Kingyo Tsuma (2022)

Repetitive main story and underdeveloped side stories

No Spoilers Until Warning

Overall I thought that most of the stories were interesting and did a good job of showcasing common problems in marriages. However, the stories left something to be desired in terms of the endings. Most of the stories aren't resolved until literally the last ten minutes of the show and even then it's just brief conversations that hint at what happened. For some of the stories it's just a bit annoying and feels like it wasn't fleshed out, but a couple stories don't really get resolved. I get that it's a short drama, but it would have been nice if they cut back on drawing out the main story and instead left a few minutes for resolution of some of the more ambiguous endings.

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Now I'll go ahead and break down the summaries and my thoughts by story.

The Fishbowl Wife:
This is the main story of the show, starting in episode one and continuing throughout the show. The husband is basically pure garbage; he cheats repeatedly, he hits her, he's extremely controlling, and she is living in fear. The explanation of his actions at the end took very little responsibility saying he did everything because he truly loved her and was afraid she'd leave him, so he kept testing her to be certain that no matter what he did, she would never leave. It also really annoyed me that the mistress said that the salon closing was because of the wife leaving and that the wife ends up helping to rebuild that salon instead of only building her own.
Her relationship with the goldfish store owner was also a bit repetitive. They just kept deciding to be together and then something would come up and they would be tested and separate and then eventually come together. First it was her husband and them feeling like she couldn't just leave that life forever so there's tension and then she decides to stay. Then his father says that she could ruin the company reputation and she leaves "for his sake" (even though the only person she was really helping was the father). She feels like she will only bring him trouble and he feels he has no right to date her because she kinda lost her career because of him so she runs away until he eventually comes for her exactly at the moment when her husband is trying to rape her. And then she comes back with him and stays while she's trying to get a divorce only to leave right after her divorce goes through so she can help her ex rebuild the salon. Then it's implied that they meet each other again at the fireworks two years later. I didn't get why they had to have the "break up for years and finally meet again" cliche but I guess they wanted her to figure herself out before they were together instead of growing together.

The Outsourcing Wife:
This was one of my least favorite because of the lack of conclusion. Basically, her husband doesn't want to have a kid yet (and maybe doesn't want to have sex with her at all, but unclear), but she does and feels like him not having sex with her to make a baby means he's no longer turned on by her. Again, it is not clear if she is right about this because he only rejects her advances twice. The first time she says she wants a baby and he says that they aren't ready financially and the second time he is already trying to sleep in bed and she gets on top of him and he says he's not in the mood and that they should just go to sleep. She gets bored and meets up with her ex who then forces her against a pillar and kisses her and then she pushes him away. He says that if she was irritated by him forcing himself onto her, then that means she is still turned on by him (like what?). After her husband rejects her for the second time and then a feng shui consultant touches her crotch and tells her that once soulmates touch their bodies don't want to be apart, she decides to sleep with her ex. She says it's a one time thing and she just wanted to make sure that someone was still turned on by her, but then he tells her he wanted to buy her a goldfish and that he loves her and they walk off together holding hands. And that's the end of their story until two years later she tells her friend she is pregnant but doesn't know who the father is (implying that her husband still wanted to and did sleep with her but that she's also still sleeping with her ex). So not really any resolution there. She was cheating with her ex and she still is.

The Lunchbox Wife:
This couple wanted to have a baby, but the husband isn't turned on by his wife anymore. But he does get aroused when she is with another man, so he gets a guy from the office to hold her hand and try to kiss her even though she is clearly uncomfortable with the situation. The office guy seems to really be into her and asks if she's okay with everything and then he says her name lovingly and then the husband cuts in and drags her off to the bedroom and tells office guy to leave. The feng shui lady says that the wife is a people pleaser who is restrained by her husband and that she should try to be more free. The next time, the wife seems to be aroused by how much office guy likes her cooking and they both get into it a bit until they're about to kiss and the husband drags her off again and the office guy hears them having sex. The next day office guy calls in sick, so the wife takes a bento to his apartment. He tells her that he won't come over anymore because he and the husband had hurt her feelings and she says it's for the best because she gets turned on by him enjoying her food. They look at each other for a second and then she runs over and they have sex. And again no resolution in this episode. In the two years later clip in the last few minutes of the drama, they show office guy eating a nice bento and the husband eating convenience store jelly bread implying that she left him for the office guy.

