As a self confessed freelance writer, the premise of this J-Drama immediately caught my attention. A mediocre screenwriter, Keisuke Yoshimaru (Toma Ikuta) is happy and content being married to successful novelist, Nami (Michiko Kichise), he looks after their two children and does the household chores, and he’s pretty good at it too.
Keisuke gets his break when an opportunity to write for a primetime drama, starring a popular actor arrives. Keisuke hasn’t written anything in years but still accepts the job. Hilarity ensues as Keisuke juggles the over-the-top demands of a narcissistic lead actor and a competitive producer, as well as the insane deadlines. Keisuke’s stress and insecurity manifest themselves as a bald man who threatens and mocks him, and its only Keisuke who can see him.
After watching Kotaro Lives Alone, where the characters lived in a small apartment complex, it’s refreshing to have the characters in ‘Can’t Write?!’ live in a big terraced house, the camera work in the first episode was also impressive. it makes the house feel really big. Actually I love the design of their house and would I would find myself taking in the architecture and interior design. Nami’s office is a dream!
You might be turned off with the acting at first, this J-Drama, is really more comedy and a lot of the acting is a bit over-the-top, especially Keisuke, who whines a lot. The lovestruck tutor Shunya Sengawa (Fuma Kikuchi) also has the tendency to whine and pine for Erika, Keisuke and Nami’s daughter.
Once you get used to the tone and the type of comedy of the series, it becomes interesting how Keisuke manages to write the series, no matter how absurd it all seems. As the series unfolds, the story also shifts to Nami and in a way the story becomes not just about one writer, but two.
The stress of writing the series becomes too great for Keisuke that he even starts seeing a psychiatrist. Even if that part was written with the same tone of comedy of the series, you can feel that they are normalizing seeking professional help when it comes to our mental health.
The series also tackles gender roles, although in reverse, so that was a refreshing take. It was also nice to see the entire family pitch in to help Keisuke. Nami helped him with his writing, while the kids pitched in to help with the household chores. It’s only a short series, as J-Dramas tend to be but it was fun, light and the fact that it focused on writers was well, a plus to me.
Can’t Write?! -A Life Without Scenario – is now streaming on Netflix.