Hot Spot Review

Endo Kiyomi is a single mother living in the countryside in Japan. He works at a business hotel located at the foot of Mount Fuji. One day on her way home she nearly got hit by a truck. It was her co-worker using his inhuman speed that saved her. Later she learned that he is an alien but not a bad one. He is just trying to blend in with normal people and live like a normal person. He is a very kind hearted alien who can’t help but help people in need just like what spiderman always says “with great powers comes great responsibility”. Kiyomi and her friends kind of abused his kindness by asking help for minor problems like removing volleyball stuck in the ceiling or applying screen protector to phones.

If you are familiar with bakarythm’s writing you would have noticed the same formula. Dialogue heavy, slice of life comedy that observed the intricacies of daily life especially from the working class in Japan. The word here is mendokusai, that is how the Japanese say it. Bakarythm is a comedian so obviously it is mostly comedic skits but the plot is very intriguing. One of the main characters is an alien who is trying to blend with humans. I’ve seen a lot of alien themed movies/stories and this is by far the most creative. You would have thought you predicted it until the writer betrays you the execution is on a ridiculous level.

One thing I really like is the setting. The story is set in the countryside just on the foot of Mount Fuji. The landscape is beautiful. It is as if every scene Mount Fuji is on it. The place has this vibe of majestic yet eerie very fitting for an alien plot. No wonder the alien ancestors chose that place. I also would have settled there if I were them. I find the acting very natural, it is good as expected from the cast consisting of Ichikawa Mikako,Suzuki Anne, Kaho and other Japanese veteran actors. The comedic timing is also good thanks to Kakuta Akihiro’s genius. He is a great comedian. You can see some of his clips on youtube.

You may think you should be a fan of comedy to appreciate this but the story has a heart and the found family theme is very moving. It is emotional for me to see a bunch of middle aged people just bonding being friends with each other. Goes to show that we may age but our needs stay the same. No man is an island, humans, aliens, it doesn't matter.