Although I usually quite like the contract marriage premise, this isn't the usual kind of genre I would enjoy because I find that most Japanese romcoms completely lack depth. Enter Nigehaji: it basically took all the tired and clichéd romcom tropes and turned it into something of, to quote another user here, an "original masterpiece". The first thing you'll notice are the endlessly amusing different formats in which Mikuri's daydream scenarios are illustrated (the news segment parodies, the tiny cheerleader, the game show darts, the wheel of fortune, among many others). I knew it was going to be a fantastic drama from then on, it was *already* a breath of fresh air from the first three minutes. It had some great philosophies about marriage, modern relationships, equality and gender and age dynamics. I was really quite surprised at how insightful many of the analyses were in response to the various issues that cropped up in this drama, and it's something that a lot of Japanese dramas lacked. It's a really accurate look into the common personal conflicts that many modern Japanese face and it's portrayed in a way that doesn't enforce judgement on the refusal to conform to that standard that society has already set from the 20th century. The way their relationship/marriage was redefined was one of my favourite parts too; incredibly refreshing and truly forward-thinking when seen in the context of how Japanese gender dynamics in regard to marriage are normally defined. Aside from being invested in the main characters, I also especially loved Yuri and Kazami's respective characters, as traditional romcom tropes (older career woman and lonely handsome playboy) with a lot of built-in complexities. Every single character, both main and supporting, are thoroughly fleshed out and made into nuanced and balanced people, that have their garishly obvious flaws but can still be pleasant and whole. Lastly, the Koi dance at the end completely grows on you and there were tonnes of "aww" and laugh out loud moments nestled in between all the social commentary. It's so much more than your average romcom and for that it's almost a 10/10.