1 post tagged “kekkon dekinai otoko”
Episode 1: "So what if I like to be alone?!"
Summary from Fuji TV:
A man is cooking a steak in an apartment kitchen. Although his skills are a bit rusty, his usage of spices and way of pouring brandy to light a fire is quite a sight. He's Shinsuke Kuwano, an architect. He starts taking bites of the steak when his cell phone rings. It's Eiji Murakami, Shinsuke's assistant at the office. He has called to remind Shinsuke of a party that he was supposed to attend.
"Mr. Kuwano, you were the one invited. Why aren't you here?" "Eiji, did you know that the ancient Romans partied by lying on the floor and feasting with their hands?" "You have to come. There's somebody that wants to build a house soon."
Later on at the party, Shinsuke finds Eiji hitting on a girl. "Did you know that five-story pagodas are actually one-story high?" This is a piece of trivia that Shinsuke had told him. Shinsuke stands out at the party with his handsome looks. When he learns that a girl at the party is interested in him, for some reason, he starts talking endlessly about architecture, eventually boring the girl. Eiji says, "Mr. Kuwano, if you don't do something about your personality, you'll never be able to get married." "I like being alone!" replies Shinsuke.
In the meantime, at a Japanese restaurant, Natsumi Hayasaka is reluctantly having dinner with an arranged date. When Natsumi feels that the topic of conversation is heading towards marriage, she finally speaks up.
At a later date, Maya Sawasaki, who works in the housing industry is giving a tour of a house Shinsuke designed. Maya is confident of landing a deal with a customer, but Shinsuke just can't keep his mouth shut, ruining the deal. Although Maya and Eiji are fed up with Shinsuke's personality, they still respect his way of designing homes focusing on the kitchen—the place in the house where family warmth is built upon.
i started watching this show for two reasons: high ratings and Abe Hiroshi. he also played the business-minded teacher ("but i'm actually a lawyer") in Dragon Zakura and was the reason i kept watching. Abe Hiroshi actually reminds me of the main character in House MD, except younger and not as unkempt. he's a very attractive older man :D and doesn't disappoint in this series either as the eccentric Kuwano.
female client: why did you become an architect?
Kuwano: because God told me to.
(silence)
Murakami: that was a joke just now.
i loved the first scene of him eating by himself and then later at the party where Murakami had to translate to a client nearly everything Kuwano was saying. i don't know if anyone else can pull off this role like Abe Hiroshi, honestly, because there's a thin line between being an asshole and being funny. he doesn't try to be an asshole, however, it just comes naturally to him. Kuwano doesn't seem to know how to act around people; he relies on his genius to make a living and is used to getting things done by himself and his own way. because his coworkers respect him as an architect, Kuwano can get away with being rude to clients or even chasing them away--but the strangest part is that he doesn't do it on purpose or sometimes even realize that he's doing it. which makes me wonder about whether he's actually lonely. because naturally solitary people don't have to be longing for human companionship... but certain scenes suggest that Kuwano doesn't always want to be alone. for example: when he remembers his own birthday he asks Nakagawa, his brother-in-law, to celebrate, and is rejected. and when Sawasaki, his female doctor and possible love interest, invites him to cake at the hospital, he declines because he doesn't want her invitation to be out of pity. in fact, Nakagawa's friendliness angers him, most likely because he doesn't think she genuinely cares. all of which suggests Kuwano does have some desire for friendship.
all these shows about love, work, and marriage remind me of what my Tokyo Free Guide told me when i visited in July. "unmarried women after 30 are referred to as 'Christmas cakes,' which are no good after Christmas." here is another series featuring an unmarried woman approaching or past the age of 30, hardworking, successful, and described by others as not "kawaii" enough. it seems like in Japan especially, women have to choose between their love life and their career goals. i wonder about the "kawaii" thing, though. the line "you'd have a boyfriend if you only acted a bit more kawaii" has been used and reused in scores of shows now. why is "kawaii" what makes a woman attractive, and not "determined" or "confident"? still, the times are changing, since most of these shows have career women finding love after all.
since i'm already up to episode 4, i'm going to stop writing here and insert more pictures instead.
