Keeping things platonic: The "strictly business" mixed-gender work partners in Japanese dramas

While Japanese dramas featuring male-female partners at work are commonplace, this article highlights an interesting phenomenon in the Winter 2025 season - there are as many as 5 titles featuring such combinations and 3 of them involve lawyers*:

• "Tokyo Sarada Bouru" - Nao x Matsuda Ryuuhei
• "Mondai Bukken" - Kamikawa Takaya x Uchida Rio
• "Houtei no Dragon" - Kamishiraishi Mone x Takasugi Mahiro *
• "Ensemble" - Kawaguchi Haruna x Matsumura Hokuto *
• "Kujaku no dansu, dare ga mita?" - Hirose Suzu x Matsuyama Kenichi*

The nature of the relationship between the pairings and the storyline pretty much determine if romance will be in the picture. On one end of the spectrum, "Kujaku no dansu, dare ga mita?" features the "client" i.e. Komugi who approaches a lawyer Matsukaze to help her in the investigation of her father's arson-murder case. Considering their business-only relationship and that the story has a strong mystery/suspense angle, there is no room for romance to bloom between the characters. On the other hand, "Ensemble" features the leads as colleagues in a budding romantic relationship with a love triangle thrown in from the start due to the appearance of the female lead's ex-boyfriend.

Looking back at the past mixed-gender pairings in the past, while there were some workplace pairs who eventually became lovers onscreen, there were also quite a number of dramas with such pairings that either had no romance or a comparatively faint/hinted romance angle:

• "Keizoku" - Nakatani Miki x Watabe Atsuro
• "Trick" - Nakama Yukie x Abe Hiroshi
• "HERO" - Kimura Takuya x Matsu Takako
• "Galileo" - Fukuyama Masaharu x Shibasaki Kou & Yoshitaka Yuriko
• "SPEC" - Toda Erika x Kase Ryo
• "Legal High" - Sakai Masato x Aragaki Yui
• "Ishiko to Haneo" - Arimura Kasumi x Nakamura Tomoya
• "Unfair" - Shinohara Ryoko x Nagayama Eita
• "Jikou Keisatsu" - Odagiri Jo x Asou Kumiko
• "Strawberry Night" - Takeuchi Yuko x Nishijima Hidetoshi
• "Liar Game" - Toda Erika x Matsuda Shota
• "Kyousou no bannin" - An x Sakaguchi Kentaro
• "RoOT" - Kawai Yumi x Bandou Ryouta
• "Okuto" - Iitoyo Marie x Asaka Koudai
• "Invisible" - Takahashi Issei x Shibasaki Kou
• "Motokare no Yuuigonjou" - Ayase Haruka x Ooizumi Yo
• "Tengoku to Jigoku" - Ayase Haruka x Takahashi Issei

As seen from the list above, a large number of these platonic pairings appeared in investigative/legal/suspense stories. Over time, the stories would show the gradual development of the characters' relationships as they solved cases or dealt with issues together. A reason cited in the media for the inclusion of romance for such mixed-gender pairings was said to be related to the viewing preferences during the "trendy dramas" era i.e. late 1980s to early 1990s. Back then, "squeal-worthy" scenes featuring popular actors and actresses who played characters transitioning from colleagues/buddies/enemies/rivals to lovers were pretty well-received and in demand. As such, it became sort of a standard formula for such relationships to head towards the romance direction rather than keep things strictly professional.

However, as times have evolved, there are more titles these days featuring platonic working relationships for such mixed-gender pairings. While it is perfectly normal for love to blossom when people work together, it is also natural for mutual respect rather than romantic feelings to be developed between such pairings. As such, when such dramas do not add in romance in an "artificial" or "unnatural" manner, they are generally well-received and readily accepted as the norm reflective of current times. 

In recent years, I would say that "Ishiko to Haneo" was one of the more successful examples at eliminating the romance factor from the leads' relationship. Frankly speaking, I didn't expect this initially since there was no indication pre-season that the work buddies would have no romantic feelings for each other. In the end, the female lead ended up with the second male lead rather than her partner at work which was unexpected and somewhat unconventional but I really liked this arrangement.

On the contrary, there have been examples where adding romance when it's unnecessary or illogical can backfire. For example, "Mystery to iu nakare" depicted Ito Sairi's police detective character having feelings for the lead played by Suda Masaki. This went against the nature of their relationship described in the original manga and attracted criticism from viewers.

