Ryoko Shinohara as Sakura Hiraga in Fishbowl Wives (Screenshot: Netflix)
It has to be Netflix’s brand of humor to release Fishbowl Wives, a Japanese drama about not one but six cases of infidelity, on Valentine’s Day.
Notwithstanding, its steamy and tingly action can still draw a lot of attention. Aside from its provocative nudity, there’s a thought-provoking theme the drama hopes to convey.
After watching three out of eight episodes of the offbeat series of daring acting, we round up five things to know about Fishbowl Wives.
1. It is based on an adult manga of the same name about the infidelity of six women.
Fishbowl Wives is an adaptation of a popular adult manga of the same name by Kurosawa R that focuses on extramarital affairs.
Six different women living in the same luxury apartment building have hidden frustrations about their married life and eventually cross the line into infidelity.
With an anthology-like structure, each episode zooms in on one of the six women’s stories and the reasons behind their infidelities.
Despite their affairs, not understanding their circumstances can sometimes be difficult, especially when they face domestic violence or have to deal with uncomfortable requests.
2. It is the second of three Japanese series released by Netflix this year.
During the Netflix Festival Japan 2021, which took place in November last year, the latest lineup of several Japanese live-action films and series was announced.
In addition to the movies We Couldn’t Become Adults and Asakusa Kid released late last year, Netflix is releasing a movie titled Love Like The Falling Petals, which will see J-pop idol group Sexy Zone’s Kento Nakajima die main role, as well as three series this year.
Fishbowl Wives is the second of three series following The Journalist, starring well-known actors Ryoko Yonekura, Go Ayano and Ryusei Yokohama.
The final series is He Expects, a comedy starring similarly popular actors Takumi Saitoh, who starred with Takuya Kimura in both seasons of BG: Personal Bodyguard, and Juri Ueno, who rose to fame after starring in the 2006 drama Nodame Cantabile.
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3. It stars established actress Ryoko Shinohara.
The character that ties all six stories in Fishbowl Wives is Sakura Hiraga (Ryoko Shinohara). Though she leads a seemingly glamorous life that is the envy of all, the reserved Sakura becomes shy and fearful when she is behind closed doors with her abusive husband.
Shinohara, who has been in the industry for more than three decades, shines in her complex role, juggling between the carefree and relaxed emotions of hanging out with another man and the repressed and helpless feelings of her husband talking to her.
Shinohara’s immersive acting makes you feel her pain as Sakura struggles with her conflicted situation, like a goldfish trapped in a small bowl of dirty water.
Takanori Iwata as Haruto Toyota in Fishbowl Wives. (Screenshot: Netflix)
4. Takanori Iwata from the J-pop group Sandaime J Soul Brothers and Exile portrays a goldfish otaku.
Takanori Iwata, 16 years Shinohara’s junior, plays a goldfish otaku Haruto Toyota who owns a shop that sells goldfish and forms an forbidden relationship with Sakura.
Like a knight in shining armor, Haruto becomes a safe haven for Sakura to escape from her indifferent husband. Even though they know they should end their affair, they seem to have a nagging feeling that they are made for each other.
Although Haruto looks like a shallow character whose purpose is to bring comfort to Sakura, he has a backstory to share about his estranged family and his involvement in Sakura’s accident that left her job as a hairdresser.
5. It examines the morality of infidelity.
Through the stories in Fishbowl Wives, audiences can expect a startling exploration of extramarital affairs and what is right and wrong about adultery.
In one scene, the drama juxtaposes Sakura’s seemingly innocent date with Haruto and Sakura’s husband’s scandalous sexual affair with another woman. It becomes obvious, but at the same time debatable, that the latter feels more wrong. Such candid scenes might be exactly why Fishbowl Wives is so mesmerizing!
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