Season 1 • Episode 10
LatestTakenouchi plays an aquarium employee named Kengo, who seems ordinary at first glance but actually possesses a secret that he would sacrifice everything in order to protect. Meanwhile, Ueto plays Risa, a young woman working in the sex trade in order to pay off her brother's debt, though her situation has led her to contemplate suicide. These two characters, both full of despair, meet each other and end up entering a contract marriage purely for its benefits. However, as they overcome various troubles, their relationship begins turning into true love.
Acting
Takenouchi's restrained agony vs Ueto's fragile resilience.
Writing
Contract marriage trope executed with painful sincerity.
Yutaka Takenouchi
Kengo Okada
Aya Ueto
Risa Makihara
Shota Matsuda
Ryo Kamiya
Kie Kitano
Maria Okada
Haruna Kawaguchi
Mizuki Yasuda
Akito Kiriyama
Sawamura Ryota
Chisun
Chizuru Kawamoto
Hiromi Kitagawa
Rumi Nakajima
Tetta Sugimoto
Junji Kawamoto
Yuka Itaya
Minako Aizawa
Mieko Harada
Kazuko Okada
Goro Inagaki
Shûichi Makihara
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The 'keiyaku kekkon' (contract marriage) trope exploded in 2000s K-dramas and J-doramas, but this one dared to keep the poverty and desperation visible rather than aestheticizing it.
Aya Ueto was at peak idol-to-actress transition here; her next drama was the much lighter 'Zettai Reido,' making this her 'I can actually act' calling card.
JP
