Screw-Up Adults' Sharehouse (2019) User Reviews

Not for foreign fans

[VesselOil · 3/10 · 6 September 2020]

This kinda boring and very anime alike. If you like anime romance type, and want to see that in LA. You should try this. But for me this to unrealistic to real world issue. I don't familiar with japan viewer taste on movie making.

Refreshing Romantic Drama

[zeitgeistvox · 8/10 · 26 July 2020]

I enjoyed this series. It was very different from most things I have watched before, the only thing that it slightly reminded me of was 'Normal People' (BBC 2020). The story begins with Aki Terada working part time in a convenience store and on her return home after work, finding her boyfriend with another woman. She finds herself in a situation where she has nowhere to live and not enough money to get a flat on her own so she accepts the suggestion of a friend to take her place in a shared house when she leaves. When she arrives, She is shocked to see a high school boyfriend again (their earlier relationship is shown in flashback now and again). Sparks fly when she agrees to help him out with a problem he has. However, another housemate also has his eyes on her. I liked that you aren't waiting 6 episodes to find out whether characters are getting together, I also found it amusing that the characters were so open about personal matters, which Terada also found unsettling. She did seem to be retreating from situations quite a lot, which was unsurprising because I could feel how overwhelming and confusing the situations she was in much have felt. I also recognised characteristics of the male members of the house - the quiet one, her high school boyfriend, who didn't communicate with her on more than a superficial level and the housemate (the owner) who had a good job, was open with his feelings and the person who she wanted to like in a romantic way. I also liked the way the two females in the house spoke and the dynamics of the house share as a whole. I like character driven dramas and I felt that this is what I got here. Her inner dialogue, background and conversations with the female housemate helped to understand her and what drove her. (It helps that the male lead was good looking!). I am a fan of south Asian romantic series, although this is the first Japanese series of this genre I have watched and has left me wanting to watch more.

Romantic and Strange At the Same Time

[PalmBeachG · 10/10 · 2 November 2022]

Giving his a 10 because don't know how to rate this. It is either the most genius satirical script I have ever seen or the worst drama I have ever seen. I thought this was Saturday Night Live or something - I mean who says "Will you help me get my morning wood?" or "Don't marry her - I don't want to rub my hardened crotch on my best friend's fiancé"? So if it's not satirical genius, then the actors should get best actor's award for having to deliver such lines with a straight face. Anyway, the best way to describe this series is with a couple of hashtags #MorningWood #Wolfman #BiteMe #WhatsWeird.

Honest and Sincere Portrayal of Human Vulnerability

[celinka20 · 9/10 · 11 June 2023]

For a very low budget drama, I think this series was very well-made. The premise was off-putting, but having faith in the reputation of Japanese dramas, I gave it a try. I am very glad that I did. Perhaps the plot was a bit unbelievable and exaggerated, but I think it had to be in order to introduce the discourse on abusive relationships, why some people allow themselves to be taken advantage of, and what was going through their minds as they re-entered such damaging situations.

The brilliance of the storytelling is that what you see on the surface is never the entire story. With each episode, a little more information about the characters is revealed, and with these revelations, the complexities of the characters and the nuances of their psyche is established, creating a tangle of storylines that makes the viewer root for them.

The honesty and sincerity in the storytelling makes this way better than trashy stories like "Fated to Be With You" and all of its subsequent remakes in different countries. That story only aims to romanticize subservient women who wait for the man to change for the better. This story actually shows the different types of human vulnerability and the importance of being confident in who you are.

Acceptable or Not?

[xmasinswiss · 9/10 · 26 August 2023]

I actually prefer the original Japanese name for this series - "ka ka fuka ka?" - over the English translation, because it perfectly fits the core issues raised here: what's acceptable? What's okay and what's not?

Although I was disappointed with the FL's decision at the end, I probably understand it.

This was an enjoyable story about four socially awkward adults, each wrestling with own issues. Most actors did great jobs I thought, maybe apart from one - the second female lead.

I also enjoyed that this show gets straight to the point and tells the story in 10 short episodes. I'm probably exhausted from the formulaic Korean dramas which have to last 16-20 hours. Here, you don't get the long walks under the moonlight with the obligatory amusement park date, no one yells and cries their eyes out, no one throws things, makes evil faces, and so on. What would take several episodes of emotional fluff in a Korean drama, gets covered with a momentary silence followed by a curt "Oh. I see."

This is obviously a low-budget production, but I'm grateful to the team for creating this little gem.