The conversational chaff that most screenwriters sweep aside is the raw material of ¡°Fictitious Girl¡¯s Diary.¡± This loving ode to the banalities of life started in 2006 as a fictional blog written by a comedian known as Bakarhythm, documenting the humdrum existence of a female bank clerk. Its blend of acutely observed detail and gentle humor garnered a cult following, leading first to a book and then a TV series starring the author.
The twist is that Bakarhythm (real name Hidetomo Masuno) is a 44-year-old man, and the sight of him squeezed into a skirt or curling his eyelashes lends a surreal edge to the otherwise uneventful drama. It helps that Masuno ¡ª a diminutive 165 centimeters tall ¡ª is a similar height to his female co-stars, and his ego doesn¡¯t take up any more space than he does.
The appeal of ¡°Fictitious Girl¡¯s Diary¡± is hard to explain to anyone who hasn¡¯t already succumbed to its charms. It¡¯s a very low-calorie brand of comfort food, its comedy as mild as the pastel-heavy visual palette.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.