Starring:
Ayase Haruka as Amemiya Hotaru
Fujiki Naohito as Takano Seiichi
Kato Kazuki as Teshima Makoto
Kuninaka Ryoko as Saegusa Yuka
Takeda Shinji as Jinguuji Kaname
Itaya Yuka as Yamada Sachiko
Yasuda Ken as Futatsugi Shouji
Asami Reina as Sono Minako
Watabe Gota as Sawaki Shun
Shibue Joji as Tadokoro Junpei
Matsumoto Marika as Murota Suzuko

Hotaru no Hikari is a Japanese dorama that was broadcasted in the summer of 2007 on NTV. It aired on Wednesday nights at 10 PM and average ratings were 13.6%. The theme song is Yokogao by aiko. It won a bunch of awards at the 12th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix, whose voters are mostly women in their 20’s. It won Best Drama, Ayase Haruka won for Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor went to Fujiki Naohito and best Supporting Actress went to Kuninaka Ryoko.

At the beginning, there are two types of women introduced. “Himono-onna:” a “dried-fish women” in her 20’s who, during the day is an energetic office lady (OL), but after work runs home, changes into jerseys, ties their hair into a topknot, and drinks canned beer. Basically, a young woman who would rather stay at home than go out and definitely does not date. The opposite is “Suteki-josei:” an admirable woman who is efficient at work, is considerate and sweet, always is graceful - even at home alone, learns new things and hobbies and relaxes by drinking herbal tea. Basically, the perfect woman. Right away, Hotaru (Ayase) is shown to be a himono-onna and Yuka (Kuninaka) as the suteki-josei.

Amemiya Hotaru works for a relatively new interior design company. Her boss is Takano Seiichi (Fujiki). His wife leaves him and he is forced to move back to his parent’s house. Unbeknownst to him, though, is that his parents have rented the house to his employee, Hotaru. She, being a himono-onna and loving her house more than anything, refuses to move out and so the two begin living together. Takano doesn’t see this as betraying his wife, because he doesn’t view Hotaru as a woman (since she is a himono-onna).

Meanwhile at work, a returning employee is re-introduced after working away for some time, Teshima Makoto. He falls for Hotaru and she secretly likes him as well, but the rest of the office (mostly orchestrated by Kaname, who likes Yuka) is working to pair up Teshima, the ‘perfect guy’, with Yuka, the ‘perfect girl’. Even after Hotaru is asked out, the pair manages to misunderstand each other, because it seems that both Hotaru and Makoto are rather awkward and inexperienced in love affairs.

I’ve only ever seen Ayase Haruka is roles where she is graceful, beautiful, and smart (Sekachu, Byakuyakou, Tatta Hitotsu no Koi). It’s no question that she is as well in this part - but only at work. She is quite endearing as Hotaru who is very awkward in her way back into love. Hotaru doesn’t know what she should be doing and takes any advice to the tee, because she just doesn’t know any better. It’s really cute and entertaining to watch her in this new type of role.

Fujiki Naohito was also quite good in his role as Hotaru’s boss. It’s fun to see how he gradually becomes more comfortable with Hotaru and how different their interaction is at work and at home. The two are seriously so fun to watch, like how they argue about silly things at home. It’s one of the best parts in the series.

I liked Kato Kazuki’s character, Teshima Makoto, but sometimes he was almost lifeless. And felt a bit stiff in his role. It’s interesting, though, how Makoto is very much like Hotaru in that they are both rather inexperienced in love according to the show’s definition. As for the character of Saegusa Yuuka, I don’t think there was enough of a back story for me to really come to like her too much. I much preferred Kaname, the guy who liked her; he was more interesting to watch.

I really enjoyed the whole storyline. It’s like a coming-of-age story of someone who should have already come to age. It makes for a fun plot that’s enjoyable without being cheesy. I like how many of the characters are portrayed in and out of work; mostly everyone is pretty much the same outside of work, but Hotaru has the most dramatic change. But by the end of the series, I still didn’t really know who everyone else in the office was even though they were in every single episode.

What really seals the deal for me on this drama is Ayase Haruka, though. I’ve always enjoyed her dramas, but I thought she was just amazing in this role. I don’t know if it would have been as good had another actress been casted. Hotaru no Hikari is a cute, feel-good-comedy about getting back into love that I’d probably watch again in a few months.