A mother and daughter find love.
Notable Actors/Actresses
Notable Actors/Actresses
Hamabe Minami: Minase Sora
Japanese Title
ウチの娘は、彼氏が出来ない!!
ウチの娘は、彼氏が出来ない!!
Recap Grade: B/C
Mini Recaps
[Ep1] Minase Aoi is a famous author known for her romance novels. She's a single mother with an otaku daughter: Minase Sora. Currently, Aoi-san is struggling to pay for her luxurious condo. Sora wants to move out to save money, but Mom insists on living in this expensive condominium. Is Mom just materialistic? No. This condo is their home. It contains their precious memories. Most importantly, they live across Zojirushi – an electronic company. My (old) rice cooker! Sora never had a dad growing up. Zojirushi's elephant logo was like Sora's guardian angel. As a baby, whenever she looked at it, she would stop crying. Aoi-san doesn't want to move for her daughter’s sake, for her precious memories of her daughter. With my very limited understanding of Japanese, I believe Zo-san (Zojirushi or Elephant-san) is supposed to sound like Oto-san (Dad). And so how can our ladies keep their home? Well, Mom has to be inspired to write another romance novel but Mom doesn't haven't any inspiration... But where will she find romance
Cliffhanger: Mom and daughter fall in love with the same man! Omg, lol. Only Jdramas.... He’s this tall, big, clumsy guy – Wataru Shuichi. He’s ~28yo and sorta in the middle of their age. This new romance will be Mom's inspiration ~
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| Our blob. This will be the style of our leading actress (Minase Sora) throughout the entire drama xD |
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| Our blob looks like this too |
I love Hamabe Minami's (Minase Sora) acting as an otaku/fujoshi. She had an expression of ecstasy and lust when she stared at her BL manga, hahaha. It felt very real, xD (A fujoshi, as I Googled, is a female otaku who likes fantasizing about boy-boy love. Honestly, I didn’t retain the whole meaning of the term but had an interesting read of it in this article from myanimelist)
Aoi-san's ending voiceover where she describes her daughter as her partner in surviving this world sold me the drama.
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| I spy with my little eyes two people that look like Minase Sora and Irino Hikaru |
Mom retreats from Wataru-sensei for her daughter. She's elated that her fujoshi daughter finally found love. Plus Wataru-sensei keeps calling her old (indirectly).
Mom had an aside where she commented on Sora's taste in manga. Apparently Sora likes this Chainsaw Man who wraps his own intestine around himself like a scarf.......What manga is this....?
Cliffhanger: Sora's got a date, her very first with Wataru-san! She calls it a natural disaster, lol. Because even she cannot believe she of all people got a date. Meanwhile Mom is putting her moves on Editor-san (Tachibana Soseki). She's not really in love, she's just testing her skills...but could she be in love with Editor-san?
[Ep3] We don't get to see Sora’s date because she’s very turned off by Mr. Tall Guy who forgot to clip his hanging nose hair and poor Sora was too grossed out to enjoy the date.
Sora receives a random present from Hikaru-kun. It was meant for his "girlfriend" (his sex friend) but he knows she wouldn’t like it. It’s a marble with a floating white blood cell inside (WBC), which means it’s mostly clear. Peeking through the marble, Sora can see the world upside down. To Hikaru-kun’s surprise, she loves this marble. But then she loses it (because she was playing with it so much). Hikaru actually spends a fortune (however much money a toy capsule vending machine can scam out of an adult) to find the WBC marble again.
Hikaru-kun has a complicated family. He’s the only one out of his two other siblings who didn’t get into med school. Oof. His father doesn’t want him to attend the family dinner because it's too embarrassing for dad to talk about his failure of a son. Mom is the one telling Hikaru-kun all this and poor boy has to pretend to disconnect. Hikaru-kun was actually on his way to dinner but lied to Mom that he was busy and couldn't attend anyway. Hikaru-kun, you go and believe in yourself. If you don't, no one will!!
Gon-chan has an arranged date that looks like it will lead straight to a marriage. He’s only seen the picture of the girl...but he seems certain they’ll marry. Suddenly Aoi-san doesn’t seem so happy. These two are childhood friends and grew up together. Editor-san thinks that going on a last date with Gon-chan will be good for Aoi-san. It will inspire her to write her romance novel. With this pretense, Aoi-san invites Gon-chan to a date. Shunihchiro-san (Gon-san’s dad) is in full support. And so, a date it is. Seems like our Dad knows more about his son than his son knows about himself.
