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Watashi, Teiji de Kaerimasu japanese drama review
Completed
Watashi, Teiji de Kaerimasu
1 people found this review helpful
by curvedtree
Sep 16, 2019
10 of 10 episodes seen
Completed
Overall 7.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 5.5
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
This review may contain spoilers
I heard about this series when it made into the news in my country how a tv series was making Japan reconsider their own work-culture, at first I was impressed with such a blunt news so I decided to give it a try. I would like to thank IrozukuSubs for subbing this show, otherwise I would not have been able to watch this. so thank you very much.

The show is about Yui Higashiyma a director on a marketing company where their motto is "workers should not work overtime", ever since she was first admitted in this company she also made that statement "I will leave when I'm done" and that takes everyone around her by surprise considering the Japanese overwork culture. Throughout the episodes we see several issues that might happen in your average worker life: a mother afraid people won't take her seriously, a loner that stays in the office for his lack of hobbies, an overworker that feels his life would have been nothing without a job, a charismatic designer that was told since she lack skills she should help the company in unconventional matters, an eager beginner willing to show his skills but unable to know his own body limits and more.

Story wise I thought the series was quite interesting, based on a book of the same name and that also had a repercussion for the author boldness, I particularly think it didn't affect a so deep rooted sense as the Japanese work culture, but in our Contemporary times we have seen an improvement and how companies slowly but surely are improving the relation with their workers. Filled with examples Japanese people would hear at their work places, or even things they themselves would have felt at some point in their career, so the highest point of the series most definitely is this one.

The cast is good, at least those that have a minimal influence in the show. Takumi was terribly written, even when the outcome of the series where he lies and says he cheated on Higashiyama, made me feel really sorry for him, he is a nice guy, but not "nice guy", he deserved better. Higashiyama has a motherly figure caring for those around her, here I think Yoshitaka, the main actress, nailed it, however her acting was goofy, overdramatic and/or "cute-sy" in uncalled for moments. I've seen Korean dramas and I know actress do that in SK but in "serious" plays they really show their skills, I will give Yuriko Yoshitaka the benefit of the doubt and not believe that she was casted by her pretty face. Fukunaga, Yusuke Santamaria, was an exception I really enjoyed him with mysterious and, maybe, untrustworthy looks, he was able to deliver great moments; on the guest side Sakuramiya, Kurumi Shimizu, was greatly delivered, I will look for more of her works. The other characters didn't give me much of an impression: Taneda was your average drama hero; Shizugatake was well introduced, but poorly developed; Mitani was too caricatured with her "robotic" personality; the rest of the team was "meh"; Shu suited perfectly with his brother, because his personality and acting were tasteless; Ou Tan deserves praises for being the comedy relief, she is supposed to help the character break their tension; those two old men on Shanghai restaurant I have nothing to say, couple of words per episode isn't much too judge.

Interesting, light-hearted, with some serious critics about their culture, worth the watch, not magnificent, but something to take notes and remembers. Now it is my time to go, I'm going first, otsukaresama deshita!
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