Sono “Okodawari”, Watashi ni mo Kure yo!! (2016)

Sono “Okodawari”, Watashi ni mo Kure yo!! (roughly: "Give me that obsession!!") is a short (eleven 24-minute episodes) mockumentary series starring Matsuoka Mayu and Ito Sairi as themselves playing the hosts of a variety show based on a manga which examines a few people's quirky obsessions. Essentially, the conceit of the show is that it is a behind-the-scenes documentary of a variety show which does not exist based on a manga which does exist. Further confusing matters about half of people focused on by the show really do exist and are portrayed by the real people (mostly mangaka).

It's mostly cringe humor a la The Office or Christopher Guest films like A Mighty Wind or Waiting For Guffman. It's unclear the extent to which the scenes are improvised, but they might well be. You might think after you've watched the first four episodes, that you know how this show will go with each episode featuring a different strange obsessive, but then the series becomes more about Matsuoka and Ito's approach to the show and life in general and begins to tackle themes of how people create personas for themselves on screen and what it means to be authentic in the kinds of bizarre and scripted situations that crop up on variety shows. And the show does so while largely staying funny.

There are some mild twists, and a really silly denouement. There are a couple of plot points that are made and then immediately forgotten about. I'm not quite sure that it nails the landing or satisfactorily concludes its theses, but the mere fact that it attempts to address the issues of persona and performance in variety shows is surprising and interesting.

Under-girding the whole show is the delightful chemistry between Matsuoka and Ito. Who knows if they are as close friends in the "real world" but the friendship as its portrayed feels authentic, and provides a lovely foundation for the show.

It's a show that has not had many viewers, but is, nevertheless, well worth checking out.

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