The Chaperone Wife:
The husband in this couple is shown a few times in other episodes trying desperately to secure a business deal with the garbage husband from the main story so he can make more money. His wife always stays inside and doesn't have any friends and drinks alone. Through flashbacks they show that she got him into running when they first got together. Then he got them the expensive condo for the nice view even though she didn't seem to care much about it. Then he tells her to quit her job and be a stay-at-home wife and he keeps cutting her off and the leaves for a meeting when she tries to say she doesn't want to. Then one day they're running and she's not feeling well and he tells her to go back home and he'll just finish the run without her which shows that she feels he is literally and figuratively leaving her behind. After that he is always working late and trying to make enough money to afford the nice condo when all she wanted was to spend time with him. She is miserable all alone and doesn't make friends with the other tower wives because they're mostly all elitist and live very lavish lives that she can't relate to. The husband tells her that she should come on a run with him because it would be good for her to get out. She wants to go but says no because he's telling her to come like it was something they would be doing for her sake and not something they would enjoy together. She storms out and is comforted by garbage husband who says that it's hard when you can't connect to your partner. Feng shui lady listens to her say that everything has gone wrong since they came to the condo and tells her that to change her feng shui she needs to run, no matter where. So she runs to garbage husband at which point I was ready to slam my fist into my table. As he's kissing her body, she has a slightly uncomfortable look and then her phone rings. Her husband got advice from another married runner that he should run with her at her pace and support her to see what he was missing. So he tells her that he's sorry and he's literally running back to Tokyo for her and then his phone dies. So then she runs towards him and then when she sees him, she apologizes to him for everything and not communicating (which annoyed me a bit because after all that he just says I'm sorry too and they hug). Two years later it shows them running together and when she stops to tie her shoe, he waits and then they keep running together.

The Headache Wife:
This story went on for two episodes because the writers thought they were being clever and that they'd have a huge plot twist in the second part that completely changes everything, but I guessed in the first five minutes of seeing them together that they were married and she couldn't remember him because she blocked him out after he cheated and she kicked him out. Every episode she was in before this she would be in a conversation and infidelity would come up and she would get a headache. Half of her personality was just yelling that infidelity was wrong and holding her fingers to her temple. I was just waiting for an episode and a half for them to reveal their real relationship. But I guess for anyone who couldn't figure that out it would just be an okay two episodes watching her be tortured by her views on infidelity but feeling extremely drawn to this random man she happened to meet at the river. So she starts sleeping with him at his new apartment and her son realizes this and tries to force her to remember by saying he knows her secret. Instead, she has a massive headache and is too weak to move for a night, so she decides to end it with him. But then she sees a picture of the three of them together with goldfish which leads her to the goldfish shop where her husband also happens to be. He apologizes for cheating and lying when they met again but he really wanted to be with her. They seem to reconnect and two years later they are living together again at his new apartment and not in the condo tower.

The Renovation Wife:
This one is another without closure. In this episode we see the reappearance of one of garbage husband's mistresses. Turns out she was married to a guy who never listens to her and always favors his MIL (mother-in-law). She copes with his inattentiveness by cheating. They're building a house together for them, their two kids, and the MIL and whatever the MIL says goes. The wife connects with a construction worker after MIL says that the bruise on his forehead is off-putting because the wife actually has a similar bruise that she's been covering for years with makeup. Then the husband walks in on her removing the makeup before bed and ask if she could start keeping it on whenever MIL is around when they all live together. She is upset but says okay as long as they can add another bathroom for her to remove and apply makeup and the husband says that it makes sense and agrees. She is happy that she'll have that one room where she can be herself, but when the MIL sees it on the plans she asks if she has any problem sharing a bathroom with her and she says she doesn't. The mama's boy obviously says nothing in her defense, so the MIL removes the bathroom from the plans so they don't waste money. She leaves saying she needs to get groceries and the worker follows her out. They have sex and then she comes back and tells her husband she's fine without the bathroom. That's all for the episode and then two years later she's still married to him and also still cheating.

