Haburashi/Onnatomodachi

Suzune Makabe is the writer of a very popular drama on Japanese TV. She also has a secret relationship with her superior, Yanai. One rainy day, old high school friend Mizue appears out of nowhere with a little kid and asks her to stay for the night. Suzune accepts, but the next day Mizue keeps asking her for favors, and her stay keeps being enlarged. Why did Mizue appear? Has she some dark secret? And how will Mizue's appearance impact on Suzune's life?

"Haburashi / Onna Tomodachi" is an enjoyable drama, with some mystery in it, but that is not particularly original or surprising. It is centered more on the relationship between Suzune and Mizue than on anything else, and also on how Mizue's appearance wreaks havoc on Suzune's organized and quite successful lifestyle. It is kind of annoying how easy Mizue gets to control everything on Suzune's life and it can become highly irritating, all with Suzune being moved and pushed around by Mizue and her secret plots. Suzune is one of those characters bland and empty, that seem to exist to sacrifice themselves for others. Yuki Uchida does a good job to give some life to the character, but it is difficult to empathize with a character whose life and decisions are so easily controlled.

However, as the plot advances and the characters have time to breath and develop, the plot becomes better and more engaging. And with only 8 episodes in the series (and less than 30 minutes long each) it can be seen even in one afternoon.

It is good enough, but far from great. If Suzune's inside world would have been better depicted, her decisions toward Mizue (who also is sometimes undercooked as a character, going from manipulative to victim without much explanation till the very end) would be better understood.