Japanese filmmakers seem to have a unique way of blending comedy and drama. "Overprotected Kahoko" is a prime example. Kahoko is a young woman (around 21) who has been sheltered by her well-intentioned parents her entire life. Her understanding of the world is exceedingly superficial and primarily informed by what she reads on the Internet. A chance meeting with a handsome (but grumpy) young artist starts her on the road to true adulthood (and it's a VERY bumpy one).
The series is imperfect in many ways. The situations that develop with Kahoko's extended family stretch belief (every SINGLE family member has some major issue) and the threads of those problems are wrapped up just a bit too neatly by the last episode. While Kahoko's father is quite funny (wimpiness has never been more humorous), Kahoko's mother is a harder sell. She is domineering, bossy and passive-aggressive. While we do get some understanding of her behavior (and she does redeem herself by series' end), she remains generally unsympathetic which pulls the series down a bit (there are several scenes where you will just want to slap her).
What makes the series work is Kahoko. Her character is cute, odd, foolish, naive, brave and ultimately so endearing that you can understand the parents' wish to wrap her up in metaphorical cellophane so she can be untouched by the world. You hold your breath as she careens from one situation to another experiencing some successes and some spectacular (and cringe-worthy) failures. But the character is a wonderful model of perseverance in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds and we can believe it when the tall, gawky Himaje (the grumpy artist) finally falls into her arms to say that his world is better with her in it. Because we've known it all along.
The series is imperfect in many ways. The situations that develop with Kahoko's extended family stretch belief (every SINGLE family member has some major issue) and the threads of those problems are wrapped up just a bit too neatly by the last episode. While Kahoko's father is quite funny (wimpiness has never been more humorous), Kahoko's mother is a harder sell. She is domineering, bossy and passive-aggressive. While we do get some understanding of her behavior (and she does redeem herself by series' end), she remains generally unsympathetic which pulls the series down a bit (there are several scenes where you will just want to slap her).
What makes the series work is Kahoko. Her character is cute, odd, foolish, naive, brave and ultimately so endearing that you can understand the parents' wish to wrap her up in metaphorical cellophane so she can be untouched by the world. You hold your breath as she careens from one situation to another experiencing some successes and some spectacular (and cringe-worthy) failures. But the character is a wonderful model of perseverance in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds and we can believe it when the tall, gawky Himaje (the grumpy artist) finally falls into her arms to say that his world is better with her in it. Because we've known it all along.