Hot Spot

A show that quietly sneaks up on you then catches you in its grasp

Hot Spot has a charm all of its own. This is a show that quietly sneaks up on you and then catches you in its grasp. From the opening moments of working in the hotel, the rescue of the Ki by the resident alien, through to saving the hotel, this story explores the true meaning of friendship.

There is a lot of talking in this show. Some would say it’s nonsensical chat. However, it has a charm all of its own and is the glue that holds Hot Spot together. This includes amongst the hotel staff at the Lake Hotel, the group of growing friends as they eat out on a regular basis to enjoying drinks at a friends bar.

Takahashi as the half alien is the show’s focus and the FL is the narrator and number one friend. The running gag is him bending a ten yen coin and everyone finding out he is an alien along the way. There is a cost to him using his powers that always results in him recuperating in the hot springs at the hotel. Each time the friends need his help, he starts out unwilling to help but in the end he always does.

A key production feature of this show is that there is no glitz or glamour. It’s like being in a town as you would expect to find that is almost like a sleepy hollow. Underlying it all are themes regarding friendship, acceptance, the challenges of tourism, environmentalism with a tiny touch of corruption thrown in.

I enjoyed the window into this part of Japan with a slice of pared back goofiness along with some very good acting with perfect timing.

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Easily the emotional warming series of this decade to date ?

When episode 10 ended, it felt like saying goodbye to dear friends. The Hot Spot grabs you in a very subtle fashion and before you realise, you are completely enveloped in a warm, funny, quirky, friendly hug. If you love slice of life, ordinary characters, unusual plot lines and ... and a regular view of Fuji-San, then you're gonna LOVE this! So many laughs, and towards the end, it will totally hit you in the feels. Bakarhythm has written a superb script and every actor plays their role so well. Kudos to the director and entire cast and crew for creating this very special gem. ENJOY 😃🙏

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"I'm not sci-fi, I'm non-fiction!"

Who knew the base of Mount Fuji was a Hot Spot for alien and paranormal activity? In a seemingly quiet town, four middle-aged school friends had their boring lives given a tiny shot of excitement when they made the acquaintance of an unassuming alien working at the local hotel.

Kiyomi works at the Lake Hotel and one night discovers there’s more to her co-worker than meets the eye. Unable to keep a secret she fills her friends in on Takahashi’s alter ego. Before long the 54-year-old alien is being asked to do trivial and even illegal tasks for the women. Somehow, he always manages to thwart crimes and do good regardless of the random requests. When the hotel and the town itself are in danger, it will take not only Takahashi, but nearly a village of women to right the wrongs being committed.

I enjoyed the laid-back alien tale with some of the other interesting reveals. Takahashi showed that aliens could be heroic and kind, stubborn, grumpy, and prideful---just like humans. While I liked the small town vibes and inane excitement related to specimen cups and volleyballs, there were times the women’s behavior troubled me. Kiyomi catered to an older guest at the hotel hoping to be put into his will. She also promised to keep Takahashi’s secret but took every opportunity to share it. She was unwilling to switch shifts with him so that he could rejuvenate after doing a good deed because it would have mildly inconvenienced her. The women could be terribly self-absorbed when Takahashi shared his hidden pain or when he risked being exposed or arrested for them. On the positive side, the women eased the alien’s loneliness even if he had to call them on their rude behavior at times.

The drama had an episodic feel to it as each episode had a problem to be solved with the overarching theme of the importance of the hotel and friendship regardless of family heredity. The humor was gentle and subtle. As they grew more accustomed to each other, the women became less oblivious and more in tuned to not only Takahashi but the world around them. They also discovered that their small town might be home to more than one unusual resident.

9 April 2025

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Its great if only Brush Up Life didnt exist

Dont get me wrong, the overall story is fun. its just lack of 'originality' than it seems to be. the storytelling and the production feels exactly the same as Brush Up Life. i mean both were great and i really enjoyed both works. but if the predecessor method was so great you need to do exactly the same and juist change the story, its not going to get the same result. what i like about Bakarythms project tho, is his witty and cynical comedic sense of his writing is really awesome. and not to mention his cast pick is hands down by far the most perfect cast i've ever seen from a dorama in a while. overall i enjoyed it a lot.

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The Casual Cruelty and Disregard Is Astounding

The show attempts to blend small-town charm with sci-fi whimsy, but beneath its cozy veneer lies a troubling undercurrent of casual cruelty—particularly among its female characters.

From the outset, the women in the show exhibit a disturbing level of self-absorption and unkindness. They take advantage of Takashi left and right, asking him to do all sorts of ridiculous things without any consideration for the consequences their actions might have on him or better said even while aware of them they simply don't seem to care.

One of the scenes that demonstrates this ridiculousness is the volleyball episode —the coworker asks Takashi to break into a school at night to retrieve some balls from the ceiling for her friend who stuck them there accidentally (She is a PE teacher).

He refuses at first(with good reason). He could’ve been arrested for trespassing. Worse, he could’ve been mistaken for a pervert. (What exactly does a man dressed in black look like sneaking around a middle school at night?) And the cherry on top? The person who asked for the favor wasn’t even planning to show up. Seriously. None of them were, not even the coworker. Takashi says he won't bother showing up if they don't. Then the coworker had to beg her friends and promise to treat them to a meal—just to get them to help—when they didn’t even want to go when the Takashi himself asked. Who demands that kind of favor from a coworker’s friend they barely know… and then doesn’t even plan to show up originally ?


