Yuika Motokariya: "Love or Not" drama from 2017, episode one recap

 

 Air Dates: March 20 until May 22, 2017 on dTV/FOD at 2:10 am,  then from July 20 to September 28, 2017 on Fuji. Total of ten episodes and subs were done by neutrinoxs.

 Main Cast: Just these characters but we see the boss of Kosuke and Wataru on occasion, will edit the bios as the recaps go on.

Yuika Motokariya as Mako Hirosawa.... Interior designer who is 29 in age and it appears she's never had a boyfriend. That's because Mako's heart still pines for a boy she met when she was nine and he saved her from some bullies who were trying to steal her rabbit doll. She finally met the man in the first show and he didn't live up to her expectations at all.

Kenjiro Yamashita as Kosuke Usami.... Also 29 in age and the boy that helped out Mako all those years ago. He's currently a Salaryman with the Sanba Shoji company and is not that efficient of a worker. When Mako finally met Kosuke after twenty years she was extremely disappointed, in the first show he moved into the apartment below hers. 

Keita Machida as Wataru Sano.... Kosuke's junior at the company but he knows much more than his senpai and is often bailing him out at work. Wataru's father is extremely wealthy and the women flock to him but early on Wataru fell hard for Mako.

Reina Asami as Shiho Hojo.... Mako's friend since high school and she works as a free lance photographer. Like her friend Shiho is quite timid around men but does have a boyfriend who is a doctor though that may not be a lasting relationship.

Erena Mizusawa as Misuzu Mori.... Met Mako in high school, she's two years younger, and currently works as a web writer. She is just so darn attractive and also very outgoing, the next man has been trying to woo her but she's set her sights on Wataru.

Masayasu Yagi as Sota Yabuki.... Owner of the Itsomuno bar/cafe where Kosuke and Wataru often eat lunch or dinner. Sota has been dumped too many times to count by women, after meeting Misuzu in the first show he's fallen head over heels for her but the feeling isn't mutual.

 Bit of an odd choice for  my next drama but really wanted to view one that starred Yuika and it's not easy finding shows with her that are subbed. This had a second season in 2018 but don't think that's been subbed. Have viewed the first five shows, quite enjoyable and a series that appears will get better as it goes along. Not sure how many recaps will be done today(three) as I bet before the second recap is finished will be up to the fourth episode. These posts shouldn't be too long as episodes are just 24 minutes in length though the first post is always the longest. Can't say I'm a fan of these kinds of dramas but every now and again it's nice to take a break from intense, action packed or horror shows and Yuka's last drama was an excellent suspense thriller. Here's the main cast again....

 The story actually began twenty years ago when the top person Kosuke saved Mako from a bunch of bullies who were trying to steal her rabbit doll, both were nine in age at the time. The rabbit was still intact but had lost one of it's button eyes in the mud, Kosuke eventually found it but Mako had left by then. But twenty years later Kozuke still has the eye plus Mako also has her rabbit, to her Kosuke was her first(only?) love though she only knew him for five minutes. Let's zoom to present time(2017) and these days Kosuke is working as a Salaryman for the Sanba Shoji company, it may be an excellent company but Kosuke is far from being a dependable or efficient worker. So often he's been bailed out by his friend and office mate Wataru who is the complete opposite of Kosuke at work.

 Also the opposite as far as many other things go. Wataru is such a handsome man who is two years younger and so many women would kill to date Wataru as he also comes from a wealthy family. However Wataru doesn't handle himself so well around women but has been able to keep it a secret, he can't meet that perfect gal who isn't interested in his wealthy background. Rounding out the trio of men is Sota who runs the Itsumono bar/cafe. Kosuke and Wataru seem to go there daily where the three moan about their love lives or lack of them. Sota has had many dates and girlfriends in the past, he's their age, but has been dumped 100% of the time. Kosuke is the worst of them at romance as he's not the most handsome of men plus comes off as a bit goofy. One night he came up with a plan he shared with his mates, he'll send out a chain e-mail to the females who have enrolled at an old classmates site. Kosuke's mates have no faith that he'll even get one reply from it, who would remember him between the ages of nine and eighteen? 

 Against all odds Kosuke did get one response and of all people it was his first crush Mako. She's also 29 in age and works as an interior designer but isn't too thrilled with her job as she works long hours and is underappreciated by her boss and clients. For twenty years that five minutes of being with Kosuke has kind of dragged Mako's life down as she's never been able to get the one time encounter out of her mind. The odds are probably fifty million to one that Mako would ever run into Kosuke again but in her heart she'll never meet a better man. But Mako needs to get her act together quickly as she'll be turning thirty soon and her father is hounding her with possible grooms he's lining her up for. Don't know where Mako hailed from but it appears to be well away from Tokyo. Mako does spend much of her free time with a pair of friends who are also not married but one does have a boyfriend.

 That's Shiho and am skipping ahead a bit as we didn't learn that until the third show. She has a doctor for a boyfriend but their relationship is going nowhere and Shiho has become quite depressed about that. Like Mako she isn't that outgoing so if she ever broke it off with the doctor what would she do? One of Mako's friends who may never have a problem getting a man is Misuzu and what an attractive gal she is. Unlike her friends Misuzu is quite outgoing and easy to get along with, her problem will be trying to determine which man is perfect for her as she has an army of suitors. As mentioned earlier the one female to respond to Kosuke's e-mail was Mako, to her what are the odds it's the same boy from twenty years ago? They are slim but Mako will try anything to see that boy again, she responded that she would love to see Kosuke but could she bring two friends? 

 That response was the perfect one for Kosuke as he too is a bit timid around the opposite sex which means he can invite his buddies Wataru and Sota. The 'grand reunion' took place at Sota's Itsumono bar and it was a semi disaster. Besides having those Kosuke memories from that one time meeting Mako has the image of him being a very good looking, dashing, rich and successful business man. She was wrong on all counts as Mako was severely disappointed at what Kosuke is like after twenty years but she has only her self to blame for that. Mako did hide her feelings at first but as the night went on her real thoughts about Kosuke came out with all of the wine Mako consumed and she does love to drink. This is the man I've ben pining over for twenty years? she told everyone and it did make the atmosphere quite uncomfortable.

 Then again Kosuke had the same impression of Mako who said his disappointment in meeting Mako was twice hers. That was a fib as deep down Kosuke was attracted to Mako but had to say some bitter words to save face. But the question that was never fully answered between the two was 'Is this my first crush from twenty years ago?'. To Mako there was no way this could be the Kosuke she had pined for all those years but he was confident this was the Mako he could never get out of his mind. Kosuke hasn't gone overboard like Mako with her memories but he still remembers that one meeting like it was yesterday but it does seem like a stretch that the one face to face encounter still plays such a role in their lives two decades later.

 Seeing as how Kosuke was going nowhere with Mako his friend Wataru jumped into the conversation and was immediately smitten by her. What really impressed Wataru is that Mako acted kind of cool towards him and especially after she learned how wealthy his family was. Starting with the next show Wataru will be going all out in his attempt to make Mako his girl. he's gotten the blessing of Kosuke who repeatedly says(lies) he can't stand her. Also at this mini party the owner Sota has fallen head over heels for the striking Misuzu, we'll see more of that possible hookup starting in the next show but it doesn't appear it'll be going anywhere. To make this longish recap shorter Mako and Kosuke left the bar together, both were smashed and Kosuke could barely walk. The scene only lasted for twenty seconds but the pair ended up in a hotel room together but being so out of it neither knew the other was there until the morning and they still can't stand the other person. Whew, for a 24 minute show this was a long post but often first recaps are, the next post is for the second episode.