The conversational chaff that most screenwriters sweep aside is the raw material of "Fictitious Girl's Diary." This loving ode to the banalities of life started in 2006 as a fictional blog written by a comedian known as Bakarhythm, documenting the humdrum existence of a female bank clerk. Its blend of acutely observed detail and gentle humor garnered a cult following, leading first to a book and then a TV series starring the author.
The twist is that Bakarhythm (real name Hidetomo Masuno) is a 44-year-old man, and the sight of him squeezed into a skirt or curling his eyelashes lends a surreal edge to the otherwise uneventful drama. It helps that Masuno — a diminutive 165 centimeters tall — is a similar height to his female co-stars, and his ego doesn't take up any more space than he does.
The appeal of "Fictitious Girl's Diary" is hard to explain to anyone who hasn't already succumbed to its charms. It's a very low-calorie brand of comfort food, its comedy as mild as the pastel-heavy visual palette.