Final Thoughts:
In my opinion, cheating is one of the worst things you can do in a relationship. I think that if your relationship is broken enough that you cheat, then you should just end the relationship. However, I understand that it isn't that simple for a lot of married women, especially in Asia. I'm not saying that I support the actions of all of these women, but I think that this drama did well in showing that there can be some gray areas where cheating seems like the only escape from marital problems. Again, I don't support infidelity, but in a few of these cases I can see why it came to that. Overall though, the drama didn't flesh out all of the stories and the main story seemed to be written by figuring out how many ways they could be split them apart and then bring them back together. It may have only been a few times, but in an eight episode drama with only forty minute episodes, it seemed like that's all they were doing.

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Time Management Fail

The story had potential, but the writing wasn't executed well. Some parts dragged on and other parts needed more time for true character and storyline growth. There were parts that didn't even make sense (explained in the SPOILER ALERT). The reason for the high rating is all because of Takanori Iwata's superb acting and Ryoko Shinohara did well with her role too. Some of the sub-plots weren't needed at all, especially when there was limited scene time. The production was okay and the scenery of the film locations were beautiful (both in the fish shop and outside of it). Music was fine, but nothing that stood out. FX for Shinohara's character were okay, but could've been better. IF I rewatch any of this, it will be just Gun-chan's parts and maybe one of the other couples (the house wife that was a great cook and the young guy that was the husband's colleague). Hence the 7/10 rating.

SPOILER ALERT:
Most of the couples with their kissing scenes were gross. Were the guys trying to be fish? The director had the guys swallowing a lot of the woman's face and very WET kissing sounds. Seriously disgusting. But what truly irritated me was that Sakura left Haruto at the end, just to open the hair salons. She didn't have to stop being with him just to work at a new location. It made her character seem selfish and cruel, instead of having personal growth and maturity. The ending hinted at their continued connection, but after all the "intimacy" the show presented, it fell flat.

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A bit boring but great metaphor for wives

The strongest part of the show is the metaphor about goldfish. Like pets, humans need love and care in order to thrive. Without TLC any relationship is bound to fail.

Tbh the only wife I cared about was the fishbowl one. The goldfish boy was cute. The other wives just didn't interest me that much. I ended up skipping a lot of scenes to finish quickly. Not the best infidelity drama I've seen but it was my first real Japanese drama.

The ending was ok. Kinda bummed the fishbowl wife didn't end up with her fling but I'm glad she was able to reconcile with her husband and start anew. For some couples it goes to show that sometimes you can get back to a happy relationship if you work at it and truly listen to your partner's needs. Not everyone needs the same thing but there has to be compromise and balance for things to be healthy.

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Sakura The Fool WIth a Horrible Last Episode!

Unfortunately, I have found that Japanese dramas are much more hit-and-miss than K-dramas. You know you’re taking a chance. This series is actually pretty decent until the absolutely horrendous final episode which makes as much sense as a five-legged mule. I’m not sure if the writer was drunk that day or simply lost all control over the story and the characters.

The series is about a collection of wives who are involved in affairs, although the focus of the show is mostly on Sakura, who finds herself in an abusive relationship with her husband who beats her and cheats on her. He’s basically an animal who believes that a wife is someone to control and must do whatever he tells her. In short, he believes that a wife is property.

Of course, we have a plethora of reasons for these women. An abusive husband, a husband who continuously ignores his wife, a husband who puts everyone else ahead of her, etc. You get the picture.

The irony is that most people in the world are able to realize when a relationship begins, but very few are able to recognize when a relationship ends. And in Sakura’s case, it’s only a question of how much more abuse will she put up with until the obvious is staring her in the face. The abused is just as responsible for the situation as the abuser. Remove either one, and abuse no longer exists.

Sakura finally flees her husband and runs into Haruto, a local man who runs a small goldfish shop. There is an instant connection between the two, and we later find that there is an event from the past that also unites them. Haruto is a kind, gentle man who doesn’t just sell goldfish. He loves and cares for them. Gandhi once stated that how a person treats animals is often an indicator of how they treat people.

