(Impression) Haken Uranaishi Ataru (Fortune Teller Ataru)

Director: Kazuhiko Yukawa, Ken Higurashi

Writer: Kazuhiko Yukawa

Network: TV Asahi

Episodes:

Running time: 46 minutes

Release date: January 17, 2019-

I just finished watching the second episode this morning, and I already want to share my thought about the drama. I should say that this drama is absolutely worth your time to watch. As I already wrote here, stating that the drama is about someone, Ataru, who can see through someone from someone's eyes. She goes to work wearing hat and sun glasses and acts like someone who doesn't care anything with her surroundings. But, deep in her heart, she has gentle and caring feeling to other people.

OK, let me start by describing the characters in the drama.

Ataru Matoba (Hana Sugisaki)

As the lead character here, Hana plays as Ataru-chan, a fortune teller. In the first episode, it shows that her mother used to perform on a TV show discussing about fortune telling when she was a child. She might  inherit her mother's gift. When Ataru grows up, she joins an event organizer company as a temporary employee where she meets her new friends there. She keeps saying that everything she experiences in that company is her first time, so she records it by taking picture in almost all situations. Her cheerful and friendly characters change when one of her friends accidentally finds out her gift of telling about future. Actually, she's not telling about future, she just reads people's characters and points out what she/ he lacks about himself/ herself. She can see people's troubles or indelible memory that she can try to solve their problems. Hana Sugisaki shows her quality in playing her character here. With different hairstyle, she looks prettier, too.  

Kazumi Kanda (Mirai Shida)

Kanda-San is the first coworker of Ataru who finds out about Ataru's gift. She's desperate with her situation, being pregnant, her boyfriend doesn't have a job yet, no close friends she can rely on, and company where she works will not give any sovereign payment for her maternity since she's worked there less than 5 years. Her awkward and indecisive character make her situation worse. she finds out about Ataru's gift by accident on the internet. Until then, she takes all her suggestions and tries to be better.

Yui Osaki (Yuka Itaya)

She's Ataru's boss in her department. She's kind and understandable. Her problem is that she cannot say no to her boss who always gives almost impossible task, no matter how she must fulfill what she's assigned. 

Seiji Ueno (Yukiyoshi Ozawa)

He's one of Ataru's coworkers who always complains about anything. He complains about the working hours--a new rule in the office that all employees are not allowed to work over time. He always pretends to be busy and preachy when all the staff have gathering. The actor, Yukisyoshi Ozawa, I've seen him in one drama, The Kitazawas: We Mind Our Own Business. His character there is as annoying and nosy as he is in this drama. I'm waiting for his reaction when he knows about Ataru's gift. It might be hilarious.

Madoka Meguro (Shotaro Mamiya)

He might be the most cheerful and friendly coworker Ataru ever has. He greets and welcomes Ataru the first time she joins the company. But it seems that nobody cares much about him, but his influential father. His father has a very important position in the office. That's how he gets the job. He's assumed as someone who is not capable in everything . There will be time when he can show his true colors.

Kazuma Shinagawa (Jun Shison)

He's the most pessimistic person in the office. He's not really enthusiastic in his work and always believes that he goes to the wrong company. Jun Shison shows different kind of acting here. So far, I always watch him in Dramas or movies where he performs cheerful, enthusiastic and a bit exaggerating. I remember watching him in Todome no Kiss. He's another brilliant there besides Kento Yamazaki.

Tomoya Tabatha (Maho Nonami)

She's the most strict coworker Ataru has in her new office. Her expression always shows stiff, not really sociable, always focuses on what she's doing, and she always goes home on time. She's also a hadworker, but every time someone asks for her help, she always say "SHOULD I DO THAT?" seems that if something is not really work related to her job description, she reluctantly does it. But, so far, she's somewhat helpful. 

Takumi Yoyogi (Mitsuhiro Oikawa)

He might be someone Ataru's coworkers least to see. He's the boss in the event organizer company who always gives sudden task with very short time. Working with him is really underpressure. Not to mention his self-centered personality and and an attention seeker. Mitsuhiro Oikawa cast as the boss here and he brilliantly portrays it. I hated him when I watched him in a drama titled A Life, he's that annoying that I avoided watching him. And I also hated him when he cast as antagonist in a movie called Erased. He's such a good actor that brings disgust to the audience. And that's me. lol.

Well, two first episodes seem promising to continue. I don't sense any romance happening in this drama because I see all characters here as coworkers. If romance happens outside the office, well it might happen. But, I expect something more interesting in Ataru's development as a new employee in the office and as someone who just breaks from the cell. There must be a background why she just has her first job now. What happens to her mother who is also a fortune teller? Do they still live together or live separately. I’m looking forward for next episodes. So, if you are not sure to watch the drama or not, from what I've written, I convince you it's worth your time.

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