Anata wa Watashi ni Otosaretai (2023)

"Love" and "desire" are two different things. ~ Tachibana Noa

Where to watch : "You Want Me To Steal You" on Viki

I had to watch it because of the poster (always appreciate such aesthetic/symbolism), and I knew it was going to be of quality, but what unfolded was deeper than I had anticipated. Although I have to say this was way too short, and I can only imagine how greater the manga must be, in terms of psychological analysis and emotional build-up. Actually, I finished it in one sitting and was left amazed. I did not expect the actors, etc. to be so good either. I was hooked from the start with Noa's scheming; a female lead like her felt so refreshingly unique. But the story truly captivated me during the confrontation between the husband and his wife. The acting, dialogue, and tension, enhanced by the camera movements, made the scene feel so real and raw, it was so well written. It was a turning point that confirmed this wasn't just about entertainment. I found myself feeling more than I expected, and not all of those emotions were positive. While I mostly enjoyed it, the experience is undeniably toxic and becomes quite messy in a serious way, so I can understand why some might not appreciate it. However, among the many cheap Japanese dramas with a similar duration (whether they involve cheating or not), this is a little gem.

(The drama is labeled as a thriller due to Noa, but it's more of a melodrama, so don't expect too much.)

Despite my apprehension, given how short manga adaptations typically turn out, the ending was perfect, beautifully tying everything together with a touch of irony: there are the fools, and then there is the winner. Was the winner truly the one at fault here? The answer is both yes and no. If anything, Noa ended up helping Kana and Naoya. The drama offers a subtle critique of Japanese society, touching on themes like work culture, marriage, infidelity, sex taboos, harassment (though no actual harassment occurs, the topic is frequently mentioned), and more. The workplace, portrayed as supposedly healthy with its opposition to overtime and harassment, ironically devolves into chaos where authority is undermined, and the team leader becomes an undeserving scapegoat. Another subtly addressed topic was the challenge of broaching the question of whether to have children, often brought up quite late, alongside the impact of work culture on marriage and the role of infidelity in Japanese society.

Compared to a workplace affair drama like Perfect Crime, this one stands out as a far superior production. While Perfect Crime offers a lightweight, barely engaging storyline paired with mediocre acting (not blaming the actors necessarily, there was probably only so much they could do and Dori Sakurada was really good in Kuzu no Honkai and Alice in Borderland) and low production values, Anata wa Watashi ni Otosaretai manages to excel despite its short format. Its compelling narrative, better performances, and higher overall quality set it apart as a much more satisfying viewing experience.

The main characters are sad, complex, flawed individuals. They make you wonder or want to scream at them. Noa, in particular, is fascinating. I really wanted to see more of her, the actress made her so captivating to watch. Thankfully, by the end of the drama, I was satisfied with the characters arcs. Although it is true that Noa remains more of an evil, enigmatic character, this is also why she becomes the main reason why you want to read the manga.

It's an excellent introduction to the manga, and I'm really hoping someone translates the manga soon. The most impressive is that they still managed to complete the story, even though the original source material was unfinished at the time of release (with maybe 10 volumes?). I wonder how much was changed. There's only so much you can do to nicely adapt a long story into such a short format anyway. However, it's still unfortunate that I didn't quite understand everything. Maybe it was just me?

To sum up, this is a unique and compelling story that explores themes of infidelity. Even if the subject matter is uncomfortable, it’s handled here in a mature and honest way.

I'm not too fond of the opening song, but I love the visuals, and I keep listening to the ending song. Interestingly fitting lyrics too. There is even a classical piece at the end of the last episode, bonus points for me. Generally liked the atmosphere and the soundtrack, especially with Noa's scenes.

P.S: Do check the covers of the manga!!! So pretty. They are all on Nautiljon (a french site but you should be able to access it) + different versions here : https://www.reddit.com/r/manga/comments/1czafb9/slrequest_anata_wa_watashi_ni_otosaretai/#lightbox

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Write-up of the love square + extras :

Tachibana Noa : Smart, malicious, manipulative. Shows no feelings towards Naoya. Apparently sleeps with people for a gain. Is interested in human nature, not men. Unsure if she knew about Naoya being married (her asking is not enough of a proof). Her approach towards Naoya can be either for a gain, because she is interested in human nature or both. Plans the events at the beginning, but since no more of her POV is shown, like she said, we assume she gave up and what happens at the end is a coincidence (yet I'm still questioning it...). No idea if she was supposed to sleep with the man we see at the end, even though it is possible given her phone call with him in Episode 1. Ends up going to the USA instead of Hirano. Either she was chosen or she made a request herself. Really wish we had more of her POV, definitely the best character.

(Do correct me if I'm not remembering correctly, and if you have any other theories, feel free to share.)

Hirano Kyosuke : Likes cheating. Smart. Doesn't get caught. Gets outsmarted by Noa and gets caught. He had a wife... I guess he's still with her, no idea if he goes with her to the countryside. Didn't he say he wasn't having sex anymore with his wife at the beginning? Or that was Naoya? Anyway, not an actual bad guy despite the fact that he cheats. Self-aware and mature reaction at the end. I like him.

Aizawa Naoya : Loyal, naive, bad at communicating. Confirms he hasn't had sex with his wife for 2 years but it's her fault. Honestly a better person than his wife (not saying that she's "bad", she's the most pitiful out of them all but it's also mainly her fault)... Ends up falling in love with Noa.

Minaki Aoi : Admirative of his boss but also truly in love. I don't think he only desired her because she was married and because she's her boss. He wanted her happiness but she was a mess and even if he still loved her, she only changed for the worse.

Aizawa Kana : Distanced herself from her husband physically and emotionally, work being her only purpose in life. Ends up falling in love with Misaki but she becomes dependent of him. Insecure, competitive, selfish (not so much initially but she becomes more and more, especially greedy with Minaki, gets jealous too and becomes obsessed by him, understandable though, I was too), bad at communicating, shows culpability even though she didn't do anything bad to her employees (shows culpability later on too because she can't work well), hates them for it too but does get affected by it (I can imagine how it would be hard to stay professional with these two), doesn't get any better (actually gets much worse) with her private life becoming a mess and her being unable to separate it from her professional life, emphasized by the comeback of her old boss (whom she seemed to have a good relationship with) who highlights her lacking skills as an employee and as a team leader (at some point, she wasn't wrong anymore...). Noa really annoyed her (at the worst time possible too), and the fact that she did so much better than her with the 50 millions instead of 30 must not have helped when she understood that there was something going on between her and her husband.

The two female employees under Kana's subordination : One of the two films Kana and Minaki because she hates her boss and because she thinks Minaki is a victim. I obviously don't like them at all but I can't say it's not understandable... Kana was in the wrong there. (I don't care about the relationship in itself, I actually rooted for them (her relationship with Naoya was draining and I love the dynamic with Minaki), but doing all that at work, and not listening to him at all but only herself?)

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