My Husband Won’t Fit is a Japanese telenovela that is currently in its first season with ten episodes. It features famous actors Aoi Nakamura and Natsumi Ishibashi, romantically involved in a relationship. This couple started dating way back in college and later married. However, problems begin when they get married upon discovering that their love is can’t be consummated. Here is a quick review of this emotional drama.
Photo by @nonkinakitchen
My Husband Won’t Fit Release date
The series hit the screens on 20th March 2019 on Japanese Television Fuji and runs for 40 minutes. Its currently running on Netflix under the Romantic TV Dramas category.
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My Husband Won’t Fit Overview
The title of this drama curiously grabs the viewer’s attention as it explores the likelihood of sexual mismatch in marriage. However, it can disappoint at the start since it starts on a low key.
Despite the initial feelings of salacious content, the drama is more sensitive to what couples go through as they attempt to rescue a marriage that can’t be consummated.
Although the title teases the viewers that it’s about romance and sex, it deliberately fails to ignite the fire and is uniquely unsexy.
Whereas you’d expect love and sex to dominate the scenes, this is not the case. The show picks up at a much slower pace.
It starts well and ends well, but the midsection lacks the oomph and, if you’re passionate about drama, it may disappoint after all.
My Husband Won’t Fit – The plot
Kumiko is a young and naive college student who enrolls to study at the university. She rents a room at the student housing. It seemingly looks like the perfect escape from her toxic mother. Things happen very fast when she meets Kenichi, who is a fellow student.
Quite daring, Kenichi enters Kumiko’s room and acts like an old guest. One thing leads to another and, they start dating. However, things dramatically change when they take off their clothes, and somehow something is missing as they can’t connect. Apparently, Kenichi won’t fit!
Love lacks enthusiasm
The other episodes are pretty emotional since the affair lacks the spark like most new relationships. The drama is a bit reserved, unlike Western movies that are more daring and action-packed. The title My Husband Won’t Fit isn’t addressed and, the viewers may remain in the anti-climax stage forever.
One thing about this film is that it lacks sensationalism due to the cultural background that probably prohibits certain subjects in public.
But, realistically speaking, Kumiko and Kenichi are into each other and, even though there is ethnic inhibition, one can tell that they love each other. However, their relationship is engulfed with the guilt of not being able to consummate their marriage.
Cultural stereotypes
Kumiko seems to hold some stereotypes and is a more submissive wife, timid and uncommunicative. The scenes have few words that portray a person who prefers postponing a problem rather than solving it. If you expect fights or arguments, then you’re wrong. The conversations are a bit subtle with little drama.
This telenovela shows how married couples try to apply different techniques to solve sexual incompatibility in their marriage. Even though Kenichi seems to put the needs of Kumiko before his, he endeavors to assure her that there’s nothing to worry about if her body won’t allow him in.
Exploring with strangers
With time, Kumiko discovers that there’s someone else who is filling the void and suddenly goes into repression. She somehow resigns to fate by the view of the fact that the husband has an eye for someone else.
Kumiko tries to explore and finds out that the sexual problem of the husband not fitting in is unique to their marriage. She gets involved with a stranger who pulls her into bed and rapes her in a hotel room. Although she protests, she eventually submits and, this changes how she feels about men.
The curse
The show hangs on Kumiko’s attempt to manipulate the situation mainly driven by media influence. You would expect Kumiko to take a cue from her aunt, whose open-mindedness was shunned by society.
There is a scene of Kumiko at her aunt’s gravesite where she believes the death is not natural. Even so, some brightness shines on her and, she feels that it’s her looking down on her. However, this turns out to be a nightmare in her life. She feels her aunt is mocking her for not being able to consummate her marriage.
Fear of being branded as a loose woman
Kumiko is still a virgin and joins a dating site and jumps into bed with different men. In return, she loses her virginity to a boy she met years back. The unfolding drama portrays Kumiko as someone who doesn’t understand the value of sex. She views sex as meaningless. Since her first encounter, she was looking for a whim. She desired to escape from the social shaming and being branded as a loose woman.
The first man doesn’t have much to offer since he makes her feel that she’s now a whore after sleeping with him. Nonetheless, she still tries to sleep with the husband, who by now is busy looking for women in brothels. At the same time, he lives in denial that he doesn’t need intimacy for sexual satisfaction.
Eventually, Kenichi, through the advice of his students, realizes that he’s not happy. Both he and Kumiko agree that they are living a lie and thus shouldn’t have kids. Their parents are not impressed by this decision and decide divorce is the only solution to the predicament. At this point, Kumiko discloses to the family that Kenichi won’t just fit. Everybody is stunned at this disclosure.
The end
The family seems to agonize at this disclosure and, Kumiko goes to the fertility clinic where a hospital worker threatens her into bearing children. As she leaves the clinic, she talks with Kenichi about her plans and desire. It ends with both walking away. Of course, fans will want to know if there will be a second season and if Kenichi will continue lamenting about his promiscuous ways and Kumiko not being able to satisfy the husband.
