In an increasingly depressing world, this life-affirming celebration of love and our common humanity (a big hit in Japan in 2016 and now on Netflix) is a recommended tonic for any jaded soul. Ostensibly a light-weight manga-inspired rom-com, the 11-part 'Full-Time Wife Escapist' is in fact a profound reflection on relationships, particularly the need to renegotiate them as our lives evolve and needs change.
The set-up: Hiramasa, a nerdy 35-year-old live-alone (and vaguely autistic) software engineer advertises for a housekeeper. Taking the job is the bubbly, creative, funny and adorable Mikuri, a 25-year-old unemployed woman with a Master's degree in psychology. Hiramasa has high standards when it comes to cleanliness, but Mikuri, wanting the work and affirmation that goes with it, meets them easily. When Mikuri's parents suddenly decide to retire and quit town, leaving her homeless, she suggests to Hiramasa a 'contract marriage'. Enjoying finally feeling valuable, she offers to cook for Hiramasa and clean his apartment as a job, while he goes out to work. It is a purely platonic, economic and pragmatic arrangement. He works long hours and has someone to mind house. She gets to feel useful and earns a wage.
Having announced their 'betrothal', the couple have to convince both their families and his co-workers that what is a contracted economic arrangement job of is really a legitimate marriage. It's out of these misunderstandings that the comedy, and, ultimately, the romance arise. Mikuri soon develops feelings for Hiramasa, but he continually pushes her away - not because he doesn't like her in return (he does) - but because he is totally inexperienced in relationships, has poor communications skills, and feels this is strictly an employer-employee arrangement. As they move on, the relationship is gradually renegotiated, including a decision to start playing as romantic partners by having a hug each Tuesday. You can guess where this leads.
Add to this central story are a number of other characters, including Mikuri's youthful-looking 49-year-old aunt Yuri, a career woman who has never married, and Hiramasa's 32-year-old office friend Kazami, a handsome bachelor and ladies' man who after swearing off intimacy is gradually drawn to the soulful depth of Yuri.
The series has important things to say about gender roles, marriage, domestic labour, office work and ageing in the context of a patriarchal (though changing) Japanese society. Most of all - using humour and fantasy - it carries the universal message thatsuccessful lifelong relationships are built on a readiness of both partners to constantly renegotiate terms. Hiramasa and Mikuri effectively, through trial and many errors, do 'marriage in reverse' - starting with the original idea of it as an economic partnership and then adding love and intimacy later. All the way, there is open communication about what each needs from the other. Mikuri is clearly the more empathetic one and does all the emotional heavy lifting in the early stages. But having been brought out of his self-imposed isolation, Hiramasa starts to understand what shared vulnerability, affection and intimacy can add to life so that when Mikuri herself loses hope, he is able to rally her back. As she eventually takes an outside job just as he is retrenched, their domestic roles reverse, in what is a challenge to the male-centric Japanese culture.
This is a beautiful program, full of sometimes funny, and often incredibly moving, insights about life and love. Bring a hanky, or three. And be sure to watch the full-length movie offshoot (filmed four years after the original series) which uses the pandemic to reflect on its impact on work and relationships and parenting within the context of strict Japanese culture and mores..
A final note: Having been charmed by the chemistry between the two central characters throughout, it was not a surprise to learn that they - musician/actor Gen Hoshino and model/actress Yui Aragaki - married in real life after the program was shot. Aragaki is almost Audrey Hepburn-like in this role, not only in her incandescent beauty and charm, but also in her comedic timing. She steals every scene she is in without seeking to over-shadow her co-stars. But for the language barrier, she would be a HUGE international star.
To top it all off each episode ends with a brilliantly choreographed routine involving all the characters dancing to a super catchy tune written by Hoshino himself. The dance routine is pure joy and is a perfect way to end a program that as a mood-lifter is hard to beat. Overall, 'The Full-Time Wife Escapist' is a 10-out-of-10 and this is coming from someone whose tastes usually don't stray in this direction.
The set-up: Hiramasa, a nerdy 35-year-old live-alone (and vaguely autistic) software engineer advertises for a housekeeper. Taking the job is the bubbly, creative, funny and adorable Mikuri, a 25-year-old unemployed woman with a Master's degree in psychology. Hiramasa has high standards when it comes to cleanliness, but Mikuri, wanting the work and affirmation that goes with it, meets them easily. When Mikuri's parents suddenly decide to retire and quit town, leaving her homeless, she suggests to Hiramasa a 'contract marriage'. Enjoying finally feeling valuable, she offers to cook for Hiramasa and clean his apartment as a job, while he goes out to work. It is a purely platonic, economic and pragmatic arrangement. He works long hours and has someone to mind house. She gets to feel useful and earns a wage.
Having announced their 'betrothal', the couple have to convince both their families and his co-workers that what is a contracted economic arrangement job of is really a legitimate marriage. It's out of these misunderstandings that the comedy, and, ultimately, the romance arise. Mikuri soon develops feelings for Hiramasa, but he continually pushes her away - not because he doesn't like her in return (he does) - but because he is totally inexperienced in relationships, has poor communications skills, and feels this is strictly an employer-employee arrangement. As they move on, the relationship is gradually renegotiated, including a decision to start playing as romantic partners by having a hug each Tuesday. You can guess where this leads.
Add to this central story are a number of other characters, including Mikuri's youthful-looking 49-year-old aunt Yuri, a career woman who has never married, and Hiramasa's 32-year-old office friend Kazami, a handsome bachelor and ladies' man who after swearing off intimacy is gradually drawn to the soulful depth of Yuri.
The series has important things to say about gender roles, marriage, domestic labour, office work and ageing in the context of a patriarchal (though changing) Japanese society. Most of all - using humour and fantasy - it carries the universal message thatsuccessful lifelong relationships are built on a readiness of both partners to constantly renegotiate terms. Hiramasa and Mikuri effectively, through trial and many errors, do 'marriage in reverse' - starting with the original idea of it as an economic partnership and then adding love and intimacy later. All the way, there is open communication about what each needs from the other. Mikuri is clearly the more empathetic one and does all the emotional heavy lifting in the early stages. But having been brought out of his self-imposed isolation, Hiramasa starts to understand what shared vulnerability, affection and intimacy can add to life so that when Mikuri herself loses hope, he is able to rally her back. As she eventually takes an outside job just as he is retrenched, their domestic roles reverse, in what is a challenge to the male-centric Japanese culture.
This is a beautiful program, full of sometimes funny, and often incredibly moving, insights about life and love. Bring a hanky, or three. And be sure to watch the full-length movie offshoot (filmed four years after the original series) which uses the pandemic to reflect on its impact on work and relationships and parenting within the context of strict Japanese culture and mores..
A final note: Having been charmed by the chemistry between the two central characters throughout, it was not a surprise to learn that they - musician/actor Gen Hoshino and model/actress Yui Aragaki - married in real life after the program was shot. Aragaki is almost Audrey Hepburn-like in this role, not only in her incandescent beauty and charm, but also in her comedic timing. She steals every scene she is in without seeking to over-shadow her co-stars. But for the language barrier, she would be a HUGE international star.
To top it all off each episode ends with a brilliantly choreographed routine involving all the characters dancing to a super catchy tune written by Hoshino himself. The dance routine is pure joy and is a perfect way to end a program that as a mood-lifter is hard to beat. Overall, 'The Full-Time Wife Escapist' is a 10-out-of-10 and this is coming from someone whose tastes usually don't stray in this direction.