Cliffhanger. On the "date", Aoi-san asks Gon-chan, "How about you give up being a 'bride'?" Yep. She messed up and said "bride" instead of groom. However, it gets more awkward: he rejects her! Ehh. I thought he liked her.
[Ep4] Sora's suitors.
- Hikaru-kun manages to inspire Sora to draw for his story. He also becomes her love coach because of his natural expertise.
- Mr. Tall Guy put on the fake nose hair to indirectly reject Sora because there is someone he loves from all the way back in Gr.3. To this day, he hasn't forgotten her. When Sora learns this, she realizes she's still in love with Mr. Tall Guy and bravely asks him to date her
- Hikaru-kun has fallen in love with the brave Sora who's asking Mr. Tall Guy for the date. He keeps the WBC marble to himself.
Aoi-san's suitors:
- Gon-chan's date/arranged-marriage falls through because the girl is a money grabber. Good! But now Aoi-san has Editor-san. Turns out he became an editor because he was a fan of her books!
Cliffhanger. Will Aoi-san and Editor-san kiss?
[Ep5] Sora interrupted her mother's kiss with Editor-san. She pretended to be surprised by shouting but it was deliberate and designed. She thought her mother was going to be taken away by a man.
Sora gets her date with Wataru-san. She hides the fact that she’s an otaku and her growing stomach aches from him. However when she’s with Hikaru-kun she’s free as herself and even does her weirdo congratulation dance.
Sally is Editor-san's stalker girlfriend, well, ex-girlfriend. It was Shunichiro-san who saved her from her own obsessive behaviour. Every waking minute she had to know where Editor-san was and now that she has let go, life is better. It seems Sally also grew up in a toxic family. It looks like she's actually falling in love with Shunichiro-san... who is double her age?? She may have a father complex... Our Gon-chan is staring daggers at Sally.
Cliffhanger. Hikaru-kun finds out Aoi-san is O blood type but Sora is AB. This means they're not related...! Otoke!
[Ep6] It's confirmed. Sora isn't Aoi-san's biological daughter. After the reveal, Hikaru-kun accompanies Sora for the day. She’s depressed and hugs him. It's funny when she describes what their hug looks like while hugging him. Apparently it’s like a sagging grandmother hugging onto a telephone pole. He tells her she can call him anytime and promises to pick up within three rings. As he’s walking ahead, Sora calls him immediately and he picks up within one ring. Aw.
Aoi-san has Gon-chan with her. We learn a bit more about their relationship. He had proposed to her when she was taking care of the infant Sora. Gon-chan's proposal: If it’s too hard for you, we can raise her together. Aoi-san, who had no idea it was a proposal, and courteously declined that she had Nako-san (his late mother). He took it as a rejection and went on a long trip to cure his heartbreak, lol. Now that Aoi-san knows it was a proposal, she coolly declines Gon-chan (again). LOL. This is a petty revenge, isn't it? Offended, Gon-chan argues that he isn't proposing right now so he can’t be rejected. Aoi-san counters and these two continue to bicker.
Sora has a date with Mr. Wataru-san despite everything that happened today. She didn't cancel because she doesn't want to go home anyway. Eventually, she skips out on the date. She's not in the mood, but she still doesn't want to go home either and so who does she call? The guy who has to pick up in less than three rings! And he does pick it up as fast as he can even if he's in the middle of a shower. She lets Hikaru-kun know she's headed to his place and Hikaru-kun magically spiffs up the entire condo in a jiffy. He warns her to not do this to any random guy. She'll be "beaten up". She's like Are you going to beat me? Lol. This guy wants to love you xD.
Hikaru-kun lets Sora take his studio condo while he'll spend the night at an cybercafe. He's letting her take his warm home while he'll stay out in the cold. However, the warmth that Sora wants isn't within the condo but from him. She finds him at the cybercafe. Upon seeing her, Hikaru-kun is looking very depressed. Lol! Sora falls asleep on his shoulder and he's exasperated at how she can just sleep anywhere. Not anywhere! Just with Hikaru-kun. He leans her against the wall and catches a tear before it falls from her eyes. As for himself, he drinks coffee to stay awake all night. Is it not better to just sleep? xD. Oh, and the next morning, he (easily) wins her the WBC marble from the coin machine! Did he pull a trick? Where's the one he already won?
