101st Marriage Proposal: Episode One - Fateful Arranged Marriage Meeting

Hoshino Tatsurou is a 40-something kakaricho (foreman) for a construction company. When the story starts, he's being rejected from his 99th omiai (arranged date with intention of marriage if things go well). At the same time, Yabuki Kaoru (a beautiful 30-something cellist) is pleading her case to her mother on the phone as to why she's not in any rush to get married. Her mother hangs up on her and she confides in her sister Chie, that maybe she should try going on an omiai.

We find out that she was engaged three years prior and that her fiance died. There was something he said to her when he proposed that she can't forget. A mutual friend of Kaoru and Chie, Naoto, is in love with her and he tells Chie he wants to marry her. Chie asks her sister what she thinks of him and Kaoru says she couldn't marry him.

The day of the omiai arrives...you see three women and three men sitting at different tables. Tatsurou looks at the three women and wonders which one of the three will be "the one". He looks at the first one and decides she's too fat and then the second one...she wears too much make up..and then the third one (Kaoru) and he decides it can't be her...she's much too beautiful to be the one. Reluctantly he tells himself, it must be the fat one.

Kaoru looks at the three men and wonders which one of the three will be "the one". She looks at the first one and she notices he's a bit young and dresses too flashy...maybe it's the second one? She thinks he looks like a kind man with a decent fashion sense; but looks too much like a mama's boy...and then the third one (Tatsurou) and decides it can't be him. She tells herself it has to be the mama's boy.

Tatsurou gets up and walks over to the "fat woman" and Kaoru gets up and walks over to "mama's boy". Both introduce themselves. "Fat woman" and "mama's boy" say nothing...then Tatsurou and Kaoru both realize, they are the ones to go on the date.

On the date, Chie and Junpei accompany them. Tatsurou tells Kaoru he's a bucho (department manager); Kaoru says she plays cello. They look like they are having fun..then Kaoru asks Tatsurou why he's not married yet. He tells her he's been so busy working...a real workaholic..he's not had time to date and find a wife. She volunteers that she can't clean and Tatsurou says it's fine because he doesn't mind cleaning. Everytime Kaoru tells him she can't do something, Tatsurou tells her it's fine; he can do it. She comments then he doesn't need a wife...Tatsurou tell her he wants a wife..something in him needs a wife. Then he asks her how come she isn't married and she falls silent. They change the subject until Junpei and Chie decide to leave.

Tatsurou and Kaoru are walking outside and he confesses to her that he's not a bucho, he's really a kakaricho. She tells him there is nothing wrong with that. They agree that she'll take 2 or 3 days before she calls with her decision about him. Then he starts blabbing about how it's his 100th omiai and that he's not good enough for her. She reprimands him and tells him he shouldn't talk about himself that way. Asks him why he didn't think instead that maybe the other women had no taste? What makes him think she and he are not a good fit? All of a sudden he has hope. He tells her he'll be anxious waiting for her call.

Junpei meets up with Chie at school (I guess they realize they both go to the same school?) He sits with her at lunch feeling good because of how his brother told him the date went. Chie lets him know she's going to reject him and that she was not seriously thinking of marriage. Junpei gets angry and tells her his brother is very serious about the omiei. He storms off.

On the day Kaoru is supposed to call, Tatsurou is happy and he's bought champagne to celebrate and then he gets the call. She tells him she's sorry...she is the one that is not good enough and that is that.

Later Kaoru tells Chie she can't get married because she already is married. She still loves her dead fiance and she doesn't think that will ever change. (*sigh* sooooo sad...)

Chie meets with Tatsurou and tells him that with one phrase, he can win her heart.

At the end of the episode, Kaoru is talking to Naoto (he plays in the same orchestra) when Tatsurou shows up. She apologizes again and Naoto asks her if he is bothering her. Tatsurou says nothing to her and she turns to follow Naoto...she starts to walk away when Tatsurou says to her..."I solemnly vow...(Kaoru stops walking)..50 years from today to love you as I do love you now" This stirs up memories of her fiance's proposal. She turns to look at him and sees he has tears in his eyes but she's managed a little smile.

Okay...on my way to watch EPISODE 2!

101st Proposal (101回目のプロポーズ)

I happened upon this drama by accident. It's supposed to be 12 episodes but I've only got 10. I have to look for the last two or I'll go nuts when I'm up to them. It's from 1991 so it won't be that easy.

I haven't had a chance yet to make a little banner to put on the left as one of the dramas I'm currently watching. I'll have to do that soon. I'll also post the main characters after the 3rd episode. By then I'll be more familiar with them. There is one guy in this, Eguchi Yosuke. He was in the drama I mentioned in my very first post "Give Us Love!"

I watched the first Episode and after I write my summary, I'm going to watch episode 2. This one looks good.