Damena Otoko ja Damedesu ka? (2022)

Sweet, Silly, and Saved by Machida Keita: A Feel-Good Comedy That Almost Gets Away With the Absurd

A soft, slightly chaotic, but genuinely heartfelt comedy about a grandmother who’d go to ridiculous lengths for her grandson — including stepping into his shoes and becoming an influencer in his place. The premise isn’t exactly aiming for realism, and it shows, but that’s not really the point here.

Let’s be honest: if you like Machida Keita, you’ll probably enjoy this. He carries the whole thing. He’s great at conveying warmth and affection, and even when his acting tips into being a bit extra, it somehow works. I expected it to feel cringey — and yes, it does flirt with that line — but it never fully crosses into second-hand embarrassment. There’s something quite natural in the way he handles this slightly absurd body-swap dynamic, especially in how he channels the grandmother’s presence.

That said, I did have a bit of a gripe. The actress playing the reverse side of the swap (a boy’s soul in a woman’s body) didn’t quite land it for me. It felt flat, not very convincing — the body language, the mannerisms, all a bit too neutral. If you’ve seen how this trope is done well (think Mr. Queen), you know how much physicality matters, and here it just wasn’t fully there.

Still, overall, it’s an easy, light watch. Not particularly deep, not something you’d analyse to death, but pleasant enough to unwind with. The romance barely registers — or maybe I just didn’t care enough to notice — but that didn’t really take away from the experience.

If you’re in the mood for something undemanding and you’re here for Machida, it does the job quite nicely.

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