So when the anime came out a while ago it was airing on a day where I was watching like 4 other shows…plus I had said “I’d prolly like this more if it was a drama.” Well someone up there listened and so we have the Hataraki Man dorama! It begins with a focus on Hiroko and how she loves her job. I found interesting how they have the characters “talk to the camera” as if nobody else is listening except us as the audience. So the show as you have expected focuses on Hiroko working at Gotansha (not Kodansha lulz) as a magazine editor. She claims she can balance life and work but clearly fails to do so especially when her boyfriend appears to be a construction site manager who has to work late nights as well.

At one point she gets the opportunity for a juicy scoop that could win their magazine popularity. This basically uncovers a love affair of a top executive. Apparently a woman there was jealous of his affair with a younger woman because she was in love with him for the last 20 years. She even gives up celebrating her 3 month anniversary with her boyfriend, who is left in the rain holding a boxed cake. Poor guy. After this rumor gets published, the magazine office (called JIDAI btw) gets threats, especially to Hiroko. She even starts to get followed home from work and has to run back scared shitless.

To make things worse she’s assigned to train a really annoying new guy. Actually he’s not that new apparently he’s been working there (and by working I mean doing nothing but being an asshole) for 6 months. She first tries to refuse this job but her boss tells her that if she does he will toss out her proposal. Eventually the bastard begins warming up to her and they start getting along (somewhat.) So anyway about the old lady, she asks her paparazzi friend (in the men’s room ) to give her his data on that woman so she manages to find her at a building site (which the Russian there means “House of Friendship between Russia & Japan”) and discuss the whole thing with her.

In the end Hiroko publishes an article which lists it as a “love letter” to that executive guy who she’s loved for 20 years. Her bosses are impressed with her work but the new guy while he says “it’s impressive” he says that he doesn’t want to live his life and die doing nothing but work. Hiroko overhears this but to herself she says “I just want to die knowing that I’ve worked”. She runs home to find her boyfriend asleep on the couch. I think that’s the only interaction we’ve seen between them the whole episode.

So all in all I love this drama and it is definitely on my blogging list for Wednesdays. (I woulda done this yesterday but I got a new cell phone which became priority over everything XD.) Also regarding “hataraki man” mode, all they show is like this glowing light around her with like a fan blowing on her face. It’s kinda silly, I don’t know how they did it in the anime but I imagine the anime version woulda been goofier. Also I love all the cast they picked for this drama. I’ve seen each and everyone of them in at least one other drama I’ve faithfully watched. Hiroko’s actress I last saw in “Ai no Uta”. She’s really great!

Upcoming Attractions: Hiroko better take care of her love life or it’s flying out the window. Features the lady from Himitsu no Hanazono!

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