o the setup in his Netflix Series from Japan is that a young, rather unsuccessful writer finds out that some unknown person has “invited” five women to live with him. They are told that they must pay the writer a million yen a month (roughly $10,000) and cannot tell anything about the invitation or answer any personal questions. And, seemingly, all of the women can afford this.
Outside of his strange houseguests, there are other esoteric touches to this stage. A fax machine that spews out scrawling death threats. A flat-eared kitten that prefers to be called “cat”. The writer’s dark family secret (and his inability to write about anything involving death).
So this is a slow-paced series but what caught my attention was that it focused on writing, the act of such, and how to be true to your voice. Sure, his nemesis (a successful writer who places more worth on his “truths” that are warranted, his toady webhost, his spineless publisher). But really the focus is on Shin, his search for the voice that will drive him, the essence of being read by others and the shared bond between the writer and the reader.
I really rather enjoyed this little tale that looked at Shin and each of his women, gradually unfolding their beings for us to understand. It’s a story about writing (and not a well-received story – two stars or so on the ratings). But if you are reading this then you are interested, to some degree, in writing. So yes, check this series out and see if you find your own truth in it.