I believe that some series can quietly change the world. Not because of overly melodramatic narratives or visceral and graphic portrayals of good or evil, no. But because of their ability to explore human nature within the commonplace as they subtly analyse the systems, customs, and demands that mark our everyday life. Let’s all be honest: life isnโt exactly an action movie, a tearjerker of a melodrama, or a magnetic romance. But that’s okay, reminds us TBS’s Who Does Housework Anymore? (a.k.a. Taigan no Kaji), because there’s much in the ordinary that can challenge, thrill, and move us.
This might be the first time you hear of Who Does Housework Anymore?, as the show hasn’t reached international streaming services (yet, I hope). So let me introduce you to this precious gem of Japanese television. Based on Akeno Kaeruko’s novel of the same name, Who Does Housework Anymore? (ๅฏพๅฒธใฎๅฎถไบ๏ฝใใใใ็งใฎ็ใใ้!๏ฝ, Taigan no Kaji: Kore ga, Watashi no Ikiru Michi!) is a 10-episode series that aired on TBS from April to June 2025. The script was penned by Aotsuka Miho, Otsuka Yuki, and Hiraki Mari with generosity and care, while Takemura Kentaro, Sakagami Takuya, and Hayashi Masaki directed the series with a realistic yet bright aesthetic.
Who Does Housework Anymore? is a rare, remarkable story about respect and kindness, proposing an extraordinarily perceptive account of modern domesticity, gender issues, and human nature. It follows Murakami Shiho (played with grace and strength by the great Tabe Mikako), a full-time housewife constantly juggling her two-year-old daughter Ichigo (the adorable Nagai Kana) and housework. She then meets several people, including a working mother and a bureaucrat on parental leave. Shiho soon realises that these people are, at the same time, similar but completely different from her. This experience helps Shiho โ and the people around her โ change the way they see the world.
This review is spoiler-free! If you don’t have time for the complete article, why don’t pin our summary at the bottom?
Finding the “Cinematic” in the Ordinary
Throughout its 10 episodes, Who Does Housework Anymore? relies on prosaic conflicts to move its narrative forward. There’s nothing fantastical or extraordinary about it, and yet, it manages to find the beauty, hardship, and courage in the ordinary.
Despite the complexity of its themes and topics, Who Does Housework Anymore? unravels at a steady pace, never stretching its conflicts for longer than it should and always providing its characters with clear motivations and natural dialogue. Shiho’s journey is thought-provoking but never stressful, resulting in a true slice-of-life series. By painting a colourful and fairly accurate picture of our everyday lives, the story highlights our similarities and differences and reminds us that we all have our own struggles.
Shiho then serves as the linchpin of this narrative, a person who fosters kindness, empathy, and open communication. She isn’t scared of confessing to her difficulties โ whether they be ones that arose after childbirth, those that made her feel isolated as a housewife in a world populated by working mothers, or those that come with external expectations that she isn’t willing to fulfil. Instead of drowning in her sorrows or placing blame, Shiho sees these challenges as obstacles that she managed to overcome thanks to the help of the people around her or through her firm belief in her own values. Shiho’s values beat at the very heart of Who Does Housework Anymore?, inspiring the growth of her neighbour Nagano Reiko (a perfect Eguchi Noriko) and her “papa-friend” Nakatani Tatsuya (a very quirky Dean Fujioka).
The Pillars of Shiho’s Journey: Respect and Empathy
Reiko, Tatsuya, and a whole cast of supporting characters have their perspectives and lives changed thanks to Shiho’s principles. Throughout the series, Shihoโs adventures demonstrate how society is composed of a variety of identities, experiences, desires, and needs โ and this diversity should be respected and preserved. Rather than dictating rights and wrongs, Shiho advocates again and again that we should try to understand others and defend their right to be free to be who they want to be. This theme is clear from the very title, which can be translated to “this is my way of living” (ใใใใ็งใฎ็ใใ้). As long as we all respect each other’s freedom to live the life that makes us the happiest, we’ll have a more content and humane world.
