I’m Taking the Day Off Review: Embark On This Bumpy Ride Only For Hanae And Yuto’s Sweet Love Story

I’m Taking the Day Off is the story of Hanae Aoishi whose life is stuck in a rut. She is looking for love and some kind of advancement in her mundane life. Hanae does find love when she enters her 30s but the only problem is that her lover is still a university student.

The show deals with the complications as well as the funny sides of having a wide age gap between a couple. It also highlights the kind of insecurities that trouble a timorous woman when pursuing a seemingly impossible romance.

I had a great time watching Hanae tackle real-life problems with a sense of humor. There were instances where I broke into riotous laughter because even mundane situations seemed hilarious from Hanae’s POV. However, there were also times when the drama slowed and I found myself feeling distracted.

I’m Taking the Day Off (Kyou wa Kaisha Yasumimasu) (2014) (10 Episodes)

Hanae Aioshi (Haruka Ayase) is a 30-year-old office-goer who lives with her parents and leads a regular life. Her life lacks romance and she has never dated anyone before. However, on her 30^th birthday, she somehow ends up sleeping with her colleague Yuto Tanokura (Sota Fukushi) who is a 21-year-old part-time employee at her company and also a university student. Considering it a one-night stand she brushes it off but Yuto does not think that way and asks Hanae to date him seriously.

At the same time, Hanae is also romantically pursued by the rich and successful businessman, Yu Asao (Hiroshi Tamaki) who patiently follows up on her love affair with Yuto and looks for an opportunity to earn her affection.

One pretty girl and two smart suitors, who will Hanae choose eventually? Let’s dive deeper into the story and see if Hanae’s love life gets any more interesting.

I enjoyed watching ‘I’m Taking the Day Off’ because…

…it had a great cast. Right from the leads to the supporting actors, everyone did a good job in their respective roles. Let’s start with the female lead, Haruka Ayase who plays the socially awkward, Hanae Aoishi. Hanae is a simple girl who always obediently followed all the rules set by her parents. Her father’s strict nature kept her from having a romantic relationship and she grew up to be a docile individual.

 

At work, she helps anyone who needs help and goes out of her way to make people comfortable. Her emphatic nature makes her colleagues fond of her as they believe her to be a quiet and shy girl. Hanae may be quiet on the outside but her inner thoughts are hardly ever silent.

Hanae has an opinion on everything and everyone around her but she never voices it. She is an over-thinker who imagines the worst possible outcome for any given situation and often stresses herself over it.

 

On her 30^th birthday, despite being surrounded by her office colleagues for an after-work dinner she feels sad and lonely as no one remembers her birthday. Drunk and miserable, Hanae rants against love and life to her junior Yuto who sympathizes with her and even celebrates her birthday later in the evening.

Hanae’s parents dote on their only child and wait for her to return home so they can surprise her with her favorite cake. But she does not return home that night as she ends up sleeping with Yuto. The next morning, she realizes her mistake and skips work to avoid facing Yuto.

She continues to avoid him the following day but he eventually catches up and expresses his liking for her. She gives his proposal a deep thought and after considering all aspects attached to his proposal and their future, she finally agrees to see him.

 

But her fears of dating a boy nine years her junior constantly gnaw at her insecurities no matter how much she tries to have a normal relationship with him. From suspecting Yuto of being trying to mooch off her to fearing that she might end up being a clingy girlfriend, she imagines it all, and that too in the most amusing scenarios.

Haruka Ayase has been my favorite J-actress since Tatta Hitotsu No Koi. She has a pleasing personality, which is perfect for a character like Hanae. Hanae may not interact much with those around her but everyone loves and respects her and Haruka’s fine aura makes Hanae’s niceness believable.

Hanae is socially anxious and not comfortable mingling with strangers. Her awkwardness is reflected in her body language as she avoids making eye contact with most people. Haruka never once falters when it comes to being the nervous Hanae. She ensures that Hanae looks down when speaking her mind and adopts a hasty gait to show Hanae’s discomfort.

