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Synopsis |
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Mita observes the problems that occur in her workplace from an objective point of view. She solves every problem with an expressionless, cool-headed mindset. While Mita delivers an almighty 120% customer satisfaction rate, her age is unknown, she has no family, and she chooses her jobs herself. | Tokyo Hive |
Drama Reviews (1) |
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!!WARNING!! The review section may contain spoilers! Please understand that you may find out about this drama's endings and plots!
| 1. | Depressing, Creepy and Weird [Rating: 4/10] Kaseifu no Mita (a.k.a. "I'm Mita: Your Housekeeper" on Crunchyroll,) was interesting enough to keep me watching to the bitter end, but that's about the most you can say for it.
The acting was excellent by everybody of course, even the kids, but I kept wondering about this series' writers: What kind of person sits down and actually dreams up such a relentless downer?
The main character, the deeply traumatized Mita Akari, is a morose, expressionless, robotic automaton throughout; the family's father Asuda Keiichi, is one of the most disgusting, pathetic and spineless characters ever written for the screen; his sister-in-law, Yuki Urara, is written as such a ditzy, clumsy airhead that it's impossible to admire her even though you want to. This is no slam on the actors - they each did a spectacular job of playing these characters, to the point you had to remind yourself it's a TV show. The problem is that the writers decided to present a weird fusion of Twilight Zone and depravity-study.
By the middle of this I started thinking how much stronger a story it could have been if Mita had been more believable - IOW, still unsmiling and morose, but not that bizarre robot who's willing to do anything, even kill, if told to do so. If the Keiichi character had not been presented as such a corrupt worm, and if the Urara character had been loopy but not a complete ditz, the story would've had more depth of believability and of dramatic impact. Instead, it was impossible to care about any of these people except for the kids, who were the only admirable people in this story and the only characters who occasionally displayed heroism.
[Spoiler alert: Stop reading if you haven't yet watched it...]
Even in the final episode, where Mita experiences a long-awaited change of heart, it's... barely. In the scene at the table where she finally gives each of them her smile, she's still robotic - just a robot that now smiles. And the lengthy speeches by each of the kids and the father should take a prize for sappy contrivance. To the writers I'd say: "There is such a thing as too much of a good thing." Not that it helps much in any case.
Last, the final episode left almost everything up in the air. Will Mita ever snap out of her self-imposed pathology? We'll never know. Is Keiichi going to marry Urara? We'll never know. Unless of course...
Maybe the writers did that on purpose, to leave open the possibility of a second season. But given the depressing slog that this was, I can't imagine anyone wanting to see a continuation of it, despite the good acting.
Not recommended - unless you're really, really bored and in a really morbid mood. | Reviewed by Sakebitosan on 10 April 2016 |
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Comments From Users (32) |
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!!WARNING!! This section may contain spoilers! Do not proceed if you do not want to read about this drama's endings and plots!
| 1. | Comments by SayaOtonashi [Rating: 7/10] I have mixed up feelings about this dorama. I watched it because of its high ratings (around 25 in Kanto region, and the last episode reached an incredible 40) and I didn't really understand why until last espisode. I found the initial episodes somehow boring, too long and repetitive. I was never able to empathize with absolutely any of the characters, whom in the other hand made me want to slap them in the face. Well, maybe little Kii was the most adorable of all. The sets were also repetitive: office, home, school, home, grandpa's home, home again. I guess they wanted to introduce each family member through Mita's eyes, maybe to explain her relationship with them; but all those long speeches were too overacted and repetitive. Besides that, Mita was always acting like a robot, and during the first half of the series it reminded me to both "Zettai Kareshi" and "Marumo no okite". But then, on the second half, you can start noticing subtle changes in Mita, meanwhile you start learning bits of her past. Matsushima Nanako's acting was superb and, although Mita did not want to smile or reflect any kind of feeling, you could always notice how her mouth just moved less than an inch to express joy or sadness. Episode 9 was the worst one for me; I found it full of inconsistences and a total nonsense, as if it was rushed, but then, the last two episodes were brilliant and I loved the ending. And I imagine this show is good because, you know, I found myself laughing or crying sometimes, and that hardly happens to me. ***SPOILERS AHEAD: One of the things that puzzled me more was the fact that it seems Mita has some kind of mental disorder, result of a high, intense stress. That's why I really loved the ending, subtle and "happy but sad at the same time", but anyway I couldn't imagine a real family living with (and depending on) a woman who has plainly gone nuts. But hey, there's hope for everyone. | 2. | Comments by Susan [Rating: 8/10] Matsushima Nanako is arguably one of Japan's treasures. In this series she displays her range as an actress, which may sound strange considering she