Hatsu Joji Made Ato 1-Jikan~One Hour Before The Affair A series of winsome vignettes following two people one hour before they end up in bed, documenting the circumstances which lead them up to their inevitable sexual destination!
WOW This was SUCH a great little show, with each episode entertaining me immensely and making me re-watch them over and over! By the end I loved it so much I wanted to make a ranking list of which ones I loved the most, ranked from 8 to 1!
Hatsu Joji Made Ato 1-Jikan~ Episode Ranking!
No.8:
“Before” (Ep.3)
Matsuyuki Yasuko and Omori Nao
Two childhood friends who have reunited after many years talk about life while on a delivery run for their Alcohol business. The lone “mature” themed chapter of the series was quite a sombre one and might be the reason this didn't grip me as much as some of the others. loved the modest way they ended it, with the couple going back to the house, closing the doors and turning off the lights as the seconds countdown to zero, nice touch!
No.7:
A Vessel For The Soul (Ep.1)
Usuda Asami and Kudo Asuka
Two Doll Enthusiasts meet at a Convention and end up at a hotel together. A cute and quirky chapter in the series and it was quite interesting seeing Asami Usuda paired with Asuka Kudo as they’ve both been part of “Ie Uru Onna” for years!
No.6:
“In The Pot” (Ep.8)
Otomo Karen and Hosoda Kanata
A self-centered girl who sets her sights on an up and coming indie film writer, seducing him with calculated precision despite all his friends seeing her for what she is and calling her out right off the bat! Karen Omoto is making a name for herself playing these “So innocently evil ya just gotta love her” kind of roles and this might be the best yet!
No.5:
“A Pretext For Cheating” (Ep.6)
Sato Honami and Nakao Akiyoshi
Two co-workers who have fantasized about having an affair with each other end up in a hotel together. Once there, they struggle with the pros and cons of cheating on their respective partners. This episode made me think of the song “Reasons” by Earth, Wind and Fire, their ode to the excuses we give ourselves to justify cheating!
No.4:
“Plus-Minus, Interesting” (Ep.7)
Shuri and Watanabe Daichi
Hilarious story of an unlucky girl who believes she is cursed falls for a happy-go-lucky guy who tells her her misfortune is all in her mind. But as the two get closer and closer, the seemingly coincidental mishaps happen over and over til he thinks she might be right after all!
This is the only flat-out comedy in the series and it’s a FUN one, with the already stern Shuri channeling her best “Sadako” against the positive and sunshiney Daichi!
No.3:
“Elder Sister and Younger Sister” (Ep.4)
Nakata Seina, Mochizuki Ayumu and Aoyama Misato
A story of two sisters, one shy and reserved and one outspoken and carefree, and the hapless guy who is thrust between them. When the bookish older sister brings home a boyfriend, a competitiveness awakens in the rascally little sister who decides to make a play for the guy herself, and it is a joy to watch the poor boyfriend juggle the rejections of the older sis and advances of the little sis, wondering who will win out in the end!
No.2:
“One Hour Before the First Time”(Ep.2)
Kiryuu Mai and Hagiwara Riku
Two extremely naive virgins struggling through the awkwardness and embarrassment of doing it for the first time. This was a really gentle and nicely paced story, which, though fairly basic in plot, had so much charm as the two clueless kids stumble through their first time together.
No.1:
“The Decisive Friday” (Ep.5)
Okamoto Rei and Laland Nishida
Story of a beautiful and sassy girl who always replies on her schleppy co-worker for snacks and companionship during her late nights at work. She counts on him because he is always there for her no matter what, but the guy holds out hope that their relationship can go further…
This was by far my favorite episode of the series, with Rei Okamoto giving a fantastic performance as the outgoing, charismatic girl who ignites a desire in her fellow co-worker to hope against all odds that she will give him a chance!
Part of me was bothered by the guy's assumption she'd so readily sleep with him, but there's a side story of the girl trying to get a golden sticker in her candy and the guy telling her it's only possible if you have the patience to go through countless regular stickers to get one...as a metaphor, I guess it works... Sex storyline aside, it was Rei Okamoto's character that really sold me on this one. Such a vibrant, energetic character, you can't help but fall in love with her and you see why the guy has pined for her for so long!
Such great interaction, I could have watched a whole series with these two, but perhaps the magic of it is because it’s contained in one 20 minute clip. And that's really the magic of this series! Something fun to watch at the end of the day!
EDIT: Just found out they created 4 more episodes of the show for an online-only airing! Hmmm, wonder if there's a way I can see those!
