Shy and introverted Thirty-something Food Journalist Izumi Kikuchi (Marika Matsumoto) at the end of a heartbreak meets a larger-than-life and worldly Beauty Surgeon named Haruko Nakajima (Mao Daichi) who takes the naive girl under her wings and teaches her about the finer things in life, food, style, and about loving yourself.This drama reminds me in a lot of ways of the great Rosalind Russell movie Auntie Mame with the grand Mame Dennis raising her wide-eyed young nephew Patrick in similar fashion, and her summation of life, “Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death! “ can just as easily be applied to The Great Haruko!
Also kind of reminded me of the Nanao HR drama “Miss Devil”, a show which I absolutely love but people seem to hate because of her mean and callous solutions to the problems of the employees she is supposed to be helping…In much the same way, Haruko Nakajima uses her own form of “Tough Love”, where, instead of helping the ones in need, she instead gives them a swift kick to the behind, a remedy MOST people are in sore need of!
And of course, her abrupt candor always results in everyone getting what they want in the end, a begrudging “happy end” for all! All Hail the "Saiko No Obahan"!!
Thanks to Sabu for getting me a copy of this spirited drama!
