My Personal Weatherman – Taikan Yoho Review
“On that day, the weather was unusually warm and I was overdressed, which made my mind hazy. That’s why I couldn’t really understand what he was saying.”
Mashiko Atsuki portrays Yo Tanada, the spacey, silly, cute, dense protagonist in the 2023 Japanese series “My Personal Weatherman” (Original title – Taikan Yohou), which is adapted from a manga with the same title. Yo is a struggling manga artist who claims he is the contractual slave of Segasaki Mizuki (Higuchi Kouhei), a popular weather anchor. Yo lives rent-free with Segasaki in exchange for taking care of all the housework, allowing him to pursue his passion for manga. However, it’s evident that they are in love with each other, but neither of them ever vocalizes their feelings, resulting in a great deal of heartache, confusion, frustration, and misunderstandings between them. How will this ‘contract’ end?
Directed by Kato Ayaka, who last directed the whimsical romantic-comedy Zenra Meshi, “My Personal Weatherman” is spread over eight episodes and exhibits a distinctly manga-like treatment. You don’t even need to have read the original comics to recognize that it’s likely a fairly faithful adaptation, minus the explicit content. If you want to enjoy this show, it’s best not to expect a realistic portrayal of how relationships work because the show is about two people who are completely clueless about their feelings, despite living and sleeping together under the same roof for three years. Both Yo and Segasaki are ridiculously uncommunicative, each doing most of the talking in their own heads, which forms the basic conflict of the plot and also offers comical moments through the runtime.
The cinematography is very domestic in nature, making you feel like you are peeping into the lives of a couple, since most of the story unfolds in the cozy little flat shared by Yo and Segasaki. While most romance shows based on manga are slow-burn, featuring characters who either undergo an ‘enemies to lovers’ arc or take their time getting to know each other before finally dating, ‘My Personal Weatherman’ starts in reverse. The leads are already in what Yo believes is a no-strings-attached physical relationship and episode one quickly establishes this. Over the next few episodes, Yo struggles with both his drawing career and his confounding bond with Segasaki. For example, he doesn’t understand why Segasaki wants to embrace him only on sunny days.
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The series mostly takes place chronologically but includes some brief flashbacks to the lead couple’s college days, which helps explain how the leads became acquainted in the first place. The chemistry between leads Mashiko Atsuki and Higuchi Kouhei as Yo and Segasaki is quite saucy and they look at ease around each other. At first, Higuchi Kouhei didn’t appear to fit the role of a handsome anchor who captures the hearts of both men and women, but as the plot progresses, he portrays the confidence, arrogance, and dominant nature of Segasaki really well. The character however is a bit problematic because Segasaki keeps Yo under his thumb, never explicitly revealing his true feelings yet exhibiting a controlling nature, even going as far as planting a tracking device in Yo’s bag to stalk him in one of the later episodes.
Yo’s fellow manga artist friend, Manju (Matsumura Sayuri), is the most entertaining character in the show and is always cheering for Yo. She’s outspoken and a total otaku (an obsessive fan of manga/anime), and she has a sweet, supportive husband (Mizuishi Atomu) who is a successful manga artist. It would have been enjoyable to see more screen time dedicated to Manju and her husband. The couple plays an instrumental role in making Yo and Segasaki confront their feelings for each other toward the end, yet the two still don’t make a proper confession. Perhaps the creators are aiming for a second season of “My Personal Weatherman” to explore their relationship.
I thought this series was a fun one-time watch, and Mashiko Atsuki’s chemistry with Higuchi Kouhei would definitely have me tuning in for a second season if one comes out.
Rating: 7 on 10. You can stream this series on Viu.
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