The Japanese drama Fishbowl Wives has left Netflix viewers in a never-ending dialogue about its risquè material. Adapted from a popular comic by Kurosawa R, the series narrates the lives of six couples living in a luxury Tokyo apartment building and their extramarital antics.
News.com reports that since Fishbowl Wives’ release in February, the series achieved a two-week stay in the streamer’s Global Top 10 TV (non-English) and reached the Top 10 in 14 countries.
The show has built a dedicated fanbase on Twitter, with users sharing their love for the series and recommending it to others as an enjoyable drama. One user tweeted: “If you looking for something ‘saucy’ to watch on Netflix (Fishbowl wives).”
The show that another user summarises as “soft porn” introduces audiences to Sakura Hiraga, played by Ryôko Shinohara, a housewife forced to give up on her dreams following a tragic accident. However, once she meets Haruto (Takanori Iwata), she becomes smitten, and the two embark on a passionate love affair. Once she gets wind of her lover’s potential secrets, things take a turn.
Fishbowl Wives has yet to have a second season confirmed, but fans are hoping their word of mouth will help with ratings and, in turn, the following season. The series is slowly becoming one of the site’s most promising foreign language series.
Leading star Iwata shared his acting techniques with About. Netflix, having set many viewers’ hearts racing. “Well, I study how I appear. For example, I objectively examine how I can appear sad or find the angles that I look most attractive,” the actor explains. “A single blink can change how I appear, so I pay close attention to my expressions and gestures.”
He added: “I have also tried that method of listening to music. When I started acting, I wasn’t good at crying in scenes… I tried to cry by reminding myself right up until the shoot that my character was sad. Now I am able to draw out my emotion and respond to the performance of my co-actors.”
Fishbowl Wives is available to stream on Netflix. Watch the trailer below.
