
Perhaps love by nature is a sorrowful thing. Do you agree? Well, that’s just one of the themes of “Zettai Kareshi.” This drama toys with the idea of finding the perfect lover or “kareshi.” What would happen if a robot solely dedicated to love is just within your reach? Will s/he really be the right one for you?
I wasn’t interested in watching a sci-fi Jdorama at first but since I wanted to venture into all types of Jdoramas, I tried this one, and despite the bittersweet ending, it was indeed a fun watch.
The story begins with a company called Kronos Heaven who has finally able to develop a robot lover. They then choose Izawa Riiko (Aibu Saki), a bumbling, single woman to partake in the trial. At first Riiko is hesitant to participate in the trial, even refusing to give Robot 01 a name. In the end, she is touched by his loyalty to her and names him Tenjo Night (Hayami Mokomichi).




The drama shows the development of Riiko and Night’s atypical relationship. At first, Riiko only sees Night as a convenient partner as he never fails to perform his role as the perfect boyfriend. She later on develops true feelings for him.

And looky looky! It’s Abe Tsuyoshi as Robot 02 or Toshiki-san. Abe-kun played the role of Mimasaka Akira in the “Hana Yori Dango” series but unlike his adorable character in Hanadan, his role in this drama is a bit on the villain side.

Making things even more complicated for the robot-human couple is Asamoto Soshi, played by the uber “ikemen” Mizushima Hiro. Soshi is Riiko’s charming and immature boss who develops feelings for her. And this is where things get really interesting. What I liked about the drama is that the love triangle actually worked. Even as the drama ended, I couldn’t really decide on who I wanted more for Riiko.

But as art imitates life, you can only choose one.

Despite the unrealistic plot, the drama opens up important reflections on love and relationships. Is there really such a thing as a perfect lover? Does a perfect person equal a perfect relationship? And can an imperfect person be the right one for you?
Technically speaking, the drama had good visuals, the dialogues were a bit on the corny side but nevertheless adorable and the acting was okay. Oh, and I love the ending song “Okaeri” (“Welcome Home”) by Ayaka, who by the way broke the hearts of so many fangirls by recently marrying Mizushima Hiro (Soshi). I would have hated her too if I didn’t love her strong vocals.
Credits: SARS Fansubs, DramaWiki
i hate her because she married Hiro, now my days will be getting darker each day…