Episode Guide
Episode 1 – 3.5/5 Episode 2 – 3.5/5 Episode 3 – 3.5/5 Episode 4 – 4/5 Episode 5 – 3.5/5
Fishbowl Wives is an interesting show. On the one hand, it’s a warning about the dangers of neglecting your spouse in favor of money or materialistic wealth. On the other hand, it celebrates cheating and infidelity. It’s a strange mix. ..
This Japanese drama is based on the manga of the same name and follows six different women as they navigate their tumultuous marriages. The main arc focuses on Sakurta Hiraga, a popular woman who is married to high-flying businessman Takuya Hiraga. ..
Unfortunately, Takuya is a controlling and abusive man who leads to Sakura leaving and finding solace and solitude in a kind goldfish shop owner. Their relationship eats up the lion’s share of the run-time, with plenty of dramatic moments and a couple of nice twists late on.
The show follows a group of couples as they struggle with various issues in their marriages. Some of the couples work well, while others are less successful. The best episode of the series is episode 4, which features a couple that have become disillusioned with one another. Saya and Sota used to run together but now they don’t.
In the third episode of the show, we follow a passionate husband and wife who have a complicated relationship. However, their fetish for one another’s infidelity creates some comedic moments but also some serious issues. Despite this, the show feels like it is constantly jumping back and forth between their two stories. This makes it difficult to follow what is happening in each episode, making it difficult to feel invested in either character.
The middle chapters of the manga are a bit of a mess. Sakura and Haruto’s relationship doesn’t really progress until late in the book when Takuya makes his move. There’s not a lot going on between them until later on when Takuya makes his move.
The biggest problem with this show is its large cast. This can be forgiven given Korean dramas with equally daunting ensembles, as episodes typically clock in between 60-75 minutes. Here, however, we have nearly 10 different characters all thrown into a series with sharp, pacey episodes that range from 38 minutes to 50 minutes. ..
The main problem with Fishbowl Wives is that it’s a message that’s not really all that interesting or original. The characters are all quite appealing, but the story doesn’t really have much going for it. The montage at the end of the episode is also pretty forgettable.
In Japan, cheating on your spouse is not as stigmatized as it is in some other countries. Some of the women in this montage have gone through a lot of pain and suffering, but I’m not so sure that being unfaithful and cheating on your partner is any better. ..
The show looks great and there’s a really nice soundtrack accompanying it too. There’s an effort to make this look aesthetically pleasing and Fishbowl Wives absolutely nails that. ..
The goldfish metaphors are perhaps a little on the nose, although they’re effective in keeping the story feeling organic. The shaman is also effective in instilling her wisdom to each of the wives across these episodes.
The showrunners of “House of Cards” seem to have a problem with the idea of infidelity. The series lacks emotional depth for the characters outside the central couple, and alongside the short episodes, gives this a somewhat rushed and surface-level appeal. While there’s enough here to whet the appetite, there’s not quite enough lasting appeal to see you returning for more in an hurry.
