For those who think that a work-place drama is the most boring kind, this is for you. Rich Man Poor Woman isn't quite as faithful to the tropes as it sounds - it's a story of a bizarre man who has trouble remembering names and faces, as well as a woman with ridiculously particular memory, so particular that she becomes useful to him. But that's just a snippet of these two, and a snippet of this drama as a whole.
Oguri Shun stars as Hyuga Tohru, a fundamentally odd man with superior intellect. Years ago, he met his current partner Asahina and they built Next Innovation, Hyuga's original idea, into the enviable company it is now. It would go against Hyuga's reputation if the public knew how desperately he was searching for his Mother, Sawaki Chihiro, who abandoned him when he was young.
So naturally Hyuga gets the shock of a lifetime when a Sawaki Chihiro barges into his life - but not his mother. This girl is tired and stressed from fruitless job searching, and full of nervous energy that immediately makes him dislike her. But attempting to hold onto the strange connection, he keeps her near as he tries to make his dream project work. One problem: this girl's name isn't actually Sawaki Chihiro, so how does she know Hyuga?
The identity mystery was what drew me into Rich Man Poor Woman. It seemed like this show was show was trying to be innovative with the old 'rich man meets poor woman and falls in love' trope. I've seen this used over and over again, and frankly it's a setup I quite like, but I'm all the happier when new spins are put on the idea. For example, in Shopping King Louie, not only was Louie unaware of the fact he was insanely rich, but he was also a sweet and generous person from day one.
The reason I stayed after that mystery was resolved is the characters. I thought that Hyuga and 'Sawaki Chihiro' had such interesting personalities. I was completely engaged whenever one of them was on screen, and it was them and how they navigated working life that made the drama so refreshing.
I think Rich Man Poor Woman was quite unique as a workplace drama it created a somewhat ideal universe, where the office is small enough for all colleagues to know each other by name (except Hyuga, of course, since he rarely remembered names) and where your boss may be harsh but you know he will always be on your side. The 'villain' was a very interesting character - I won't reveal who it is, since that would spoil too much of the show - but I found his redemption a little too idealistic for Rich Man Poor Woman to claim that it's set in our world. Perhaps the moral of the story is that every person has the capacity to make a place wondrous that it defies the rules society has already set for us, because that's the kind of place Next Innovation turned out to be.
So naturally Hyuga gets the shock of a lifetime when a Sawaki Chihiro barges into his life - but not his mother. This girl is tired and stressed from fruitless job searching, and full of nervous energy that immediately makes him dislike her. But attempting to hold onto the strange connection, he keeps her near as he tries to make his dream project work. One problem: this girl's name isn't actually Sawaki Chihiro, so how does she know Hyuga?
The identity mystery was what drew me into Rich Man Poor Woman. It seemed like this show was show was trying to be innovative with the old 'rich man meets poor woman and falls in love' trope. I've seen this used over and over again, and frankly it's a setup I quite like, but I'm all the happier when new spins are put on the idea. For example, in Shopping King Louie, not only was Louie unaware of the fact he was insanely rich, but he was also a sweet and generous person from day one. The reason I stayed after that mystery was resolved is the characters. I thought that Hyuga and 'Sawaki Chihiro' had such interesting personalities. I was completely engaged whenever one of them was on screen, and it was them and how they navigated working life that made the drama so refreshing.I think Rich Man Poor Woman was quite unique as a workplace drama it created a somewhat ideal universe, where the office is small enough for all colleagues to know each other by name (except Hyuga, of course, since he rarely remembered names) and where your boss may be harsh but you know he will always be on your side. The 'villain' was a very interesting character - I won't reveal who it is, since that would spoil too much of the show - but I found his redemption a little too idealistic for Rich Man Poor Woman to claim that it's set in our world. Perhaps the moral of the story is that every person has the capacity to make a place wondrous that it defies the rules society has already set for us, because that's the kind of place Next Innovation turned out to be.
Oguri Shun was great here. I've seen him often, but it was especially nice to see him explore new waters and take on a character that wasn't aloof and confusing (Hana Yori Dango, Hana Kimi). Ishihira Satomi is an actress I was completely new to when I started Rich Man Poor Woman, although I've seen her in other things since. I think she was adorable her, the more bubbly side of her could get irritating but I would root for her any day. She's your typical everywoman, not perfect or full of self-esteem, but fighting against the odds regardless.
Their romance was a rewarding part of the series, because they were at odds from each other and first but gradually fell into a relationship where she would unconditionally support him, and he would come to rely on her as the only person he could trust in the world. They were already comrades in arms before either one of them could tell that they were in love. Rich Man Poor Woman focused more on the ups and downs of Hyuga's career than his romance with 'Sawaki Chihiro', but the special episode was personally dedicated to them. I like how the drama didn't gloss over the fact that they are very different people, and embraced that instead. They had completely opposite views of the world, and whilst people would claim that it stops them from being a match, it was evident that they liked each other so much they were willing to work together and compromise on their standards. That is a winning couple, ladies and gentlemen.
In conclusion, I think Rich Man Poor Woman was a unique drama despite sounding very standard from the title. It focuses on people, and how even the greatest or most mysterious men are only human underneath, and I think that should be done more often, rather than making main characters flawless. Where's the fun in that?
No comments:
Post a Comment