Let’s Get Divorced tells the story of Taishi and Yui, who want to get divorced. Their circumstances make it difficult to get separated, leaving them no choice but to work together. The series is now streaming on Netflix.
Story
Yui and Taishi Shoji fell in love and got married five years ago. However, when Yui came to know that Taishi cheated on her, things changed for the worse. They still look like a happy couple to the world, but the reality is very different.
Taishi is a newly elected congressman who took over his father’s seat. He fails to be a popular politician like his father because he keeps messing up. As his popularity plummets, Yui, who is an actress, becomes more and more successful.
When Taishi feels like people only see him as Yui’s husband and Yui starts liking another man, the two of them decide to get divorced. However, it is not easy to do that.
Yui’s image is that of a good wife, and if she gets divorced, she will have to pay a penalty of 800 million yen, as she will be breaching contracts with various brands by getting divorced. At the same time, Taishi needs her to win the elections.
The two of them are then forced to work together and play the part of a happy family until the elections get over. Will Yui and Taishi get divorced, or will they learn to love each other once again?
Performances
Riisa Naka is very expressive and lively as Yui. Naka had to depict several emotions, and she nails each of them. On top of that, her comic timing is commendable.
Tori Matsuzaka’s performance is also praiseworthy. He first convinces the audience that he is a good-for-nothing politician, but later, he makes Taishi’s character development just as believable. One cannot help but like Taishi when he changes.
The performances by supporting actors, like Ryo Nishikido, Keiko Takeshita, Yuka Itaya, Arata Furuta, and more, are just as brilliant. The cast of Let’s Get Divorced certainly makes this show a lot more entertaining.
Positives
The show can be hilarious at times. The characters and their internal remarks that sometimes point out their true motivations are especially amusing.
Even when Yui and Taishi do not get along and decide to get divorced, there are moments when it becomes clear that they still have feelings for each other. It is impossible to guess whether they will end up together or not; the show keeps the audience guessing till the very end.
It also depicts how complicated love can be. Despite everything, it is hard for Yui and Taishi to stop loving each other completely, as there was a time when they were happy together. Their feelings do not go away in a day.
It also tries to highlight how love, marriage, and society are connected. People’s personal relationships are often defined and even changed by the way society views them. By choosing to make its lead characters public figures, the show is able to explore this idea in detail.
Taishi’s character and career development are quite interesting. He changes and grows, but he is not absolved of responsibility for his actions; he has to face the consequences.
Negatives
Let’s Get Divorced has many subplots, and they are all over the place. Due to this, the show struggles with the pace, and the narrative seems muddled. These subplots unnecessarily draw attention away from the main plot.
The show is way longer than it should have been. The plot is dragged out to the point where it is hard to enjoy it; it does nothing but make the show tedious. If this show had been shorter, it would have been much better.
Verdict
Let’s Get Divorced would have been a great show if it was shorter and not stuffed with subplots. It has a lot of good things, but the audience might not be able to appreciate them because of its length and narrative structure.