10-episode, Manga-turned-Anime-turned-romantic comedy / drama from Japan that aired July 11 to September 12 back in 2007.
A friend from Korea recommended this one, and I'm really grateful to her for it, too!
This was the sweetest thing I've seen in a long time, and it left me with that warm & fuzzy feeling on the inside.
The chemistry between the two leads: Ayase Haruka as Amemiya Hotaru, and Fujiki Naohito as Takano Seiichi was spectacular!
It's the story of a young woman who works as an assistant at an up & coming design firm.
She's very pretty, but painfully shy & woefully unskilled at human interaction.
She rented a charming house and spends her nights there on the porch in sweats, drinking beer from a can, and neglecting her housework.
She's also prone to talking to herself or the critters that wander onto the property.
Her manager,Takano Seiichi, is in the midst of a marriage break-up, so he decides to return to his father's house, and he is shocked at the filthy mess, but more so when he finds Amemiya lying asleep on the porch under some newspapers.
The odd-couple thing ensues since both refuse to leave the house.
Seiichi is fastidious and uptight while Amemiya is laid-back & reckless.
It's a predictable story, but not in a way that would make anyone want to tune out.
Shortly after Seiichi and Amemiya start living together (with a host of rules made up by Seiichi that are pretty funny), Amemiya meets and falls deeply in love (for the first time) with her Prince Charming, who kisses her on a whim when he sees her asleep in a wicker chair that he designed.
This is supposed to give the impression that Amemiya has been asleep for too long and needs to awaken to reality.
The guy she's crazy about is Teshima Makoto (Kato Kazuki), and he's just as unsure about his love-side as Amemiya.
They both fall in love at first sight, and since it is the summertime, then why not pursue?
The way that Amemiya backs away from difficult and/or uncomfortable situations is hilarious, but according to Makoto, it's what endears him to her all the more.
When he finds out that she wears sweats and drinks beer from a can, he shrugs it off by admitting to his worried colleagues that he has two, older sisters who do the same thing.
Amemiya at first doesn't feel worthy of a guy as fine as Makoto, and besides that, a co-worker with appearance, brains, and charm also has her sights set on the guy, so it seems hopeless --
She consults Seiichi nightly for advice, and he is quite helpful, but in a sarcastic, authoritative way that helps to lend itself to their on-fire enchantment.
Seiichi refers to her as a Himono-onna (dried up woman).
He insists that there isn't a man alive who would take an interest in her since she's slovenly and has embarrassing traits.
At one point in the drama, while she's lying on the porch in agony over what to do about Makoto, Seiichi catches her scratching her ass, and the look on his face is priceless.
Still, he continues to help her at every turn while also having to deal with his own issues as well as to try desperately to keep their living arrangement from becoming public knowledge at the office.
Amemiya and Makoto get together eventually ~~
but to say anything more would be to ruin it for those who have yet to watch the drama.
Himono-Onna describes me entirely.
When I'm at work, I'm dressed nice, have make-up on, and make damn sure my hair is fly.
When I get home, it's another thing entirely.
Sweats are the norm, my hair up in a ponytail is a must, and though I'm allergic to beer, I go through bottle after bottle of water, or diet coke from the fountain.
And yes, I even talk to myself on occasion as well.
When I had a cat, I talked to him, too!
Unlike Amemiya, I don't work for a spectacular company under the loving guidance of a super-fine boss like Seiichi, and I've yet to hear in my head the sage advice of a gifted screen writer, telling me what to do or say at any, given moment.
Incredibly gorgeous men had always rendered me speechless, dumbfounded, and retarded.
and even the ones I'm not, entirely sure about when it comes to looks, they still managed to rob me of my ability to be myself
Like Amemiya, I never felt like I was 'worthy' enough for a guy like Fujiki, and it probably showed, which was why they never, bothered to get to know me any better.
I had a few, serious crushes on some totally hot guys, and not even my best friend knew about them!
I was pretty, but weird.
I was likable, but too hard to approach.
I was always invited to parties & such, but eventually it stopped when it became apparent that I would likely chicken out at the last second and stay home instead.
Now that it's too late to matter, and because I never had what Amemiya had, I can only look back with deep regret.
All I can do now is encourage the shy kids in my class to get over themselves much sooner than I could, and to find the courage to go out on a limb once in awhile, just because.
Now for The Kawaii Aspect of Hotaru no Hikari
I so adored the opening credits video to this drama!
I can't find it anywhere, and I don't know how to record off my PC.
The animation, the color, ... it's really pretty, and so is the song: Yokogao by Aiko
The scenery was nothing spectacular, but the interiors captivated me enough to want to show them off here.
~~ and here's a Youtube video for your enjoyment ~~