After Sakura finally divorces her husband, she goes back to him to try and save their joint hair salon business—which made no sense. Why not work to open your own? You get bit by a shark once, then you’re the fool to go back, hoping not to get bit again. This had me scratching my head. But this wasn’t nearly as bad as Sakura leaving Haruto to pursue her career as the manager of a hair salon. Why leave him at all? Why not pursue this endeavor while staying with him? After all, he wasn’t an obstacle. It made no sense at all. In the end, she basically used him, and became an abuser herself. When she left, I thought their final scenes were silly and completely unsympathetic, despite them standing there foolishly with tears running down their faces.
Equally sad was Sakura’s husband tearfully telling his wife during a mediation session—a precursor toward divorce—that he always loved her but felt insecure. This was the biggest pile of cow dung I’d ever heard in my life! Her husband has no clue what love is, and he never loved his wife. Love is never about controlling someone else, and it certainly isn’t about physical abuse or infidelity. It was like listening to a gutless child whining. All victims are cowards because they never take responsibility for themselves. It’s always someone else’s fault. And yet, Sakura can’t see the problem because she’s much like a naïve and immature child herself.

Overall, this was a decent series. The storyline involving Hisako and the trauma behind her frequent headaches. That would have made a far more interesting series than centering the story around Sakura. If the end had been done better than it was, this series might have a least been good. It wasn’t.

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Softcore Debauchery

When I tell you I scooted through all 8 episodes in one night only cause I wanted to see how it would end and boy was I ever so disappointed. Ok, first off... I want to throw skittles at the Netflix algorithm for saying this was a 97% match for me. It used to get me so well, but now I feel betrayed. Let me tell you why.

The story is super weak. I feel like the main couple was supposed to come off like theybwere rich because they lived above the 15th floor in some building and had like 2 salons, but it didn't come across well at all. I don't really understand if there was love between the main female and 2nd male lead. But what there was in abundance was softcore sex scenes (I'm talking you just can't see genitals, okay?) and infidelity that was being incited by some weird lady in the building. There was even a scene with male characters in the show, who had no prior interaction with one another, sharing random facts about male genitalia. I promise you it was just a free-for-all on scruples here! Then for it to end in such a stupid way. What a waste.

I do not recommend this for anyone that doesn't want to watch adult themes and many adult scenes. As I warned my mom so she wouldn't try to check it out if Netflix happened to do her wrong like me, this is just softcore p0rn with a bit more developed story. I do not recommend.... unless that's what you're into.

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Lots of explicit scenes! Lol

It’s an 18+ maturity audience. My first ever Japanese drama- and whoa! I thought the Japanese were quite conservative in this manner??! I guess not! Lots and lots of soft porn scenes, use of tongue, fingers and more.

The storyline is typical- rich wives having different issues with husbands; husbands having affairs or neglecting their wives etc The plots are quite predictable and I did feel for each of the storylines. I also did tear a little at some points.

The ending was somewhat disappointing, cos it felt like she had forgiven her ex-abusive, unfaithful husband to help him rebuild the company they both started together. No no no.. a big FAT NO! Did not and could not agree with the last 10mins. If she had embraced her freedom, left him to rot, cut all ties and started her own business - that would have been correct. Forgive him- yes, but help him get back on his feet? No.

If you’ve never watched a Jdrama, give it a try. It’s a good insight to how poorly Japanese women are treated in their culture. Sad to say.

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I pesci rossi non possono andarsene da soli

Un edit prima di iniziare: oggi ho visto "An Affair" del 1998 di E J-yong, con Lee Jung-jae. Ha moltissime somiglianze con questa serie giapponese, non è possibile che siano mere coincidenze: anche lo stile, il carattere dei personaggi, il finale, la vasca dei pesci… Secondo me l'autrice del manga e la sceneggiatrice si sono ispirate proprio a questo film, ampliando la storia per una serie. Me ne sono accorta verso la metà del film.

È una storia di corna. Tutti tradiscono tutti ed è la più tragica rappresentazione di quanto possa essere disfunzionale il matrimonio inteso come convenzione sociale, come ancora in parte succede in Giappone, quando è una sistemazione economica e sociale per entrambi, spesso combinato dalle famiglie, in una cultura in cui il cittadino deve lavorare e procreare per l’equilibrio della società.

