Kojinsa Arimasu (2022)

Not only a gender mind game...

...this drama actually does much more than using the little SciFi element for gender switch. It especially raises questions and addresses issues about human behaviour you have in any kind of relationship, independent of gender and makes you question yourself in a good way.

The acting and character development was shown in a slow but needed pace and done very well by all actors. Still it delivered with some unexpected turns and twists to keep you going and lots of thoughtful dialogues and shared thoughts of the protagonists. The Theme song was nice, rewatch value not too much regarding the story, but good to catch up on some thoughts here again once in a while.

Just, I'd say, how things are resolved felt a bit too lightly. E.g. as I think affection between people is also partly created by visual aspects of the persons involved I'd guess in reality it won't be that easy going like shown here.

But nevertheless the drama can be seen as a very valuable and carefully crafted pleading for an open mind especially regarding any relationship between any gender. There's not too many gems out there like this, and more are needed.

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A video essay or voyeurism?

This show position itself as a romance drama with a strong “what-if” element. It is build upon the fantasy that a person can change gender spontaneously. Not via a sex change operation but an instantaneous and complete body reconfiguration including a different face.

This allows the show to post all kinds of hypothetical questions about discrimination, friendship, love and marriage of the same sex due to this sudden gender realignment. This is a double-edged sword as the fantastical and abrupt nature lessen some of its impact.

The Show then proceeded to put a number of protagonists through the spin cycle and force them to confront their changed circumstances. The most obvious is what will you do if your wife becomes a man, or your best mate is now an attractive woman. The bulk of the show is basically an exploration of these questions and its ramifications.

In many cases, this is what the LGBTQ+ community is confronted with on a daily basis so while the Show is set up to address a hypothetical gender change, it is really more about the LGBTQ+ community’s interaction within itself and with the larger society as a whole.

Even though the Show is not overly preachy, it can feel like the questions are asked just so that we can hear the answers from the coalface. While the informative aspect is laudable, there are many conversations and it can be a bit repetitive with the views seesawing back and fore.

It is no surprise that our protagonists all found love or at least contentment in the end. I sensed that the Show does not want to push any views too hard so for each success, we are presented with failures. This means this is largely a thought experiment. In the end, it comes down to the timeless notion of True Love Will Conquer All . . . most of the time . . . maybe.

This brings us to the voyeuristic aspect of the show. Yes, there are bed scenes involving same sex as well as straight couples. It does provide some titillation especially when it involved pairings that might be considered taboo in some societies. It is not exploitative nor egregious. You have to form your own opinion whether this is integral to the storytelling.

The Show is generally subdued in tone and the acting is solid. The fish out of water aspect does bring about some lighter moments. OST is fine.

The show is watchable but a slow burn. The ending is satisfying if predictable. Whether you find this show worth watching will depend on your expectations and reason for watching in the first place. It is a one time watch for me.
Peace out.

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