Tokyo Joshi Zukan (2016)

This show is probably the best modern Japanese show I’ve ever watched. It brings up a lot of issues that women face globally. Is it best to stick close to home or will your dreams be fufilled in the big city? Career or family? Can women have it all? Do women even need to focus on raising a family to have a successful and productive life? Is it better to have a relationship with someone of similar economic status? Or is it better to find someone who has similar values? Is it fulfilling enough to just have a strong network of friends at certain points of your life? I also really loved how our main character was a morally gray person who makes mistakes and is hypocritical, I can see a real person making the decisions she did. I think the only major improvement that could have been made was more of a focus on the ups and downs of the main character’s career.

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An incredibly intelligent and cogent series that examines the enormous pressure that society places on women and that they place on themselves throughout their lives. Beautifully filmed, masterfully edited, with post-modern production that consistently breaks the fourth wall, this series is incredibly entertaining with equal measures of comedy and drama that examines the real flaws of the characters without being preachy but instead acknowledges that we are all human and is supportive of the life stages and experiences we all share. This is among the best series I have seen in our current Golden Age of Television - Amazon really did an amazing job with this!

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Unexpected gem

I feel like all women and girls should watch this, especially if you want to live in Tokyo... heck, even if you don't. I just feel the way they portrayed Aya is SO relatable to every woman who wants to "make it" in a big city. The fact that we see her progress from a young twenty- something naive girl into a mature 40-something woman in such a short amount of progress made this so fun to watch. Must admit at times though, it felt like I was watching an ad for Tokyo, but that feeling soon goes away after a couple episodes. One aspect I really liked was when the characters would break the 4th wall and talk about what they were really feeling or explaining a particular situation. Dramas like this are my absolute fav.
I highly recommend this one.

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this reminds me of a US show lovelife(?), both basically follow the love life of the main lead and the lessons/events revolving around a normal person's choices.

the 1st guy was kinda the "dream" guy, they met by chance/fate, he was sweet and simple but for young aya he was too grounding and unfit for her luxuries life dreams. (and at the end she regrets it, but on the other hand he really did want the simple lifestyle, which was only her dream after people pressured her, so if they stayed together they'd have probably fought alot and hated each other)
the 2nd guy was exactly what she wanted but HE was too "ambitious" for HER, so he left her
the 3rd guy was the guy she needed to fulfill her luxury living lifestyle until it felt empty
the 4th guy was the result of people's expectations and their definition of a woman's happiness "of a 30+ year old woman to get married and have kids" and it was too much of a burden
the 5th guy was a boost for her ego, a 40 year old divorcee was still "wanted" by someone but he was too young and free spirited so he left her for money
and the 6th guy was her "the one" who actually turned out to be her long time friend! (I'm sorry I'm bad with faces) but he was really a great not unexpected match for her. he was intuitive and since he had a lot of platonic girl friends he was the ideal modern guy for the independent 21st century career woman, he understood their worries and goals ;D

sadly this was too short, and it took me a while to get used to the characters talking to the camera, and (a shallow part of me shall say) the guys were unattractive, but it was a really sweet underrated unexpected gem❤

I never rewatch stuff but I want another drama like this ;(

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Great Show a Modern Depiction of Modern Society

I really enjoyed this drama, there are way too many stereotypical drama's with basic plot lines. Such as always a pretty girl obsessing over the hot guy/vice versa. Or just pretty women in general doing pretty related things. It is refreshing to see a Japanese drama making fun of society. Because I could go on and on about the stereotypes in drama's. I really love how in a way the women talking into the camera are being honest about Japanese societal expectations . My favorite scene had to be in episode 10 where you see young women being idols saying they want to spread courage. And a woman close to middle/old age is like, "Courage, how hilarious, want courage. How about me, a basic looking average woman get up there and do that. Now that takes courage. smh, the youth who look beautiful spreading courage, what a joke."

This show portrays Aya, a young woman who dreams and idolizes her youth and what adult hood would be like with imaginary and made up scenarios. Romanticizing money, love, popularity, our future, marriage, etc, etc...When Aya is a teenager, you see how she detests her hometown and how she judges everyone who lives there. But we also see how adults do not believe in their youth, but direct and assume what a person should do with their time. In addition, her teacher even tells her to go to a basic college. Because why try right? However, Aya bases all of her happiness perceptions on capitalistic/trivial things we think make a good and happy life. Seeing people around her and thinking, I feel sorry for that poor fellow over there. Which is a scene we see where high school girls are hanging outside of a convenient store, enjoying their time together. But to Aya she thinks this is a waist of time because she assumes nothing will become of them. People stay stuck in this town, etc.

As the show goes on, you see Aya change jobs for money, picking men for money, picking friends based on stature, spending money to impress people. Ironically, Aya meets a great in the beginning of the show, a nice guy from her hometown. But dumps later on "better men." Aya thinks there is nothing better than just simple for of happiness. I say better loosely, because she thinks their stature is better, therefore she will date that person. There really is no genuine love expressed between all the supporting characters and Aya. Everyone is dating someone for something. And if someone wants something, they will justify why they want it. However, there re brief moments each character talks into a camera expressing the harsh realities for the reasons why people act the way that they do. Its funny, everyone knows how stupid everything is yet everyone continues participating in the capitalistic societal pressures. I would say there are some things I can relate to Aya on as a young person. You romanticize all of these things that society tells you makes your life worthy. But in reality, its a waist-less and soul-less existence. Because nothing is as grand as dreams. Dreams are wonderful because everything we ever desire comes true. But in reality, society can affect how we make choices.

Overall, I loved this drama. I hope they make more like this. Its really good to have shows that present the realities of life. Esp how capitalism drives us to make choices for money and not for genuine happiness.

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