Le mogli sono pesci rossi in bocce di vetro, considerate dai mariti un mero ornamento e semplicemente trascurate, intrappolate socialmente in una situazione da cui non è accettabile scappare. Come spiega la similitudine dei pesci rossi, “non possono andarsene da soli, hanno bisogno di essere aiutati… prima di tutto bisogna osservarli… quando appaiono i sintomi di una malattia, spesso è già troppo tardi…”. In una società in cui il nubilato e il divorzio sono entrambi malvisti, paradossalmente il tradimento è dato quasi per scontato e il protagonista, che accoglie nella sua casa e nel suo letto la donna in fuga dal marito, si considera quasi un benefattore. Anche gli altri uomini, a pensarci.

Tutto il dolore di queste donne può essere riassunto dalla frase che una di loro, depressa, dice al marito, che lavora come un pazzo per garantirle un alto tenore di vita: “Non ti ho sposato per diventare ricca, ma per passare più tempo con te”. Come cantava Mia Martini, “gli uomini ti danno tutto quello che non vuoi”.

A questa miseria relazionale la storia intreccia l’altra grande sofferenza della posizione sociale, simboleggiata dal piano del condominio dove tutti abitano. Il primo episodio inizia con la festa di compleanno della coppia “migliore”, che abita al 43° piano e ha invitato solo quelli dal 30° piano in su. Relazionalmente invece sono la coppia peggiore: lui è un traditore seriale, la maltratta e addirittura le mette le mani addosso.

La serie è quasi perfettamente suddivisa tra trama orizzontale e trame verticali. Ogni episodio porta avanti la storia insensata tra una 49enne sposata scappata di casa e un 33enne che la ospita nella sua mansarda sopra al negozio di pesci rossi, e nel contempo racconta l’infelicità di una delle altre coppie, mostrando la crudezza bestiale di rapporti sessuali infedeli, colpevoli e prepotenti. Ognuna delle mogli subisce un diverso tipo di costrizione: il marito la obbliga ad avere rapporti con un altro, oppure la tiene come terzo incomodo nella convivenza con la madre/suocera, oppure la rifiuta perché non vuole figli… Tutte sono ugualmente invisibili e trascurate, tenute lì come un pesce rosso in una boccia, appunto. E tutte si vendicano e si realizzano andando a letto con un altro, spesso anche lui sposato.

Come in questo dialogo tra due amanti, entrambi sposati:
LUI: La propria moglie è la creatura meno desiderabile.
LEI: E quale sarebbe la più desiderabile?
LUI: La moglie di un altro.

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Adult and dark, yet interesting perspective of marriage and infidelity

This series leaves little to the imagination when it comes to the intimate interactions between the couples who are featured. However, that aside it did explore some interesting angles of infidelity.

The main couple who owned the salon were the most triggering. His blatant infidelity in sleeping with anything in a skirt and abusive behavior towards his wife was infuriating. It was understandable why she left him and ran into the arms of the guy who owned the goldfish shop.

The depressed alcoholic wife and her runner husband were the most likable out of all the couples. They still loved each other and wanted to be together, but their lack of communication with each other is what nearly destroyed them. I was glad to see them figure things out before they made a mistake, specifically the wife, which would’ve done irreparable damage to the marriage.

The storyline with wife who ended up having an affair with her cheating husband was weird. I thought the way their story wrapped was too easy and unrealistic. He cheated on her and that cheating was so painful it caused her to develop a mental disorder. Instead of him getting her help when he learned of her mental problems, he took advantage of her memory lapse and ultimately used that to worm his way back into her life and their marriage. Very manipulative. He did not deserve her forgiveness after all he’d done.

The wife who was fixated on getting pregnant by her asexual husband and the wife whose husband wanted to watch her sleep with with his co-worker were the least interesting. As was the interior designer who had a pity marriage which made her bitter and unlikable.