This behavior is portrayed as normal, which is eerie and disturbing. Takashi does call them out, but then the show turns it into a joke—as if it’s "funny" that he just goes along with it. (Why? No reason is given, except maybe he’s trying to be a martyr or is just a pushover, which is frustrating.)

Speaking of Takashi, he is so boring that even with powers, he remains painfully dull.

The series does offer picturesque views of Mount Fuji and a quaint setting that could have been the backdrop for a heartwarming tale. They could have explored themes of loneliness—showing how, whether human or alien, connection and bonds transcend differences and species. Imagine a story where characters slowly grow from coworkers into real friends—sharing their troubles, helping each other, and learning from one another despite being alien/human or male/female . Instead, we just get lousy writing. Seriously? Yuck. I dropped it halfway through.

In summary, Hot Spot presents a facade of warmth and charm, but its underlying portrayal of normalized cruelty leaves a bitter aftertaste. It’s a show that could have been a delightful escape but instead serves as a reminder that outward appearances can be deceiving. In the end, it reveals that beneath the glossy surface lies a core that is truly rotten.

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Rencontre avec le type du 3e

Je l'attends comme le retour de la neige et comme elle, il arrive parfois sans crier gare. C'est bien sûr le nouveau délire scénaristique de Bakarhythm, cet extraterrestre du paysage comique japonais qui semble avoir trouvé la formule magique depuis le multirécompensé Brush Up Life. Associé pour la troisième fois consécutive à Oda Rena, déjà productrice sur ce dernier, et s'entourant une fois de plus des meilleures actrices de sa génération, Baka Pierrot encore accroché à sa Lune, nous embarque cette fois dans l'espace…, à moins que ce soit dans un Renault Espace.

Même si, comme à son habitude, il n'apparaîtra pas en chair et en os, c'est bien la marque de fabrique de cet Hitchcock du rire qui imprègne chaque ligne de dialogue ou à l'opposé, chaque silence gênant. Il a d’ailleurs depuis longtemps élevé les situations absurdes au rang d’art. Après la réincarnation ou le pouvoir de guérir par les pouces à grand cri de Hatatatatata !, il poursuit sa quête du merveilleux dans le monde triste ordinaire en comptant l’histoire d’un extraterrestre tout à fait ordinaire.

Grand philosophe du banal, il excelle à transformer les doutes du quotidien en suspense captivant. Il est capable de nous tenir en haleine pendant 45 minutes sur une interrogation aussi anodine que : reste-t-il du papier toilette à la maison ? En se liant, bien malgré lui, d'amitié avec une équipe de femmes quadragénaires (un retour dans Brush up life) cet E.T. héros se sent obligé de mettre ses capacités extraordinaires au service de la résolution de problèmes insolubles pour le commun des mortels. Placer une protection en verre sur un smartphone, décrocher un ballon coincé en hauteur… L'absurde de la situation nous fait autant rire qu'elle insupporte le héros. À travers cette critique subtile de la société japonaise, ultra-assistée par l’abondance de services, Bakarhythm souligne à quel point l’homme moderne ne sait plus rien faire de ses mains, pas même changer une ampoule. J’ai bien dit l’homme. Car, comme souvent avec le mari de l’ex-Dempagumi.inc Yumemi Nemu, on ressent son amour et son admiration pour les femmes – et pas seulement en tant qu’ancien wota.

On retrouve dans le personnage de Kakuta Akihiro tous les traits caractéristiques de Bakarhythm : son aspiration à une vie simple, faite de loisirs otakus, fréquemment méprisés par les « vrais adultes ». Même s'il choisit de ne pas apparaître physiquement, sa personnalité transparaît partout. Ce Pierrot lunaire n’a rien d’extraordinaire : incollable sur les Gunpla, mais incapable de changer une ampoule. Finalement, il ressemble beaucoup à ces hommes célibataires ou divorcés de 40-50 ans, qui n’aspirent qu’à une vie détachée des obligations familiales.

Le drama prend alors des accents féministes, mettant en avant la mère célibataire gérant seule les tâches du quotidien et son travail tandis que l’homme se prélasse dans les bains chauds. Fainéant et incapable, l’extraterrestre semble avoir pris les pires de la gent masculine… et on n’en attendait pas moins de notre expert de la nature humaine qu’est Bakarhythm. Ceci dit, les femmes japonaises ne sont pas épargnées non plus : incapables de s’intéresser sincèrement à l’autre, ou même de faire semblant une fois qu’elles ont obtenu ce qu’elles recherchaient. Cesser de voir l’autre que comme un service qu'il peut rendre, plutôt qu’une personne, voilà le véritable message de la série.

En cela, cette œuvre pose de véritables questions sur nos liens aux autres, dans un cadre qui me fait toujours autant rêver : la ville en apparence banale et très touristique de Kawaguchiko, mais qui, avec son lac, ses montagnes et le mont Fuji en toile de fond, invite toujours à la méditation. Quel meilleur endroit pour poser sa soucoupe ?

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