[Ep7] Aoi-san and Sora finally talk. Aoi-san explains how she had wanted to commit suicide after the man she loved betrayed her. Her career was also in jeopardy. Her bestseller "Scent of the Sky" set the expectations too high. As she walked into the woods to commit suicide, she heard the cry of a baby. She looked up at the sky and it was sunny and that's how she decided on the name "Sora" which means sky. This gives so much more meaning to their sky room. For Sora, Aoi-san wanted to live.
Sora shares her mother's story with Hikaru. These two are currently on first name basis. By the way his name means Light and her name means Sky. He's a little flustered but she says he started it by calling her Sora here and there. I like how she's using the marble to look at him. She had said she loved the new perspective the marble gave her of the world. And with this marble, she's looking at Hikaru-kun with a new perspective too ~
When Sally hears Sora’s mother's story, she cheerfully tells Sora that she wasn't abandoned. She is an angel from heaven, a present to her mother. This is touching especially coming from Sally who was raised in a toxic family.
However, Hikaru finds the story a little too weird – it's too perfect. It’s also exactly the same as Aoi-san’s own novel, “Umbilical Cord”. Then Sora finds an umbilical cord in her room. It's hers. This means she wasn’t abandoned. Finally, the most critical evidence of all, her mother would never kill herself. LOL. This means Aoi-san knew her biological mother.
The real story. Aoi-san fell in love with Ichinose Fuga, a stage actor, but he disappeared. She went to look for him and instead found Suzu-san who was already pregnant with Sora. Aoi-san didn't want to tell Sora because she was afraid Sora would choose her father who is still alive.
[Ep8] Aoi-san and Sora meet Ichinose Fuga, Sora's father and a driftwood seller. Jdramas and their ability to find these weird careers. It doesn't seem Ichinose Fuga even remembers a "Suzu-san” and he’s indifferent in meeting his daughter for the first time.
While the ladies are meeting the Dad, the other guys in the drama have coincidental meetings too: Editor-san meets Gon-chan; Mr. Wateru-san meets Hikaru. Mom's line is complicated. Will she choose Bio Dad, Editor-san or Gon-chan? So many choices! However, Aoi-san has more concerns than just the men in her life. Currently, Sora and Bio Dad are having alone time without her. To Mom, Sora is the most important. Screw men.
[Ep9] Bio Dad always knew of Sora's existence. Suzu-san had written him a letter that she gave birth and was going to start a new family. From then, he had a habit of taking pictures of the sky but when he snapped a picture of Sora, he stopped filling his sky album because he already had the real sky: Sora. (By the way, the ghost of Suzu-san tells Bio Dad why she lied about starting a family: she had a terrible time with him. Weird ghost part ...)
For the first time Sora calls Bio Dad as Dad (after calling him creepy because he was taking pictures of the sky as her replacement).
Sora walks home with Hikaru and they encounter random gangsters pick a fight with them. Hikaru protects Sora, and during the fight, her glasses break. She can't see without them and so he takes her hand and walks her across the street. Sora thought holding hand was reserved for his girlfriend. He says this is an exception. They stop at the red light and it starts snowing. Sora sniffs the sky (like the title of her mother's books). He follows her to smell the sky. As she's looking up she wonders what the future will be like. They'll be in their third year and then they’ll be working. She thinks everything will change. She may not be able to draw or call him whenever she needs him.
Hikaru (laughs): That won’t change.Sora (is about to cry): It will change.Hikaru (is thoughtful in his answer): Not everything will change. I think he means she can call him anytime (;
Sora snuggles her face into his sleeve. She says she's imprinting his scent or more like hiding that she’s crying. She wants to remember his smell which is like nostalgia and like grass. And so they stand there on this snowy night, missing the second green light. Hm, so without glasses one cannot differentiate colour too, eh :D
Cliffhanger. Bio Dad asks Aoi-san to be together again!