plays a very robotic character. But the moments of sadness, happiness, and even malevolence were so well portrayed so well. However, the rest of the cast left much to be desired. They're over-acting was tiresome, and I couldn't accept the family's ridiculous behaviour. Though the series started out great, it took a dive around the middle. But the ending was wonderful and I was glad to see Mita-san's story come full circle. | 3. | Comments by gaijinmark [Rating: 8/10] Nanako does her best work since, , , well, maybe ever. It does drag some in the middle episodes, but once it starts to show why Mita is the way she is it comes back. I would have rated this higher but the character of the father is such an irritating candy ass, I can't believe somebody like him ever got married in the first place! Good job also by Saki Aibu and Miyu Honda. | 4. | Comments by Ezalor [Rating: 8/10] This was a huge hype in Japan. Maybe because this drama holds an in japanese television seldomly seen emotional harshness. It is well-acted, has a good storyflow (tough sometimes a bit too dorama-like/predictable) and adresses problems in the japanese society. IMHO it has too much constructed shocking moments. Soundtrack "Yasashiku ni naritai" is very nice. | 5. | Comments by oonqy [Rating: 8/10] watched it due to the rave reviews by many. quite disappointing. not as expected. is a family drama like many such as Freeter. but is definately one of the better ones. there was not much excitment or peak in the drama except during the 2nd or 3rd epi from the ending. ending was normal too. but is pretty touching overall. | 6. | Comments by loveaomori [Rating: 8/10] Great acting from Matsushima san! The song is great too. But what I prefer in this dorama is the start, the immoral aspect of a father that say that he does't like his kid and prefer live with this so cute girl. I hoped it will be immoral until the end but it wasn't. Too normal and moral at the end. | 7. | Comments by darkdragon88 [Rating: 9/10] The growth of each character is one of the strongest points of this drama. The main issue seems to take a secondary role in comparison to the problems going on at the moment. This drama is made unlike any I've ever seen before. You really make a connection with the family. | 8. | Comments by Yuuki MatsuMiya [Rating: 4/10] Hmmm... So, I didn't join the crownd that loved this drama... No. Too much human misery for my taste! I went for this drama because I wanted to see Matsushima Nanako's acting again (missed her from HanaDan). But in the end, the only character that I liked was Urara! | 9. | Comments by gaston [Rating: 8/10] Interesting. Reminds me of Joou no Kyoushitsu -- but not as gripping. Definitely fun moments as well as tear jerks here and there but NOT awesome like everyone says. Love the cast though -- anything with Aibu Saki really, LOL. | 10. | Comments by Jackykero [Rating: 7/10] Very entertaining family dorama. I was concerned at first about the role of Matsushima Nanako, always serious, almost robotic, but she did a wonderful job, and the storyline was more interesting than expected. | 11. | Comments by zenith777 [Rating: 10/10] Best Drama Ever!! Really touching story and great drama! Taught me on how hard one life can be that you can't even smile day by day year by year, but there's always hope and light to live and survive. | 12. | Comments by Eyeyore [Rating: 7/10] Watching this for the delicious display of breakfasts and dinners...wish I could be at the film set. Three cheers for Nanako for acting herself, a mother. | 13. | Comments by EstherM [Rating: 7/10] Surprise hit of the season! Enjoyed it too but thought it was average. Didn't care for the dad at all. But one thing is sure Matsushima Nanako IS back! | 14. | Comments by Jeanxi [Rating: 6/10] I started watching because of the rave reviews and Matsushima Nanako. The story was really just too weird and slow for me though. | 15. | Comments by russia [Rating: 7/10] interesting show about taking responsibility for your own actions. it helps when nanako is the lead actress and is super awesome. | 16. | Comments by shinjitsu [Rating: 8/10] One of the better dramas of the season (perhaps the whole year). Matsushima Nanako is exceptional. | 17. | Comments by jdfan [Rating: 7/10] I missed Nanako. She needs a good script. T his is just an average drama. Ending is pointless. | 18. | Comments by 5irokami [Rating: 10/10] The story of a family struggling to rediscover their happiness ...very touching <3 | 19. | Comments by bobspelledbqwrds [Rating: 6/10] I have no idea why people hyped over this drama... Not bad, but not great. | 20. | Comments by Sun_Shang_Xiang [Rating: 9/10] Matsushima Nanoka seems to play cold characters well.The kids were great. | 21. | Comments by kirtil [Rating: 7/10] was expecting a stronger/more powerful ending but watching series was fun | 22. | Comments by sadacori [Rating: 8/10] Started off intense but got a bit sappy at the end. Good drama overall. | 23. | Comments by tagnickname55 [Rating: 9/10] haha cried a lot surprisingly
underestimated this show a lot | 24. | Comments by Ushiroyubi [Rating: 5/10] it was interesting seeing Matsushima in such a role | 25. | Comments by irwinner [Rating: 8/10] A little overrated, but a nice story nonetheless. | 26. | Comments by Paine_kun [Rating: 8/10] Not bad at all ! Quite liked it. | 27. | Comments by JackClark [Rating: 10/10] best drama of 2011 I think. | 28. | Comments by DoramaOnna [Rating: 3/10] Three out of ten. | 29. | Comments by Sakebitosan [Rating: 4/10] (reviewed below) | 30. | Comments by RISAKO [Rating: 8/10] Great! |
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Read all 32 comments from users
Users who voted for this drama (3) |
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