vague
If you're the type that likes humour and fluff with funny misunderstanding etc, an easy watch? then it's for you - the higher rated reviews give you an idea but if you're a little more picky (like me ://///) then this might help?I only watched it because of Hoshino Gen's song koi, all the utaites were covering it and i said, gosh at this point i gotta watch. I checked it out and well, the concept isn't anything new but at the same time, it felt like a more serious or mature take on the idea. Typically, the marriage contract concept is humourous and hijinks ensue! sort of vibes but nigehaji takes itself a little seriously and luckily that provides a different story. As the synopsis explains, the story follows Mikuri who is lost in life– jobless and feeling purposeless, so she takes on a job as a housekeeper for this 30 ish year old office worker who's pretty much given up on love. Circumstances arise and Tsuzaki makes a suggestion for Mikuri to be his contract wife pretty much for the sake of convenience (which u know what, i get that – the tax benefits is just one thing-). Its pretty fucking slow burn but the story is still sometimes fluffy where the pair very slowly come to care about each other moving from worker/boss to aquintances to almost friends/one sided love and finally the slow development into lovers.
The characters themselves come off pretty simple and bland initially but the humour was enough to keep me interested. As the show progresses though, you understand the inner workings of the characters little by little, understanding their insecurities and worries and doubts and wants that they've both kept to themselves. Mikuri's character is much more likeable than Tsuzaki (extremely so) but at the same time i liked the way i didn't like Tsuzaki much – honestly he's pretty annoying but there are times when he's unbelievably considerate in this honest, no ulterior motives sort of way other than simply wanting to help. He was a very understandable character but also so typical and bland that just about anyone can relate to. I think his characteristics that were highlighted, was a lot of the things most people have seen in themselves at some point – he didn't seem to enjoy his life but wasn't doing anything about it, he has just about given up and is unintentionally being thoughtless in his actions because of his lack of experience? etc. Mikuri has similar feelings but she's a little more desperate to make things work out for herself because she had valued herself as a working woman and needed to get back into something that made her feel useful (as the lit title suggests). Mikuri is more complex in that, for her she has a lot of expectations of herself and is well aware of where her value comes in as a woman according to the expectations of Japanese society. For her, her sex plays a role in her life while for Tsuzaki, not so much and there's an interesting dynamic and dilemma between the two there. For Tsuzaki sex isn't something he cares about but in the real world even if it's something that doesn't change your view of someone, in society it is a key point that makes a difference. Like with racism saying you 'don't see race', you’re ignoring racism, not helping to solve it, the same can be applied with sexism and transphobia, homophobia etc. But yeah anyways, Mikuri has a kind, dynamic personality that despite her struggling with feelings of doubt makes her someone you want to root for, especially when Tsuzaki acts like an idiot.
There's very cute moments here and there and there's moments of frustration that also feel mature and poignant at times in the sense that these two characters who despite coming off very simple and bland are people that aren't just two characteristics and that events and experiences shape their reactions etc. The thing that falls short is that i think at points it felt like they were dragging things out, like crazily so and the show's only 11 episodes! I personally find it annoying when issues can be solved when people communicate well and i just find that communication issues (without trauma playing a factor), a cheap plot device. I honestly would've dropped it were it not for the fact that it was only 11 episodes and that the ending was interesting.
So nearly good, despite the average... well? everything. The story kinda falls flat in it's pacing and character development. I think the romance aspect of it should've been dealt better for both characters and I think if they had used the uniqueness of both leads to build off each other and push for growth in each other, - as the story seemed to have to wanted to go in that direction, but like most things in this show- it falls short - then the somewhat openendedness of the ending could've felt more satisfying. It gets a 7 because ost? slaps! and the casting was great and acting wasn't bad - not particularly amazing but above average !
Do note though, the manga is pretty different in comparison, it is a much more mature and mellow story that's very meaningful, i think, i hadn't read much, too much 2ndhand dread.
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This show is amazing! It really makes you think about complex concepts such as love, marriage, and roles of men and women in a relationship. Through out the show each character has an interesting development and by the end of it, they have grown as individuals. With the Mikuri-Hiramasa couple, I liked the idea of portraying marriage like a business where everyone in the family is important and that their roles matter. It's an interesting approach to the topic. I like that love is factored into it all towards the end. They first work on their own issues and then re-think their views on marriage, household roles, duties of a husband and wife, etc. None of it seems fake and ridiculous and they work out an equivalent exchange.
I also enjoyed watching how the Yuri-Ryouta relationship evolved. With these two, the writers bring up issues of aging, women's insecurities about age, women who put their career first, good-looking men viewed as players, men liking younger women, etc. It makes think about stereotypical views that society has for us and helps you re-evaluate those ideas.
