There are about six or seven different storylines going on at any given time in each episode of the wonderful Eiko Koike-led drama “Kotatsu ga Nai Ie”, including Marie and her work, her husband lazy ways, her father’s housing problems and her co-workers romance troubles, but the one which I find I enjoy the most is also the one that’s probably the most insignificant to the overall story, and that’s whenever they cut to Marie’s son Junki (Ryuto Sakuma) and his interaction with his cute and bubbly classmate Reira (Kokoro Hirasawa) in school!
These scenes are always so sweet and charming. They remind me of the cutaways in OTOMEN whenever they'd cut to the school dorks (Emi Takei and Kazuma Sano) watching and commenting off to the sidelines about the school's goings on. In the same way, these scenes in Kotatsu lets you stop and take a breath!
Reira is naturally quirky and playful, a nice tonic to Junki's stand-offish and brusque personality. Although initially seeming like she's really bugging him, you can see him slowly soften up around her...and who wouldn't with such a dose of sunshine each day?
Reira is an aspiring manga creator, and there’s a brief arc where she uses this excuse to visit Junki at home to meet his father Yusaku, a famous mangaka. She hopes to get his appraisal of her work and perhaps a recommendation, though these points go nowhere.
But it does make her closer to Junki and it’s sweet to see how she unfailingly sticks up for him at school as a soundboard for him whenever he’s working out a problem at school, life or family.
And though you only get a snippet at a time each episode, it's nice to see the two develop a real bond with each other over time!
Just another great reason this drama is so satisfying!
Speaking of cute, there is this actress playing a character named Rinna who works at Marie’s office, Her name is Moka Ishikawa, and whenever they'd show the gang at work, I’d always think, WOW, that girl there reminds me of a young Majyu Ozawa, and if you know me, that is HIGH praise indeed!
Generally a secondary character, she was mostly just there as filler while the main conversation revolved around Marie and Shiori (Chiaki Horan)...
But as time went on, she featured more prominently in the scenes, and I really loved the pretty outfits they'd have her in- very frilly and girly!
Got to the point where I was waiting to see more of her, and the show did not disappoint!
Going online, I didn’t have to search far to find out that she was among the mighty Bikini brigade and found cheese-cakey goodness aplenty! WELL WELL, looks like ANOTHER girl I’ll have to look out for!
Yep, there's LOTS to love here, and it that weren’t all, Kotatsu ga nai Ie features one of, if not my FAVE theme song of the season, the sassy “Dame Otoko Kazoe Uta” by legendary Sayuri Ishikawa!
Was really hoping that the Red & White veteran would be singing this song at the Kohaku Uta Gassen this year, but looking over the published set-list, it looks like it's gonna be "Tsugaru Kaikyo Fuyugeshiki" as usual….I'm sure it will be as majestic as ever, but wouldn't she want a change from those same two songs she always does? LOL!