[Ep10] Aoi-san has two and a half suitors – a half because that other guy hasn’t made a move on her (yet). Editor-san is going to New York, Bio Dad is going to Okinawa for three years and both men have asked Aoi-san to leave with them. Aoi-san happily skips away to Gon-chan's bistro to share her popularity but Gon-chan isn’t there. Boo. Sora is, and she tells her straight up that she's staying right here in Tokyo with Hikaru!.
The suitor and the half-suitor fight! Gon-chan punches Bio Dad! It’s Bio Dad who deliberately provoked Gon-chan’s anger. From Gon-chan's perspective, Aoi-san must have really loved Bio Dad to have taken care of his daughter all these years. Whilst Bio Dad is beaten up, he's smiling. He's relieved to be punished. Editor-san is at the restaurant too and breaks up the fight. Editor-san understands Bio Dad's intentions. To push Gon-chan into action! When Editor-san is asked who he is, he replies he’s just a passer-by. This is true. He won't get the girl (Aoi-san). Sora also witnesses the fight but she's not mad at anyone.
Aoi-san rejects Editor-san. Aoi-san is grateful Editor-san was in her life. She had thought she was an"ovacon" Is that how it's spelled? It means a finished content, an over-con. But he cried for her and loved her work. He motivated her. Now she's the one crying and hugging him like she's a koala and he's her tree. She tells him to not forget her. What kind of rejection is this? It's kinda cruel. Also, Aoi-san was never the type of woman to let her prince take her away on his horse. She likes to walk on her own two feet.
Sora and Bio Dad bid their farewells. Sora tells Bio Dad the existence of Gon-chan to Aoi-san is like oxygen. Gon-chan will always be there. If he's gone, Aoi-san will be like a goldfish running out of air. Haha! To Aoi-san, Gon-chan is more important than love. Aoi-san is like Hmm is that so? Lol. The subject of discussion doesn't even know. Bio Dad thinks that inciting Gon-chan was a win-win. Dad wanted Sora and Aoi-san to leave with him but if that wasn't their choice then he wanted Gon-chan to step up. Aoi-san assures Bio Dad that Gon-chan will always be there but then she's reminded Gon-chan almost married someone else. Then she’s like 'Oh well. There's no absolute. That's why life is interesting!' Aoi-san. Always unpredictable.
Gon-chan and Aoi-san flirt. Gon-chan isn't going anywhere. These two also don’t grow up. He teases her that she’s a grandma. She retaliates by insulting his flirting skill. He whines that he wasn't flirting. Stay like children, please. Honestly, it's too late for them to be adults.
Sally and Shunichiro-san are together?? I'm confused about this one. Are they a couple or just family like friends kinda thing?
Hikaru and Sora. Hikaru also isn’t going anywhere. He had told Sora that if Aoi-san was leaving, he’d still be here in Tokyo. He also clarifies he has no girlfriend. Well, Sora is free and single too~ She broke up with Wataru-san, apologizing to him that she had loved him and right now she loves someone else. There’s more happy news. Their manga, titled “A World With You”, won the consolation prize.
Back to normal. Our mother-daughter pair are back to playing rock-paper-scissors for ice-cream again. It's all the same and a little bit different. At least in their home they have a picture of Bio Dad. It’s not just “Zo-san”. Sora also has Hikaru and Mom has Gon-chan. These two men will always be there in Tokyo, like grass or like oxygen for our ladies. And of course, Sora and Aoi-san will always be partners in life – this has never changed. This is absolute.
The end.
Remarks
[Review] Uchi no Musume wa, Kareshi ga Dekinai!! (with two exclamation marks, I have no idea why) is mostly a mother-daughter drama. Our Mom is more childish than her daughter. Our Daughter is weirder than most daughters. Our whole drama is about this duo: the weird and the weirder. We follow their 4D personalities as they find love, but the most important relationship is the bond they share. It’s your signature J-drama with oddball charms that’s tender, comedic, and light the rest of the way.
For those who love romances, there’s a treat for you too. Sora x Hikaru are cute! Mom's loveline has a lot more possibilities so I won't spoil it but I was rooting for the right guy (yay!), sorta (heh, there’s a bit of a twist).
[Ending] Happy.
Random Recommendation: Dear Sister [J]
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