Personally, I am more inclined towards the notion of keeping things platonic for mixed-gender pairings especially if the drama is not positioned to be a romance-themed one. While I get it that some viewers may like to see their favourite pairings engage in a romantic relationship onscreen, the manner of how this develops is crucial. As such, keeping it naturally-flowing and not forcing things to head towards the romantic genre would be the best. Especially when dealing with stories based on original material like novels and manga, it would be simply reckless and foolish to spoil the relationship dynamics crafted by the original works' authors for no apparent or justifiable reason.

Do share with me your favourite mixed-gender work partners in J-dramas and movies and let me know if I've missed any significant/popular examples from my list above!

Top 10 dramas in 2022 with the highest satisfaction scores (Oricon)

This ranking was derived from the following data collected by Oricon for dramas shown between 11 Jan and 15 Dec 2022:

* Survey of 690 Oricon monitors every week where they had to rate the dramas based on a 10-point scale for the aspects of story, leads, supporting cast, lines, visuals, music, artwork etc.

* Data based on viewership (broadcast ratings & number of views on online streaming portals), leads, supporting cast, content and Twitter posts were rated based on a 20-point scale

As such, the total score shown in brackets below are the figures based on a 100-point scale.

FujiTV is seeing a reversal of its fortune this year with its dramas dominating half of the ranking and the top 3 spots. TBS which saw 5 works in the ranking last year, only had 3 this year while NTV which had 2 spots last year, was left out of the ranking this time. This was especially significant considering that "Hakozume" was the No.1 in 2021's ranking. In addition, last year's ranking saw 6 dramas with a satisfaction score of above 90 but there were only the top 3 which achieved that this year. And there were 2 dramas which got full marks last year i.e. "Hakozume" and "Tengoku to Jigoku" from TBS but none this year.

Out of the top 10, the only ones which I did not watch were "Mystery to iu nakare", "Kodoku no gurume Season 10" (not because I wasn't interested but I didn't have the chance to watch anything after Season 1), Kurosagi, Nanba MG5 and Shoujiki Fudousan. I would probably want to watch "Mystery to iu nakare" if given the opportunity though. 

So how many of the top 10 have you watched and what do you think of the ranking results?

1) silent - FujiTV (97.7)

2) Elpis - Kibou, arui wa saiwai - FujiTV (93.6)

3) Mystery to iu nakare - FujiTV (91.2)

4) Kodoku no gurume Season 10 - TV Tokyo (89.8)

5) Kurosagi - TBS (89.4)

6) Ishiko to Haneo - Sonna koto de utaemasu? - TBS (89.1)

7) My Family - TBS (85.9)

8) PICU Shoni shuuchuu chiryoushitsu - FujiTV (84.8)

9) Nanba MG5 - FujiTV (84.5)

10) Shoujiki Fudousan - NHK (83.7)

Source: Oricon

The 113rd Drama Academy Awards (Summer 2022) - Best Drama

Overall Ranking Top 3

1) Ishiko to Haneo - Sonna koto de utaemasu -
2) Hatsukoi no akuma
3) Roppongi Class

Voters Ranking Top 5

1) Ishiko to Haneo - Sonna koto de utaemasu -

2) Teppachi!

3) Shin Shinchoukouki

4) Kyousou no bannin

5) NICE FLIGHT!

TV Reporters Ranking Top 5
1) Hatsukoi no akuma
2) Ishiko to Haneo - Sonna koto de utaemasu -
3) Roppongi Class
4) Mahou no rinobe

5) Yukionna to kani wo kuu

Judges Ranking Top 5
1) Ishiko to Haneo - Sonna koto de utaemasu -

2) Hatsukoi no akuna

3) Mahou no rinobe

4) Okutou ~ kanjou sousakan Shinno Akari ~

5) Roppongi Class

Source: The Television

The 113rd Drama Academy Awards (Summer 2022) - Best Leading Actor

Overall Ranking Top 3

1) Nakamura Tomoya - Ishiko to Haneo - Sonna koto de utaemasu? -

2) Sakaguchi Kentaro - Kyousou no bannin
3) Takeuchi Ryoma - Roppongi Class

Voters Ranking Top 5
1) Sakaguchi Kentaro - Kyousou no bannin
2) Machida Keita - Teppachi!
3) Nagase Ren - Shin Shinchoukouki
4) Nakamura Tomoya - Ishiko to Haneo - Sonna koto de utaemasu? -
5) Tamamori Yuuta - NICE FLIGHT!