Here, Who Does Housework Anymore? becomes almost utopian in its portrayal of a wide cast of characters who are always open to change and grow. Without exception, all of them allow themselves to become more empathetic and more willing to correct their mistaken, selfish beliefs. There’s no such thing as an “evil” character: everyone has a reason for being who they are.
Shiho is constantly trying to put herself in their place, offering them compassion and encouraging open discussions. She views their ignorance or selfishness as a result of anger, fear, and misconception, and works to present them with a different perspective. Unfolding in an episodic nature, every instalment sees Shiho changing the life of one individual โ which, in turn, ignites a chain of change that affects the very fabric of the community around her.
The Difference Between Understanding & Forgiving
However, Shiho’s ability to empathise doesn’t mean that she just ignores the pain that we can inflict on others. We can and do hurt others and we can and should apologise. As the person hurt, we can and should understand the other person but that doesn’t lead to our wounds being automatically healed. It doesn’t mean that forgiveness comes so naturally or instantaneously. In a very intelligent line from the last episode, Shiho clarifies that “understanding and forgiving someone are two different things“.
So, beyond diversity, Shiho encourages self-respect and the establishment of healthy boundaries. Who Does Housework Anymore? proposes an insightful exploration of the complexity of human nature and the process of reconnection in broken relationships โ nothing is ever solved miraculously. Changing, forgiving, and re-establishing trust takes time that goes beyond the 10 hours of this script.
Friendship becomes the core of the human bonds in Who Does Housework Anymore?, a dynamic that provides these characters with solace, support, and the means through which they can grow. Familial relationships are clearly more intricate, as the proximity and the intimacy may lead to the creation of unfair assumptions and expectations. Who Does Housework Anymore? reminds us of the importance of the little things: appreciating others for who they are, offering a sincere “I am sorry” and “thank you”, providing help, and making gestures that show care. Voicing and actively demonstrating our gratitude, regret, and apology is key to the development of this narrative, which works hard to shine the spotlight on the things we take for granted.
And this is where the housework comes in. Housework isn’t a prop in Who Does Housework Anymore?: it is a narrative tool that delivers the show’s theme of respect while also allowing for a significant debate on gender issues.
Who Does Housework Anymore? Well, Everyone Should!
Who Does Housework Anymore? is a female-centric story in which women are seen constantly redefining their role in society. This narrative points the finger at the “idea” that women never seem to get it right. They struggle with work-life balance, especially when they have children to raise. They struggle to have their careers respected and valued when their existences are often defined by their choice of whether or not to get married or have children. They have to do everything โ work, housework, child-rearing โ on their own because they can or want to, because it’s easy, because they’re supposed to. Even Shiho, who chose to be a housewife, is judged for not working and “contributing to society”. After all, housework can’t be that difficult, can it? There are no “quotas or deadlines to meet,” as one of the characters put it.
These problems come from the fact that women are often fighting a lone battle, stuck in societal expectations that don’t respect their individuality, needs, and goals. So, why can’t we just help each other out? Slowly, Who Does Housework Anymore? shows that housework isn’t easy at all and that it does “contribute to society”. As the characters around Shiho learn what housework really entails, they start showing a lot more appreciation towards it.
Men then realise that they too have been trapped into societal expectations that hinder their ability to take care of themselves and foster better relationships with their wives and children. Through a genuine, gentle, and keen portrayal of contemporary domesticity, Who Does Housework Anymore? dismantles bias and examines gender expectations by vividly illustrating and discussing how hypocritical, self-centred, and prejudiced a system it is.
Should You Watch Who Does Housework Anymore?
Who Does Housework Anymore? (Taigan no Kaji) is a quietly revolutionary and timely slice-of-life that doesn’t propose an ideal world, but definitely opens a door to it. Through an endless amount of empathy and tenderness, it explores the struggles of modern life, the failings of gender expectations, and the value of the things we take for granted. Most importantly, it celebrates our differences and defends our freedom to live a life that we can really call our own, emphasising how this diversity can make us stronger and how, by respecting each other’s choices and needs, we can create more fulfilled communities.
Hopeful, compassionate, and sensitive, Who Does Housework Anymore? is not only a joy to watch but also an essential reminder of our shared humanity.
Who Does Housework Anymore? is currently available on U-Next in Japan.
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