I liked how the series explored the many different situations that could lead to cheating. I also liked how they showed that marriage is not unicorns and rainbows. Though some of the reasons for cheating were strange a lot of the situations were realistic even if they weren’t right. I was satisfied with the endings for each couple except for the wife who lost her memory of her husband and I explained why previously. I was pleased with the ending for the salon owner. Though it was completely unrealistic that her abusive and controlling husband would’ve let her walk out of the marriage, in reality he would’ve killed her, I was glad she was able to free herself from him with minimal damage. The gold fish guy was a god send, but I never bought he was the love of her life. He was there to help her through a difficult time in her life and once he served his purpose fate moved her to the next phase in her life. She needed to be on her own again, relearn who she was and establish herself without having her entire livelihood depend on a man. I was very happy she was able to do this. And therefore was not upset when her and goldfish guy never reunited.

This was a really good series, very different from the usual love and rainbows that permeates these “romance” dramas. It was easy to watch. The acting was good and the storylines were engaging.

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Living in a Fishbowl

Likes
1. Not the usual wholesome jdrama because this is netflix produced so so many bed scenes. But i like that the scenes didnt look awkward but very natural.
2. I like the side stories of the other wives (more than the main fishbowl wife) and if i had to rate their stories i liked Lunchbox wife the most, then Outsourced wife, Renovation wife, Headache wife and Chaperone wife.
3. This drama didnt glorify affairs but shows us why women would have affairs. I wouldnt say i agree with them but I get where they are coming from. They're not happy with their husbands but they dont want to get divorced since that would disrupt their lives and they dont want to get together with the other guy. So they have an affair and still stay with their marriage. Weird but i'm sure these scenarios happen in real life. And i like that there was no preachy tone in the drama and one year later, the wives were definitely happier but still engaging in their affairs.
4. The main fishbowl wife was the only one who stood up against her abusive husband and walked away from a bad marriage. She was the strongest one and I hope she is happier now.

Dislikes
My main issue with this drama is the main wife's story was so boring and took up most of the time. It was obviously rebound and i feel bad for the younger guy. Also the younger guy is love with her after one incident years ago was unrealistic. I'm very happy they didn't end up together.

Rating: 8/10

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It's fine

Infidelity is definitely something I hate and I could never forgive something like that. However, this series shows the complexities of real relationships, not the lovey-dovey fairytale that were used to and...honestly...I even understood why they did what they did, which is very weird for me.

The acting, music, setting and story were okay. It is not a masterpiece but it is worth your time.

I don't mind nudity or sexual content so it doesn't bother me as much. Where all the scenes necessary? No, but it wasn't vulgar like some people say. Believe me I've seen weird and vulgar and this is not it.

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This was a really well written drama. Infidelity truly isn't my thing - actually, there are very few things that I find less appealing and the whole concept just doesn't sit well with me, betrayal of any kind has my skin crawling and stomach churning - but I liked that this drama didn't just have the female characters cheat on their husbands for the heck of it but every one of them had a good reason for doing it.

Still, it says a lot about me, I guess, that my favorite stories where The Chaperone Wife and The Headache Wife. And the main arc of Sakura and Haruto, of course.

With Haruto, what I found interesting was his relationship with his dad and that his dad actually approved of his decision to stand by Sakura and keep his shop instead of coming back to the company, but being who his dad was, he couldn't just say it out loud but his little smile was more than telling!

Also, a side note, for a country that's considered more than a little prude, Japan sure knows how to make steamy dramas. Wow.

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an amazing view on the reality of married lifes

So, I went into this drama not expecting much, the story seemed interesting so I gave it a try, and it's good I did. This j-drama depicts the married life of a group of women. They are all different but one thing in common is they have trouble with their marriage due to different reasons. Through that tough time they end up finding comfort in other man's arms and bed. The thing is, this drama has a lot of infidelity, and of course it's a wrong thing but I found myself feeling for pity for most of the women. It's actually really interesting to see them fall into the sin and then trying to live with it. They also end up growing as people and learning from their mistakes which makes them have a good ending in the finale, at least I thought it was a proper one for every woman. I know that people might be resistente to watch this drama due to the story itself, but you should give it a try, it's a really good drama that explores real problems of the married life. Attention, besides infidelity, this drama also has violence and domestic abuse.

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