TV Reporters Ranking Top 5
1) Hayashi Kento - Hatsukoi no akuma
2) Nakamura Tomoya - Ishiko to Haneo - Sonna koto de utaemasu? -
3) Takeuchi Ryoma - Roppongi Class
4) Nakano Taiga - Hatsukoi no akuma

5) Ayano Go - Old Rookie

Judges Ranking Top 5
1) Nakamura Tomoya - Ishiko to Haneo - Sonna koto de utaemasu? -
2) Takeuchi Ryoma - Roppongi Class

3) Hayashi Kento - Hatsukoi no akuma

Nakano Taiga - Hatsukoi no akuma

Ayano Go - Old Rookie

Sakaguchi Kentaro - Kyousou no bannin

Source: The Television

The 113rd Drama Academy Awards (Summer 2022) - Best Leading Actress

Overall Ranking Top 3

1) Arimura Kasumi - Ishiko to Haneo - Sonna koto de utaemasu -
2) An - Kyousou no bannin
3) Haru - Mahou no rinobe

Voters Ranking Top 5
1) An - Kyousou no bannin
2) Arimura Kasumi - Ishiko to Haneo - Sonna koto de utaemasu -

3) Nagano Mei - Unicorn ni notte

4) Sugisaki Hana - Prism

5) Kuroshima Yuina - Chimudondon

TV Reporters Ranking Top 5
1) Arimura Kasumi - Ishiko to Haneo - Sonna koto de utaemasu -
2) Nagano Mei - Unicorn ni notte
3) Haru - Mahou no rinobe

4) An - Kyousou no bannin

5) Kuroshima Yuina - Chimudondon

Kuroki Haru - Boku no Neechan

Judges Ranking Top 5
1) Arimura Kasumi - Ishiko to Haneo - Sonna koto de utaemasu -

2) Haru - Mahou no rinobe

3) Kuroki Haru - Boku no Neechan

4) Nimura Sawa - Anata no butsu ga, koko ni

5) Kuroshima Yuina - Chimudondon

Source: The Television

The 113rd Drama Academy Awards (Summer 2022) - Best Supporting Actor

Overall Ranking Top 3

1) Akaso Eiji - Ishiko to Haneo - Sonna koto de utaemasu? -

2) Saotome Taichi - Roppongi Class

3) Yasuda Ken - Hatsukoi no akuma

Voters Ranking Top 5
1) Akaso Eiji - Ishiko to Haneo - Sonna koto de utaemasu? -
2) Sano Hayato - Teppachi!
3) Nishihata Daigo - Shin Shinchoukouki
4) Nishigaki Sho - Minato Shoji Coin Laundry
5) Saotome Taichi - Roppongi Class

TV Reporters Ranking Top 5
1) Saotome Taichi - Roppongi Class
2) Emoto Akira - Shin Shinchoukouki
3) Yasuda Ken - Hatsukoi no akuma
4) Mamiya Shotaro - Mahou no rinobe
5) Bandou Ryota - Unicorn ni notte

Judges Ranking Top 5
1) Nishijima Hidetoshi - Unicorn ni notte
2) Akaso Eiji - Ishiko to Haneo - Sonna koto de utaemasu? -

3) Saotome Taichi - Roppongi Class

4) Kagawa Teruyuki - Roppongi Class

5) Yasuda Ken - Hatsukoi no akuma

Source: The Television

The 113rd Drama Academy Awards (Summer 2022) - Best Supporting Actress

Overall Ranking Top 3

1) Matsuoka Mayu - Hatsukoi no akuma

2) Hirate Yurina - Roppongi Class
3) Koike Eiko - Kyousou no bannin

Voters Ranking Top 5
1) Koike Eiko - Kyousou no bannin
2) Shiraishi Mai - Teppachi!
3) Yamada Anna - Shin Shinchoukouki
4) Hirate Yurina - Roppongi Class
5) MEGUMI - Ishiko to Haneo - Sonna koto de utaemasu? -

TV Reporters Ranking Top 5
1) Matsuoka Mayu - Hatsukoi no akuma
2) Hirate Yurina - Roppongi Class
3) Higa Manami - Junai Dissonance
4) Eikura Nana - Old Rookie
5) Yoshikawa Ai - Junai Dissonance

Judges Ranking Top 5
1) Matsuoka Mayu - Hatsukoi no akuma
2) Hirate Yurina - Roppongi Class

