Jul 07 2008
Zettai Kareshi 『絶対彼氏』
It’s rare to find a dorama that I really really like, along the lines of Nodame Cantabile and Hanazakari no Kimitach e. The recently wrapped series, Zettai Kareshi 『絶対彼氏』 on Fuji TV, however, is one of them.
Tenjou Night at your service. The ad for Zettai Kareshi.
The story revolves around the wretched love-life of Izawa Riiko, a temp staff in the Production Department of Asamoto, a large-scale bakery franchise. After a series of failed relationships that were doomed from the start due to her “serious” demeanour (this is by Japanese standards), Riiko is invited by a scientist from Kronos Heaven to his lab in order to “change the course of her life”. Naturally, like any girl Riiko presumes it has something to do with matchmaking and gave in, entering her preferences for her “ideal boyfriend” into the Kronos Heaven system.
The last thing she expects is a completely life-like robot delivered to her doorstep in the form of the Kronos Heaven Nightly-Series #01. The rest, as they say, is history.
Major spoilers after the jump.
I’ll come clean right off the bat. It’s a really sad story. Night really progresses in his capacity to react to Riiko’s needs right from Episode 1. While he’s been programmed to be her “ideal boyfriend”, it’s clear that he really grows to really love her in a humanistic capacity. Quite unbelievable, but in Japan TV, anything is possible.
Things get complicated when the ikemen-tastic Asamoto Soushi (played by the delish Mizushima Hiro) who works in Riiko’s department begins to take an interest in her due to her culinary abilities. Let’s put it this way, in such a setting, you’d choose the human over the robot wouldn’t you? Especially if the human’s built like Mizushima. However, Mr “Am I sexy?” Tenjou Night wins her heart in the end.
Naturally, because it would be heartbreaking to see Soushi end up drowning his sorrows due to unrequited love, Night’s main chip gets fried by his overwhelming passion and he eventually dies in his own dignified robotic way. It was sad. Really very sad.
Some Screencaps
Asshole alert. Be very suspicious of a guy who looks better in a pink dress and blonde wig.
I would be wary of him too.
Mizushima’s characters always seem to have trouble with women.
Wouldn’t you pay US$1 million to have that delivered to your doorstep?
Awkward…
The perfect couple. Kind of.
Go watch it. It’s totally worth the waterloss in the last episode.
hey! do you happen to know the docomo phone model used by riko in zettai kareshi? I’m starting to lust for one!