 

Since Hanae does not wish to stand out in any way, she wears the most boring skirts and sweaters to be able to go unnoticed but nothing can subdue her natural beauty, which is noticed by her office colleague, Yuto.

Yuto is a young boy working part-time at Hanae’s company until he finishes his studies and secures a permanent job. This observant young boy likes Hanae’s kind and helpful nature and finds her prettier without her glasses.

 

At first, Hanae and even we as viewers are not sure of what makes Yuto take interest in her but with every episode, we learn more and more about him as well as his feelings for Hanae and understand how he is a lot more mature than one would expect him to be.

This is my first time watching actor Sota Fukushi and I feel he did a decent job as the young and practical, Yuto. I had heard of him because of his constant comparison to Taishi Nakagawa. The two handsome actors may resemble each other but they act very very very differently.

Yuto is a university student taking baby steps in the corporate world. He has some career goals in mind that go for a toss when he falls for Hanae. After he starts dating Hanae, who is much older than him, Yuto starts taking his life and career more seriously because he feels responsible for her and wants to keep her happy.

Initially, he comes across as a frivolous young boy. But it changes when he starts seeing Hanae. His commitment to her transforms him into a dream boyfriend.

 

But their relationship is not dreamy as there are several hurdles that Hanae and Yuto need to overcome if they wish to stay together. The first hurdle is the fact that Hanae is nine years older than Yuto and the other hurdle is CEO Yu Asao who is a love rival for Yuto.

Just like Yuto, Yu also sees something in Hanae that others don’t notice and he too falls for her. However, he is one of the first people to find out about Hanae and Yuto’s affair. But that does not deter him from going after her. He determinedly pursues Hanae and at times even helps clear her confusion in matters of love.

Actor Hiroshi Tamaki looks great as the sharp and confident, Yu. Sadly, his role is too short to leave an impact on you. I felt that the character of Yu was more to give Hanae and even Yuto guidance in love than to be a challenging rival.

 

The show focuses mainly on developing Hanae and Yuto’s relationship which is dreamy and swoony. There may be an age gap between them but it made no difference to me as Hanae and Yuto looked absolutely adorable together. 

 

We also see some interesting supporting characters such as Hanae’s friend, Hitomi Ookawa who is on the lookout for a rich and successful husband with whom she can live a happy married life. She finds her potential groom in Yu who is the CEO of a big company.

Hitomi is so focused on getting Yu to like her that she ignores her junior Ryusei Kagami’s love for her. Ryusei is a man of few words, which makes him seem unapproachable. However, he gets unwittingly aggressive in love when his attempts are rudely thwarted by Hitomi. Theirs is a funny love story that I also enjoyed watching.

I did NOT LIKE ‘I’m Taking the Day Off’ because…

…the show is not highly engaging. It has its highs and extreme lows and this is the case right from the first episode. Had I not seen and loved previous works of Haruka Ayase, I surely wouldn’t have watched the show beyond the first episode. It has a slow start after which it sees a high as we get to hear more of Hanae’s inner thoughts but then it dips as some of her thoughts may not be as funny as one would expect them to be.

Also, the love rivals are hardly a threat for Yuto or even Hanae which is why those characters seem like unwanted addition to the love story that already has enough prejudices to deal with.

 

The slow-paced first episode may dampen your interest and may make you drop the show however, try and stick around as the drama gets better with each episode. It has its high highs and low lows but it is totally worth giving a try. Have faith in Hanae and Yuto’s love as they shall prove to be worth your time.

I give ‘I’m Taking the Day Off’ 3.5 out of 5 rating. If first love, fresh romance is something you like watching then this dorama is for you. From going on dinner dates to temporary living together, this couple does it all and falls in love slowly and strongly. Watch it for Hanae’s crazy imagination and her sweet romance with Yuto.

 

Image Courtesy: NTV

 

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