‘Love Complex’ Isn’t Your Typical Workplace Romance Drama
It’s something much deeper
This article contains spoilers, but doesn’t impact the show’s enjoyment.
For those who enjoy Japanese culture, you know they have weird media. I don’t know what the PR people and show, movie executives are thinking. Who knows what was running through their minds when they greenlit Love Complex?
On the surface, Love Complex appears like a workplace drama and romance, but is more chaotic and intense. Airing on Fuji TV’s Thursday Theatre slot in the Winter of 2000, the show is about two Wonder Electronics’ employees, Go Ryuzaki (Karasawa Toshiaki) and Ayumu Shingyoji (Sorimachi Takashi), hunting down an embezzler.
The son of Wonder Electronics' CEO asked Ryuzaki and Shingyoji to investigate an embezzlement involving the executive secretaries. The company thinks one of the secretaries stole the money, so it’s up to Ryuzaki and Shingyoji to uncover the thief. They have a battle of the sexes to see who will win.
That’s what you’re meant to think.
Series creator Ryoichi Kimizuka created Love Complex this way since he felt that dramas were stale and formulaic. Instead, he made an over-the-top Twin Peaks-style black comedy.
When I discovered Love Complex two years ago, I wanted to write about it and show how ridiculous it is. But as I rewatched it for this article, I changed angles. There are messages and themes in this show I can’t ignore.
As bizarre as Love Complex gets, the show’s story focuses on mental health. Everyone in this office has repressed feelings and struggles, and the show isn’t afraid to tackle them. Every character pretends their problems are a product of their career.
There are workplaces with abusive and negative behaviors, but no one's problems in Love Complex revolve around them. Their lives are already depressing and chaotic, so they take it out on their work environment.
Let’s look at Shingyoji, for example. He lives with his mother, who gives him a hard time. She is stern because she had to raise him alone after his father died. Shingyoji’s father, on his deathbed, said for his mother to play both roles.
This caused Shingyoji’s mom to abuse him. She would hit her son with a bat every time he acted out. As a result, Shingyoji had physical and mental scarring.
Shingyoji would spend years feeling unempathetic towards his mom until he decided to talk it out and make amends. This was an excellent resolution for him in the show’s finale.
Aside from Shingyoji, there is Shizuku Arase (Kimura Yoshino). She is the leader of the executive secretaries. There is not one day when she isn’t appearing confident and dominant. All this comes crashing down when she confronts her past.
Arase has been in denial after her father’s death. She believes he is still alive. Her father sends her emails and messages, proving her perception. Once the other secretaries learn of this, they paint her as crazy.
Arase is not crazy. This is how she is coping with her father’s death, even if it is unhealthy. Once she learned the truth, the facade crumbled. She was in a state of shock and depression. Arase eventually overcame it. Her coworkers helped her see it through and gave her a positive and healthier approach to life.
The other secretaries also have problems, especially Kiiko Ninagawa (Koyuki) and Sada Hiiragi (Ryo).
Ninagawa has a weight problem. She is insecure about her body, thinking she is overweight, and she believes the executives mock her. So they can stop shaming her, she takes diet pills and vomits up what she eats.
Ninagawa then goes overboard, poisoning herself with the diet pills. Still, she can’t stop, and her insecurity kicks in. She keeps poisoning herself until she’s at wits’ end. Even though she did it the hard way, she asked for help before her next episode kills her.
As for Hiiragi, she loathes men, and for a good reason. Someone she thought cared about her took her money. In retaliation, she joined a misandrist cult and gave all her money to the leader.
Yelp.
Ryuzaki helps get Hiiragi out of the cult. But, given how outlandish he is, she loves him and almost goes crazy. Hiiragi learns she is about to snap and leaves Ryuzaki when Arase shares about her father.
Shingyoji and his coworkers wouldn't have tackled their mental health without Ryuzaki’s behavior. He is sexist and always takes credit for his coworkers' work. He aimed to break his partner and the secretaries to find the embezzler. It didn’t matter the cost.
However, finding the embezzler is not his true intention; he has other plans. When he’s not harassing or practicing his evil laugh, he’s destroying the company.
Ryuzaki becomes Love Complex’s villain, but he is more than that. He embodies the characters' mental health—an allegory for their problems—and wants them to give in to their issues.
It would have been better if Shingyoji had never made amends with his mom. Arase remains in denial about her father, Ninagawa stays insecure, and Hiiragi goes insane.
Of course, the characters overcome Ryuzaki and find closure, even if it costs the life of someone they care about. They sacrificed themselves so the others could be free.
Overall, Love Complex has a lot to unpack. The show lasted for one season. It makes sense. There are no more stories to be told with these characters.
Love Complex says there is no truer love than loving and caring for one another. You can tackle your mental health by seeking help and having someone on your side.
Our problems become simple when we are together.
As ridiculous as Love Complex gets, there is a touching story we can all relate to. In the chaos, something lies waiting to be answered.
Forget about this and that.
Like the characters in Love Complex learned, it is only an excuse.
Don’t ignore your health.
It will swallow you whole.
Thanks for reading Shotgun.
Grab a set and hit the lanes.
