Saionji-san wa Kaji wo Shinai

When I first started watching No Domestic Work For Ms. Saionji, I thought it was part of the trending drama trope where older women fell in love with younger men in a quirky setting.
 
Boy, was I wrong.
 
Instead, I found a story about reconciliation and an examination of parent-child relationships, reminiscent of classic J-dramas like Kotaro Lives Alone or Marumo No Okite.
 
Saionji Itsuki (Matsumoto Wakana), a 38-year-old product manager of a popular lifestyle app which helps users with household chores, is living her dream life. Surrounded by a great boss and colleagues, her app achieved 5 million downloads and she just bought her own house. Designed to be a home where no housework is necessary, Saionji has an automatic washer-dryer combo, a robot vacuum that sweeps and mops the floor. She even has a whole room dedicated to her hidden obsession, Sylvanian Families.
 
Saionji doesn’t get off to a good start with her new colleague, Kusumi Toshinao (Matsumura Hokuto), an aloof and highly competent IT engineer who immediately critiques her app. However, when she finds out that Kusumi is actually a single father who lost his apartment in a fire, she provides shelter for him and his adorable 4-year-old daughter Ruka (Kurata Ema).

Despite Kusumi’s brilliance at work, he struggles with balancing his career and raising young Ruka. Determined to do everything by himself and honoring his wife’s memory, he even refused to outsource his housework, which frustrates Saionji.
 
“I told you, we’re fine.” Kusumi insists when Saionji asks him to take it easy. “I’m Ruka’s father. As long as she isn’t sad, that’s enough for me. That’s more than enough.”

Kusumi’s insistence strikes a chord in Saionji, whose mother suddenly packed up and left one day. Believing that her own mother had left because she dedicated her life to raising her family without spending any time on herself, her mother’s departure affected Saionji’s outlook on life profoundly, right down to her “No Housework” philosophy.
 
“My mother was a housewife. She performed her duties perfectly, 365 days a year.” Saionji told Kusumi when she confessed about her mother’s departure. “I guess she never really wanted to do the housework. Her life was swamped by it. When I saw you, it somehow reminded me of my mother. That was rude of me, since your circumstances are so different from hers.”
 
“My wife passed away a year ago,” Kusumi reveals with a trembling voice after Saionji shared her mother’s story. “Since then, I haven’t had the time to grieve. I swore that I’d do a great job in raising Ruka, that was all I could think of.” However, Kusumi soon finds himself overwhelmed by his own expectations of child-rearing without any external help. “The first night I slept in a separate room from Ruka after my wife’s death, I felt like I’d been set free. I’m a terrible father.”
 
When Ruka gently reminds her father why her mother would grill eggplants in a certain way, Kusumi finally breaks down in front of his daughter. “You’re right… That’s how Mommy used to be. I’m sorry. Daddy forgot that important part of Mommy.” says Kusumi through his tears.
 
Sensing that Kusumi was at a breaking point, Saionji insists that he stay at her home for a few more days, until he can find alternative accommodation. “If staying here helps to ease your burden, that’s okay! You’re not useless for doing that, because that’s also a part of you. No one can deny that, not even you. You know… It’s far worse to live a life where you don’t have time to grieve.”

As the series progresses, Saionji forms an atypical family with the Kusumis. While helping Kusumi and his daughter, Saionji is forced to reflect on her relationship with her own parents. The series also has its fair share of funny moments, like when Ruka discovers Saionji’s secret Sylvanian Families collection and Saionji’s relatable banter with her childhood friends.
 
“So you’re a 38-year-old single woman who bought a house and owns a dog. Does that mean you’ve given up on marriage?” her childhood friend jokingly says over dinner.
 
“No, I’m just doing what I want. And you’re totally going to hell for that comment,” retorts Saionji.
 
Through much humor and heartfelt moments, the drama explores the dynamics of modern households and the societal expectations of a typical family. Regardless of your relationship status or stage in life, No Domestic Work For Ms. Saionji has lessons for us all.