“Ore no Kawaii wa Mousugu”

 Remember the 2015 comedy “Onna Michi” where we were proposed with the notion that svelte and sexy Nana Katase would someday become Eri Watanabe when she is visited by her self some 30 years from the future? And how unbelievable that was to swallow, as Nana would have to change her whole body type, bone structure, height, and voice to become even remotely similar to Eri?

Well, dig in your heels because we’re going to go there once again, this time with the fun romp “Ore no Kawaii wa Mousugu” starring Ryosuke Yamada as Kosuke Maruya, a young guy who gets visited by an unbelievable future self from 30 years in the future (Arata Furuya) who tells him that he will soon be losing his good looks and along with it, his fortunes!!!

Maruya is a guy who grew up with no discernible talents except for a certain "cuteness" about him and dazzling smile which charms all those around him and has made him a star agent for a marketing company. He has the looks, a high position at work and even a beautiful girlfriend!

He is high on life and doesn't believe the old man's claims taht he will lose his cuteness and his winning streak! But soon things will be changing!

He and his partner Kaburagi (Takaya Sakoda) are given two new employees to train, the energetic and over-eager Ichinose (Ohashi Kazuya)..and the cold and dour Izumi Sanada (Kyoko Yoshine)!

They are instructed to take them along on their sales, and Maruya is stunned when the charismatic Ichinose manages to steal his client away from him at his very first meeting with them! Maruya doesn't realize it, but his decline is about to begin! 

One by one, Maruya starts losing things he took for granted and is even DUMPED by his girlfriend (Riho Sayashi) on the anniversary of their relationship!!

Maruya's future self can only apologize to him for what's to come of his sad destiny, which devastates Kosuke. In the blink of an eye, he's lost everything meaningful to him...and without his natural charm, how can he ever get back to the man he once was? It seems bleak...

Fortunately for him, there is one person who doesn’t seem fazed by his sudden unfortunate streak- his dour and reserved trainee Sanada, who, though seemingly cold and unfeeling,may be the only one who can see the ‘real” Kosuke” beneath his ‘fake” exterior…

Looks like this might be the beginning of a new and interesting relationship beginning between the two!! Can't wait to see what develops!!!

Just as Nana/Eri did in Onna Michi, it is inconceivable to the viewer that there is ANY WAY Ryosuke would turn into Arata no matter how long, without changing his entire physical shape, but for the sake of the drama, I guess we’ll go along with it! 

Looks to be a fun one!

Crush of The Day: Mugi Kadowaki

 I had already fallen in love with actress Mugi Kadowaki in the role of Saiko Sato in the spritely drama “Todome No Kiss” back in 2018 and she has officially entered Crush Status with “Ukiwa: Tomodachi Ijo, Furin Miman”as the entirely sweet Maiko Nakayama!

Ukiwa tells the story of a young couple Maiko and her husband Takuya (Shunsuke Daito), who has just transferred to a new job and have just moved into an apartment complex next door to Takuya’s supervisor Ichi Futaba (Naotaro Moriyama) and his wife Sei (Naomi Nishida).

Seeing Hubby off

Introduction to the team

At his workplace, Takuya is reconnected with his college friend Ayumi Fukuda (Misako Renbutsu) and he finds himself spending more and more time with her after work than coming home to his wife, and when he is at home, he is distant, leaving Maiko feeling lonely for most of her day.

With both Takuya and Sei always at work or business and never at home, Maiko and Ichi are the ones left to care for the home, and after crossing paths over and over, they become friends of sorts. In fact, Takuya's wife Sei leaves so early for work that it is Maiko who inadvertently sees him off each morning!

Doing the grocery shopping

Putting out the garbage in the early morning hours

Meanwhile both Takuya and Sei seem to be gravitating towards illicit romances and further alienating their spouses. Alone in their respective cold apartments Maiko and Ichi lean on each other for support.

Aw man, as the naive and innocent housewife, Mugi was simply KILLING me here! Every action she does makes me want to give her a big hug!

There was this adorable scene where they showed her outside sweeping the front of the apartment and she was chasing a tuft of rubbish that the wind was blowing around, trying to sweep it up with her broom, I DIED~!

But it isn't just that, it’s the small quirks that really make her- the shy looks, the loopy way of moving around that she does, and especially that disarming smile of hers~!

Maiko is such a sweet and loveable character, I can scarcely believe this is the same actress who played that dour ghost girl in “Omukae Death” or even that extremely racy movie "Ai No Uzu" such dark roles- she’s come a long way!

Omukae Death

Ai No Uzu

PS: By the way, special note MUST be made of Sakurako Konishi whom, as the naughty office gossip Risa Atago, stole EVERY scene she was in with her manic pixie meddling! 

Apparently there is a spin off mini-drama of Ukiwa featuring Sakurako’s character, would be great if someone picked that one up, too! *crosses fingers*