The Return of Hanasaki Mai!!

The first episode of the brand spanking new reboot of the popular “Hanasaki Mai ga Damattenai” series just aired this past week and after watching it, I think I can safely say that the show is in good hands and promises to be yet another fun ride!
In this new 2024 edition, Mio Imada takes the role of the titular Mai Hanasaki originally played by Anne Watanabe. As they are two totally different styles of actresses, I was curious to see what kind of ‘take” Mio Imada was going to use for the role. Anne played the character as an outspoken and unstoppable powerhouse, but with Mio’s more slight and demure stature, I wasn’t sure she could convey the same feeling.

I had actually predicted that she would tackle the role of Mai Hanasaki more along the lines of her character of Maririn in “Waru”, a spunky, spritely girl who just HAS to interfere and interject when she sees wrongdoing. Quite a different take, but it WORKS!
In fact, I really enjoyed this first episode and watching Mio make the role her own…Truthfully, it doesn’t really feel to me like “Hanasaki Mai ga Damattenai” per se, more like a similar show with the same situations: “Woman working for the Inspection Branch of a Bank goes with her partner to investigate clerical errors and deviations, and when confronted with cover-ups and shady dealings, cannot help but speak her mind!”

Mio Imada as Mai Hanasaki

Hanasaki can't help voicing her opinions to her superior (Chiaki Kuriyama) even when it comes to arguments...

...and is surprised when she find herself suddenly TRANSFERRED the very next day!

Is it a promotion? A DEmotion? She doesn't know until she starts her new job and is paired with an old colleague Ken Soma (Koji Yamamoto)...

...and find they have been personally selected to become a part of  the Bank's Inspection Division!

Wide-eyed and naive, Hanasaki is eager to put her best step forward...

...But she will find that the bull-headedness of the people they are set to audit makes her job almost impossible and RIGHT AWAY she finds herself fighting the urge to CALL THESE people OUT!

Keeping calm for the time being, we KNOW there will be a tipping point where it will ALL come out!

Along with the character of Mai Hanasaki and Ken Soma, we also have new characters like Heihachi Kimoto (Jun Kaname) and Reiko Shosenkyo (Rinko Kikuchi) who are already being set- up as the final boss baddies of the series...

Though they have replaced Takaya Kamikawa, the actor DOES appear in the series, this time as Mai’s Uncle Ken, running an restaurant where Mai lives and vents her frustrations out to him each evening!

Quite fun to see her complaining about Ken Soma’s eccentricities to her uncle only to have him say “That doesn't sound bad at all!” You have to laugh because of COURSE he would be OK with it as HE played the character HIMSELF not so long ago! LOLOL

This drama seems like it will be a good time! In my mind, it’s like watching a sequel to Waru, only this time Mio Imada is more serious- Gotta love the way that Mio’s version of Mai Hanasaki madly dashes out of the room when she has to get to the bottom of things, JUST like her character of Maririn did!

Mio Imada of course looks absolutely scrumptious as Hanasaki Mai, and she and Koji Yamamoto work well together- I loved all the scenes of the two of them putting their heads together and delving deep into the cases. When they’re serious it’s when the show is at its best!

Look Out Mulder and Scully! There’s a new dynamic duo in town!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogpsot.com