Thursday, December 29, 2011

KASEIFU NO MITA (家政婦のミタ)















Fall 2011

Kaseifu No Mita is a drama about a strange housekeeper named Mita Akari. She is beautiful, intelligent, and does her job exceptionally well, but something about her is amiss. She is distant, doesn't smile, and doesn't open herself up about private matters particularly about her past. One day she is assigned to care for the Asuda family; a dysfunctional bunch who can't seem to get out of each other's ways especially since the father is unconfident in dealing with family issues and the mother recently passed away. But soon, they become intrigued by Mita's work ethic and gradually attach themselves to her presence while she desperately tries not to involve herself in their personal lives.

Recommendation: I find myself quite lucky that I found this series because I really had no intention of watching it. I was intrigued after looking over some ratings for the dramas in the fall season and found out that Kaseifu No Mita was getting huge ratings. I had to see what the fuss was all about and I wasn't disappointed. I actually watched the first 7 episodes consecutively (with a few bathroom breaks in between) and had to stop only because it was 3 am in the morning. I haven't had that experience in quite awhile. Matsushima Nanako plays a robotic housekeeper, Mita very well. I would say if Mary Poppins or Mrs. Doubtfire had a dark side, it would be Mita Akari. I really enjoyed the screenplay and/or the way the actors improvised in many scenes. Usually in group scenes there would be one actor speaking and the rest would just look on without moving, which does happen in this drama, but the kids tend to improvise well and are really great. Honda Miyu who plays Kii was adorable and the father played by Hasegawa Hiroki was funny. I really thought Aibu Saki was really good too playing a boneheaded sister in-law. As in most dramas there are extreme situations and you will find a lot here, but the story is quite fascinating and I was caught off guard. I would have to say this is somewhat of a dark comedy, but it provides valuable lessons about family relationships. There is a mystery that deepens after each episode and I couldn't believe the last episode had a rating around 40! I wholeheartedly recommend this series and if I was asked to watch this drama again, I would definitely say, "shochi shimashita."

Story: 1.0
Acting: 1.0
Directing: 1.0
Character Development: 1.0
Emotional Factor: 1.0

5.0 Out Of 5.0 Crowns


No comments:

Post a Comment