3) Koike Eiko - Kyousou no bannin

4) Asada Miyoko - Akai Nurse Call

5) Iriyama Noriko - Yukionna to kani wo kuu

Source: The Television

The 113rd Drama Academy Awards (Summer 2022) - Best Theme Song

Overall Ranking Top 3

1) Sansan by Miura Daichi (Chimudondon)

2) Start Over by THE BEAT GARDEN (Roppongi Class)

3) Hatsukoi no akuma by "SOIL& ""PIMP""SESSIONS (Hatsukoi no akuma)

Voters Ranking Top 5
1) Chikara no kagiri by GENERATIONS from EXILE TRIBE (Teppachi!)
2) GLOW by idom (Kyousou no bannin)
3) Ningen gokko by RADWIMPS (Ishiko to Haneo - Sonna koto de utaemasu? -)
4) TraceTrace by King & Prince (Shin Shinchoukouki)
5) Two as One by Kis-My-Ft2 (NICE FLIGHT!)

TV Reporters Ranking Top 5
1) Sansan by Miura Daichi (Chimudondon)

2) Ame sansan by King Gnu (Old Rookie)

3) Start Over by THE BEAT GARDEN (Roppongi Class)
4) Bakasabaibaa by Ul-fuls (Anata no butsu ga, koko ni)
5) Hoshi no ame by Johnny's WEST (Yukionna to kani wo kuu)

Judges Ranking Top 5
1) Hatsukoi no akuma by "SOIL& ""PIMP""SESSIONS (Hatsukoi no akuma)

2) Start Over by THE BEAT GARDEN (Roppongi Class)

3) Hoshi no ame by Johnny's WEST (Yukionna to kani wo kuu)

4) Chinokate by Yorushika (Mahou no rinobe)

5) Ningen gokko by RADWIMPS (Ishiko to Haneo - Sonna koto de utaemasu? -)

Source: The Television

Winners of the Nikkansports Drama Grand Prix - Summer 2022

Note that the numbers in brackets indicate the number of votes received between 14 and 21 Sep 2022.

Best Drama

1) Shin Shinchoukouki (1,482)

2) Hatsukoi no akuma (1,000)

3) Roppongi Class (766)

4) Kamakuradono no 13 nin (313)

5) Junai Dissonance (243)

Best Leading Actor

1) Nagase Ren - Shin Shinchoukouki (1,485)

2) Hayashi Kento - Hatsukoi no akuma (991)

3) Takeuchi Ryoma - Roppongi Class (670)

4) Oguri Shun - Kamakuradono no 13 nin (308)

5) Shigeoka Daiki - Yukionna to kani wo kuu (233)

Best Leading Actress

1) Arimura Kasumi - Ishiko to Haneo (1,014)

2) Haru - Mahou no rinobe (617)

3) Sugisaki Hana - Prism (562)

4) Kuroshima Yuina - Chimudondon (412)

5) Nagano Mei - Unicorn ni notte (394)

Best Supporting Actor

1) Emoto Tasuku - Hatsukoi no akuma (547)

2) Saotome Taichi - Roppongi Class (502)

3) Hamada Gaku - Shin Shinchoukouki (412)

4) Mitsushima Shinnosuke - Shin Shinchoukouki (310)

5) Yasuda Ken - Hatsukoi no akuma (273)

Best Supporting Actress

1) Yamada Anna - Shin Shinchoukouki (1,033)

2) Matsuoka Mayu - Hatsukoi no akuma (904)

3) Hirate Yurina - Roppongi Class (832)

4) Koike Eiko - Kamakuradono no 13 nin (434)

5) Iriyama Noriko - Yukionna to kani wo kuu (173)

Source: Nikkansports

Quick Review #12: Ishiko to Haneo - Sonna koto de utaemasu? - (Summer 2022)

Title: Ishiko to Haneo - Sonna koto de utaemasu? - 石子と羽男―そんなコトで訴えます？―

Season: Summer 2022

Broadcast by: TBS

Rating: 8/10

Recommended for: those who are interested in legal/investigative stories and/or those where the weak fight against the rich & those with power

Liked:

- The chemistry between Arimura Kasumi & Nakamura Tomoya as their characters progressed from bickering foes to soulmates who could support each other in all areas except for the romantic aspect. Although I thought it would be nice to have them end up as a couple, this current state of being soulmates actually turned out to be better than expected. It was good that Haneo managed to stand up against his father by proving his abilities instead of arguing. I also liked the final scene when Haneo gave Ishiko a gentle nudge in the back and "offered an umbrella" to her so as to get over her emotional trauma. However, rather than having Haneo supporting her throughout, it was great that Ishiko could walk the final leg of her journey to become a lawyer on her own. 