What I absolutely LOVED about the show is how each character has their views about equality and how they come to an understanding together through compromises and thoughtfulness. And the funny points in the show had me rolling on my bed from laughter. The comedic moments were actually pretty damn hilarious! :D
The acting was superb! The male lead definitely deserves an award for acting out this role. It must have been difficult to pull off! I would have given this show a 10/10 but that opening song hurt my ears. I did enjoy the ending theme song and dance though.
Overall rating: 9/10.
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It had some great philosophies about marriage, modern relationships, equality and gender and age dynamics. I was really quite surprised at how insightful many of the analyses were in response to the various issues that cropped up in this drama, and it's something that a lot of Japanese dramas lacked. It's a really accurate look into the common personal conflicts that many modern Japanese face and it's portrayed in a way that doesn't enforce judgement on the refusal to conform to that standard that society has already set from the 20th century. The way their relationship/marriage was redefined was one of my favourite parts too; incredibly refreshing and truly forward-thinking when seen in the context of how Japanese gender dynamics in regard to marriage are normally defined.
Aside from being invested in the main characters, I also especially loved Yuri and Kazami's respective characters, as traditional romcom tropes (older career woman and lonely handsome playboy) with a lot of built-in complexities. Every single character, both main and supporting, are thoroughly fleshed out and made into nuanced and balanced people, that have their garishly obvious flaws but can still be pleasant and whole.
Lastly, the Koi dance at the end completely grows on you and there were tonnes of "aww" and laugh out loud moments nestled in between all the social commentary. It's so much more than your average romcom and for that it's almost a 10/10.
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Please stick with me while I go on a tangent. I promise it is very related.
I have been watching Japanese Dramas the longest out of all the dramas I have been watching. (11 years now? No...Yes, Oh MY God, 11 years...I'm getting old, holy crap.) When I first started watching them, no one watched Korean Dramas. I mean, some people did, don't get me wrong, but Japanese Dramas were where it was at. The early, mid-2000's were the Japanese Drama hey day. And then...not so much. I can't honestly say what happened. Perhaps they were simply steam rolled by the tank that was Hallyu. Perhaps they hadn't changed in quality at all and this whole thing is entirely in my own head.
But in my head, it seemed like Japan got bored. They just didn't want to any more. They didn't want to long heart felt speeches, almost cringe-y except for the complete earnestness. They didn't want the romance, the relationships. Rom com after rom com tanked until they pretty much stopped making them. Except for a few notable exceptions, everything was work place dramas and police procedurals and even if the mind was there, the heart wasn't.
Basically, it was boring.
But this show, and the more and more that are coming out like it (9 to 5, A girl & Three Sweethearts, the plethora of manga based shows) seems to me like Japan putting its embarrassing heart back into it. This show made me feel something with out being completely ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't super realistic, but it was vulnerable in a way Japanese Dramas haven't been in a long time.
Japan hasn't got it's groove back, but it's shaking, and I'm excited. I feel like Japan entered a Drama dialectic and now we're approaching it's synthesis.
Okay, now I'm definitely over thinking this.
Point is, perhaps it isn't everyone's cup of tea. Like most Japanese shows there is zero, absolutely zero, subtly.
The dialogue is fast and if you aren't into the dialogue, you just aren't going to be into the show, which is fair. There isn't a ton else going on here.
But, if you're like me and you were into the dialogue, you can feel it's heart. And that's it. That's the whole shebang, it was honest and I could feel it's heart and loved it for it. The feels man. That's why we're all here in the first place, no?
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I loved Hiramasa-san, he is the epitome of what I consider Japanese men to be. Quiet, well educated, cold-looking, awkward, hardworking, no interest in woman or having a relationship. Main interest is living a quiet, comfortable life. All of these changes once he makes a marriage contract with Mikuri-san. I like how their relationship evolved. We may not have seen much skinship and lovey-dovey things between them, but that was precisely the charm. Mikuri has to do all the work but with patience. A man like Hiramasa-san would be scared off otherwise, ha! I like how she came up with little things (like Tuesday's hugs) to be closer to each other. And just when you thought this Hiramasa was just too slow and wouldn't do anything to take things further, he surprises us with a kiss! (ok, I was not surprised since I was spoiled on Tumblr... and because when that kiss happened, the kiss in YOI also happened. Ha!)
I am not really a super fan of Gakki, but she had a wonderful character in this dorama. It was impossible not to cheer for her, not to root for her. It was lovely how she falls for this little guy (this is not a lie... Hoshino Gen is truly little!). I love her imagination and how the dorama shows us how her mind works! The little scenes of her imagination were always funny to watch.
