Review of Around 40

Title: Around 40
Broadcaster: TBS
Timeslot: Fridays, 10pm
O.A. season: Spring 2008
Theme song: Shiawase no Monosashi by Takeuchi Mariya





Cast:

Ogata Satoko (39) - Amami Yuki
Okamura Keitaro (33) - Fujiki Naohito
Morimura Nao (35) - Ootsuka Nene
Oohashi Sadao (39) a.k.a. Ma-kun - Tsutsui Michitaka
Takeuchi Mizue (39) - Matsushita Yuki
Ogata Tatsuya (28) - AKIRA (EXILE)
Ogata Maki (24) - Sakura
Ogata Tomoyasu (69) - Hayashi Ryuuzo
Ogata Haruko (61) - Kaga Mariko

Review:

Well, I wasn't in the mood to watch this when it was O.A. in Japan but somewhere managed to have some time recently to watch this...out of boredom. As such, you can see that I wasn't too keen on this drama in the first place.

There have been so many dramas on women hitting the big 30 and what happens after that but this drama is targeting those approaching 40. As such, I felt that the premise was largely similar to those 30s women dramas. The main problem facing both groups is still whether to enter marriage. The only difference is the issue of having kids coming into the picture. As women age, childbearing becomes tougher so rushing into marriage seems to be for the sake of having children in some cases.

Basically, this story is about 3 women i.e. Satoko, Mizue and Nao who are facing crucial decisions in life. Satoko was originally OK with staying single until she succumbed to the idea of getting married as she approached 40. Mizue is sick of her family life as a housewife and wants to work so as to prove her worth. Nao, (strictly speaking not an ara-4 i.e. around 40) is undecided about whether she should get married or continue to strive for career success. It's a simple story and very easy to follow.

The biggest problem I found with this drama was the story. As I said just now, there have been so many dramas on this type of genre over the years. To differentiate oneself from the precedessors, this drama fails in terms of its plot. And there are some developments which brings to mind past examples e.g. Love Revolution. In addition, it doesn't take a genius for you to guess what's going to happen next. This drama pales in comparison to very successful examples like Anego.

Why do I say it reminds me too much of Love Revolution? That's largely due to the presence of Fujiki Naohito. Although he doesn't play the field like his role in Love Revolution and his character is vastly different, just the combination of him and an older woman in a similar setting brings to mind the similarities. And the ending is almost an exact copy of the former. I liked his interaction with Esumi Makiko at that time and the story helped a lot BUT this time round, I couldn't help but cringe when I see him and Amami Yuki being paired up.

The biggest saving grace is the excellent acting from the ladies especially Matsushita Yuki. One moment, she can be a grouchy housewife and the next, she becomes a woman who behaves as if she has just fallen in love for the first time (she has a short crush on Fujiki's character). Amami Yuki, in contrast, seems at ease playing a career woman but when it comes to scenes which try to show the softer and cuter side of her character Satoko, it just feels terribly awkward. Ootsuka Nene is pretty good too but the developments around her character are too predictable to give her room to perform.

Viewership ratings:

1) 11 April 08 - 15.7%
2) 18 April 08 - 14.2%
3) 25 April 08 - 13.9%
4) 2 May 08 - 15.1%
5) 9 May 08 - 15.2%
6) 16 May 08 - 15.4%
7) 23 May 08 - 14.9%
8) 30 May 08 - 14.5%
9) 6 June 08 - 13.3%
10) 13 June 08 - 15.6%
11) 20 June 08 - 15.1%

And my ratings for this drama...
Story: 5 out of 10
Acting: 7 out of 10
Theme song: 6 out of 10 (catchy initially but it gets boring after repeated listenings)
Visual effects / Scenery: 5 out of 10 (nothing impressive, a lot of indoor scenes)
Teamwork / Chemistry: 7 out of 10 (for the womenfolk ONLY)

Total: 30 out of 50