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 Ggultra2764
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[series:1477#1552] |
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Having minored in communications while I was in college, I was certainly giddy when I first heard about the premise of Hataraki Man about a work-a-holic editor and the co-workers she interacts with. It's a fresh concept since this has to be the only anime I've known of that does a believable focus on the pressures of working for a national publication. Each episode of Hataraki Man features Hiroko's interactions with a character on and off the job whether it be her boyfriend, Shinji, or one of her co-workers at the Weekly Jidai. Some episodes feature Hiroko and one of her co-workers on the job doing an article. The chemistry between characters was quite realistic as the editors have their own approaches to how they do their jobs and this can often result in conflicts between Hiroko and whomever she is assigned to do a story with. Problems even arise with the people Hiroko interviews with stories which does lead to complications with how stories get published in the Weekly Jidai. The only character who doesn't get much in the way of focus though that left me a bit disappointed was the newbie reporter, Tanaka. It would have been nice to get a better sense of how his co-workers thought of him and his laid-back attitude. There is also focus on how one's heavy focus on a career can negatively affect personal relationships. Case in point, Hiroko's relationship with Shinji. Both characters are caught up in their areas of work quite often making it difficult much of the time for the two to spend personal time together. Adding to this complication are the different levels of success that the two have with their jobs. While Hiroko has a successful career, Shinji has his own difficulties and frustrations with his job as a construction foreman. Overall, Hataraki Man makes for a great watch if you are interested in an anime that delves into the pressures of having a professional career. It can be an acquired taste though if you aren't interested at looking at believable portrayals of a real-life career. Last updated Saturday, December 20 2008. Created Saturday, December 20 2008. | ||||||||
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[series:1477#628] | ||||||
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(All episodes watched): The story of a female workaholic--Hataraki Man definitely has some originality to it. I liked this show. Hiro is an interesting, complex character, and remains likeable since she has her share of flaws to counterbalance her strengths. Character designs are distinctive--you might be able to identify these people even if they shaved their heads. Dialogue is sophisticated and interesting, which keeps my attention throughout the episodes (unlike a number of other shows out there). I also like the originality of the setting in a papparazi-like newsmagazine; the nearest match I can think of would be MAICO 2010, except that was set in a radio station and included a dose of sci-fi. Perhaps it's indicative of the way Hataraki Man originally had intrigued me that whereas I usually "space" out my viewing of episodes of a series over a number of days, I couldn't resist watching the second episode of this particular show on the very next day after the first, and additional episodes were among the ones I most look forward to downloading and viewing (though, to be fair, my interest drifted off after awhile and it took me something like six months to watch the series in it's entirety). Individual episodes tend to focus on a particular supporting character, and some are distinctly better than others. I was pleased to see that the final episode returns to Hiro herself, and her strained romance with her boyfriend. I was expecting a sort of salaryman morality tale, along the lines of "which comes first--love or work?". The "moral" that I got wasn't exactly what I was expecting! Still, I wouldn't have minded more than a mere 11 episodes to this series. It's hard to write a review when I've taken so long to watch this show, but it feels like a Rent- to me. My favorite line: "You're making your disgusting face again" --cameraman Last updated Monday, June 18 2007. Created Saturday, January 27 2007. | ||||||||
Other Sites
| Name | URL |
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| Official Japanese Series Web Site | http://www.hataraki-anime.com/ |
