HAKEN NO HINKAKU

[Excerpted from Televiews, Wm. Penn, Daily Yomiuri, January 21, 2007]:Every overworked, under-appreciated office lady in the land should tune in to Haken no Hinkaku (Wednesdays, 10 p.m., NTV network) for some vicarious vindication. Haven't seen a series this satisfying in a long time. It manages to be both light comedy and scathing social comment.

Ryoko Shinohara is excellent as Haruko Omae, a supertalented haken shain (temp agency worker) who sets her own conditions and takes no nonsense from anyone. Haken no Hinkaku is thought-provoking stress relief for a nation caught up in the current employment mess where many now find they have to accept low wages, no security, bonus or benefits just to get a job.

Omae's answer to the conundrum is to be independent, highly skilled and versatile. In Episode 1, we found out she is a whiz at computers, can operate a forklift and makes a perfect cup of tea.

She carries out her assignments ultraefficiently, but invests no passion in her job, accepts no overtime and doesn't buy into the corporate vision or team spirit. Her real passion is flamenco dancing.

Shinohara enjoys a good supporting cast. We see Omae through the adoring eyes of her temp agency coworker Miyuki (Ai Kato), a young woman who fits the haken stereotype--young, inexperienced and rather irresponsible. Hokkaido actor Yo Oizumi is good as the seishain (full-time employee) section head who contemptuously addresses Haruko as "omae" (a condescending form of "you"). She simply uses her surname to put him in his place. "Omae," she shoots back while referring to him with a more polite, but equally condescending, term "seishain-san." The script for episode one was full of sharply crafted dialogue like this.

Even Kotaro Koizumi, who plays Haruko's superior in the new marketing department, is good considering his role requires him to do little more than look convincingly incompetent. The scene in which Haruko pulls him up out of a bus seat by his necktie so it could be offered to a little old lady is a classic.

Looks like this will be Ryoko Shinohara's third hit in a row following Anego (2005) and Unfair (2006), the film version of which hits theaters in March. If the series continues to be this good, it could mean four stars for the supertemp and a bonanza for the NTV Web site gift shop.

Last week, I noticed Hana Yori Dango trinkets at the TBS Web site store. This week, NTV is advertising Haken no Hinkaku original goods including pens, notebooks, lunch bags and neck straps.

Is it just good business or are the networks desperately trying to squeeze extra profit out of the flagging drama genre with this new brand of television shopping?

STARRING: Shinohara Ryoko, Kato Ai, Oizumi Yo
NETWORK: NTV
THEME SONG:
DURATION: January through March 2007

Reviews needed