Hanasaki Mai Can't Be Silent

Title (romaji): Hanasaki Mai ga Damattenai
Title (english): Hanasaki Mai Can't Be Silent
Format: Renzoku
Genre: Comedy/Suspense
Network: NTV, YTV
Episodes: 10
Viewership ratings: 16.0%
Broadcast period: 2014, Apr to Jun

 

Cast

Anne as Hanasaki Mai, and Kamikawa Takaya as Soma Ken

Synopsis

--NTV-- Based on bestsellersing writer, Ikeido Jun's novel from the Hanzawa-series. Hanasaki Mai is but an ordinary employee of a bank with zero diplomacy. She doesn't think twice about pointing out her boss's mistakes. Her job is to investigate any wrongdoings in the bank branches. She is the voice of the suppressed staff who are unable to go against their bosses. Her partner is the veteran staff, Soma Ken, whose career with the bank had reached a dead end, no promotions in sight. Together, they resolve all the non-compliance issues at the bank.

My Take

Now THIS is what I'm talking about.

 Leave it to the Japanese to come up with yet another mundane topic based on a novel (I'm betting Manga) and turning it into something anyone and everyone would enjoy.

The cornball, dated background music and slapstick, pratfall antics aside . . . this was worth the watch.

Another of their dramas that has the main characters doing basically the same thing each week, only under a new premise or situation.

And, it works.

 These two are bankers, and they're pulled from their respective branches to work at headquarters in a created division that investigates issues within the bank's many branches while also bringing to light corruption, greed, and slipshod mentality from within.

Issues

I thought that Korea was awful in its Hegemonic, Patriarchal ways.

I think Japan has them beat in that regard, though.

Working women are still degraded, made to dress a certain way, talk and act a certain way, and only hire in at positions traditionally deemed a woman's role.

Things like sexism, chauvinism, and antiquated notions about power still exist over there, sad to say.

Besides that upsetting issue, there was the appalling subs.

Brit-speak that just sounds stupid, grammatical issues clean through, and spelling errors galore.

The typical lazy typing as well. Punctuation and youth don't go together very well anymore, and I think it is stupid.

... is not a . . .    

and ... is not a .    

and ~ is not a ?    

any more than a . is a ?

And yet there were a few ? tossed in at the appropriate moments, so go figure.

I don't think we needed to have to read [tel] or [knock], either.

she was super tall compared with every man she worked alongside

This was a good series that appears as if it may have a follow-up, or season 2 in the works, which is a good thing.

I'll definitely be looking out for it and then watching.

Thank you, Japan, for the refreshingly delightful bit of entertainment.


However, I do ask that you reconsider the silly background music that sounds like 1956 elevator stuff, and enough with the ridiculous and outdated humor.