The other characters were all likable. In the past, I used to be not a fan of relationship between a much older woman and a much younger man. But in this case, it wasn't possible to not root for Yuri-san and the Ikemen-guy. Yuri-san is such a beautiful woman! I couldn't believe she was 49 years old, so I had to look it up. I am surprised to say that she is 47! She looks like 40 or less, even if you can see her wrinkles, which makes her even more pretty, because she is all natural! The age gap is not that much in real life (it is 11 instead of 17 years), and Kazami was a lucky guy to have her at the end. I love her point of view regarding marriage and being single, and I teared up a little bit the time she cried.
Story: As mentioned before, I was very interested in this story because Hiramasa-san represents Japan male youth nowadays. But it is not only that, the dorama also focuses on work and being a housewife, and being a new-mother who has a husband in an affair (and prefers divorce instead of accepting said affair... as far as I know, because of what I have read, Japanese women prefer to ignore the affairs of their husbands), and there is also romantic relationship between an older woman with a younger man, and a bit about homosexuality and the pressure of a Japanese person to come back to Japan after having lived outside for so long. I mean, although this was a romantic comedy (more comedy than romantic, and to emphasize this, I have to say I laughed out loud in almost every episode), there were also many serious and contemporary issues. The main issue may be entirely Japanese (main male character is an herbivorous guy) but the other issues are worldwide. The only, let's say "twist", that wasn't too much of my liking was the one at the end with Numata-san. And that's because he is like 60 years old and the boy is like 20. Ew.
Music: Excellent OST. So fine, the OP isn't "OMG, I LOVE IT!", but it is cute and with a nice mood and fits the dorama perfectly. The soundtrack that goes along the dorama was soo good. Like Italian-like (with acchordeon), and it was almost in every laid-back scene. And of course, the ED "KOI" is so catchy! I thought I wouldn't be part of the fandom, but I was wrong! The dance is cute, Hoshino Gen certainly can sing on live, and it will always be part of the best months of 2016 for me. One, because I visited Japan, and two, because YOI was also broadcasted at the same time. So from now on, every time I listen to this song it will be a natsukasshii! feeling for me XD
I would totally rewatch this, no doubt. And would I recommend it? Heck yes! This may not -yet- be one of my favorite dorama (I can't say WHY exactly), but I can say that anyone who wants to watch a light but realistic dorama, to give this a try. There are no silly misunderstandings, no overacting, no stupid tears, so soap-opera-ish scenes... totally recommended.
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This review may contain spoilers
I'm a sucker for contract relationship dramas. There's just something about watching two characters finding themselves unexpectedly falling for each other despite their best plans not to. And We Married as a Job (Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu) is no exception. Watching these two slowly fall for each other and open up to each other and come to rely on one another was sweet and charming and incredibly wholesome. These are two likable characters who develop a very likable relationship with one another. What makes this drama stand out from the pack, however, is how realistic and believable it all is. I can 100% see this happening in real life, something that can't typically be said for these sorts of stories. That's not to say that I have a problem with contract relationship dramas that are not realistic. If a story is well-written and the relationship is likable, then I don't mind having to suspend my disbelief. But there is something nice about watching a contract relationship drama play out in a way that would be very plausible in the real world, and I think this drama illustrates this well.First and foremost, Mikuri and Hiramasa are very well suited for each other. Despite their difficulties around expressing their feelings for one another, they are surprisingly adept at communication otherwise, and that's ultimately why their relationship works so well. Whenever they hit a roadblock or setback, they sit down and work out a plan to overcome it, and most importantly, neither of them give up. They each have their moments where they think about quitting, but every time, they ultimately choose to stick with it and make it work.
Other things to note about this drama:
I initially was confused by Mikuri's daydreams as I did not realize that that was what they were, but once I figured it out, I found them quite enjoyable. They give you a really great insight into who she is as a character, not to mention they're really fun. (She frequently imagines herself taking part in different Japanese television programs that exist in real life, from documentaries to news shows, etc. They make for fun references even if you've never seen the real programs themselves.)
I related to Mikuri and Hiramasa's struggles with finding meaningful, romantic connection with others. In the case of Mikuri, her personality has apparently turned off all of the guys she's dated previously despite her best efforts not to do so, while Hiramasa has always been too fearful of putting himself out there to make an attempt at finding love. Turned out, their personalities were perfectly suited for one another, and once they found each other, they were able to put those fears and insecurities to rest.
I quite enjoyed the eventual loveline, and message behind it, between Mikuri's older sister and Ryota. They made a really charming secondary couple.
Final thoughts:
Overall, I really like this drama, and it's now in my favorite dramas list on MDL. With such likable and relatable characters, such a wholesome and heartwarming story, and conflict that's believable, it's hard to find something not to like. We Married as a Job was a breezy, enjoyable watch, and I highly recommend it.
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