Have you ever felt so small to the point that you start to question whether you really have something to offer? All you want to do is hide because when you go out there, you feel like a lost kid in the crowd. The more you try, the more insignificant you feel. And yet, you’re afraid to tell anyone about it. You feel strangely ashamed of your condition because it somehow confirms your deepest and darkest fear: that you are incapable.
Our main character from the Japanese drama Can’t Write!? A Life Without Scenario is experiencing a similar emotion. Keisuke is a professional homemaker and a struggling drama writer. Unlike his best-selling novelist wife, he is a B-list screenwriter whose works are mostly under the radar. One afternoon, he suddenly receives a phone call offering him a writing job. What blows his mind is that they want him to write a prime-time drama project! In disbelief but full of anticipation, he goes to meet the production team. That’s when he finds out that he is actually their last resort because the original writer, for some reason, had to withdraw and no other well-known drama writers were available. He thinks that everything is indeed too good to be true. Despite feeling bitter inside, Keisuke still takes the job. After all, writing a drama has always been his dream, and this project is his only chance to prove himself.
Overwhelmed by the pressure of being a prime-time drama writer, insecurities creep in, making him unable to write. Amidst his struggle, he begins to see a strange-looking man with a cone-shaped bald head who bugs him with childish mockery and belittles him every time he gets stuck. The bald man is always so happy to see him suffer in doubt. The more Keisuke fears him, the more hysterical he becomes.
As a writer myself, I know how frustrating it is when I get stuck and how harsh I can be on myself whenever I cannot write. So, it’s refreshing to see how this drama approaches some heavy issues with comedy. When I laughed at Keisuke’s silly and dramatic antics every time he struggled with his writing, I found myself laughing at my own similar struggles. It’s comforting to know that you’re not suffering alone in this creative pursuit.
However, this drama also has some touching moments. I was inspired by Keisuke’s growth as both a person and a writer. He discovers his voice, and a range of new emotions come to life within him. When he finally stops battling the bald man and even thanks him, I felt emotional. Isn’t that what we all strive for: to make peace with ourselves?