- The legal topics covered in each episode not only provided lots of useful information in an easy-to-understand manner but also offered food for thought on what may be true justice. I also liked it that the story didn't try to push through with just one or the standard perspective but rather showed that the truth or what's considered justice can be viewed differently depending on your position in the issue.

- The scenes where Ishiko and Haneo were eating mega-sized dishes together - those always made me hungry after watching!

Disliked: 

- The romance between Ishiko and Oba was just too awkward to watch and I didn't get any romantic vibes from them at all. Moreover, I was rooting for Ishiko and Haneo to become an item so it was very disappointing to see her end up with Oba. Nothing against Oba though.

- Dangling potential twists but to find that they amounted to nothing. For example, the explanation of how Oba was the president of a company despite supposedly being of a modest background and having difficulty in finding a permanent job - I struggle to believe how gullible and dumb he might have been. This was really unfathomable especially after he went through so much in his previous job. I would have assumed that he would become more street-smart after that unpleasant experience but clearly, he hadn't. And how he chose to keep quiet in order to protect his younger brother in the arson case - I just cannot understand why he had to do that. I would have thought his stint at the law firm could have given him a bit of legal knowledge but apparently not. Likewise, the part hinting that Wataro had something to do with Mikogami - it also ended up with nothing much to add value to the story. As such, these anti-climatic developments in the last few episodes turned out to be so bland that it contrasted greatly with how the drama began with a bang initially.

- The way how Mikogami's case concluded - this is where it can be viewed differently. The fact that his involvement in the fraud scheme wasn't proven meant that Ishiko and Haneo had to take an alternative route to get him punished in another way for a different crime. I could accept that because in real life, there are times when it's impossible to have things go your way all the time and that there are people who can exploit loopholes in the law to get away with things. On the other hand, the crime that he was held accountable for may seem comparatively trivial compared to fraud so it leaves a lingering sense of regret and dissatisfaction that Mikogami didn't really get what he deserved. I would be OK with this way of ending the case if it wasn't the finale. To end the drama with a big baddie being treated in this way just felt as if everything fizzled out without a trace.

Status update of Summer 2022 dramas - 1 Aug 2022

Now that we are already a month into the Summer 2022 drama season, it's time for a recap of the dramas which I've watched, will continue watching and have already dropped. With this, you will know if I will continue to cover a drama with my episode reflections or will just round up at the end with a quick review. 

To read my past episode reflections posted on Twitter and Facebook, simply search for the hashtags on the Dorama World pages.

What I watched (at least 2 episodes; in order of start date):

1) Old Rookie

2) Unicorn ni notte

3) Teppachi!

4) Okutou 

5) Junai Dissonance

6) Yukionna to kani wo kuu

7) Ishiko to Haneo 

8) Kyousou no bannin

9) Hatsukoi no akuma

10) Mahou no rinobe

Dropped

1) Teppachi! (watched up to Ep 4) 

2) Okutou (watched half of Ep 3) 

In danger of being dropped

1) Unicorn ni notte

2) Kyousou no bannin

Will continue watching but may switch to doing a quick review at the end instead

1) Yukionna to kani wo kuu

2) Old Rookie

3) Junai Dissonance

To continue with episode reflections barring unforeseen circumstances

1) Ishiko to Haneo

2) Hatsukoi no akuma

3) Mahou no rinobe

In the last season, I only finished one drama to the end with episode reflections i.e. "My Family" while I did a quick review for "Koi nante honki de dousuru no". Considering that I've only dropped 2 out of 10 at this stage, it seems that the offerings this season are better in terms of quality and appeal, at least in my opinion.

However, things may change again in the span of an episode or two so it's still too early to tell which drama will make it to the end.

Preview of "Ishiko to Haneo - Sonna koto de utaemasu? - " - Summer 2022

Title: Ishiko to Haneo - Sonna koto de utaemasu? - 石子と羽男―そんなコトで訴えます？― (Ishiko and Haneo ~ Are you going to sue for something like that?)

Official website: here

Official Instagram: here

Official Twitter: here

O.A. Start Date: 8 Jul 2022

Timeslot: Fridays at 10pm

Broadcast by: TBS

Cast: Arimura Kasumi, Nakamura Tomoya, Akaso Eiji, Oideyasu Oda & Sada Masashi