Just watched this film on DVD and loved it. It's totally mad in the way that only Japanese films can be. In fact, you can describe it as "mad as a box of frogs"!
Eriko Sato is simply gorgeous and obviously having the time of her life making the film.
I have to say though, that the opening scene alone is worth the cost of the DVD. Even if you hate the rest of the film, you simply must watch the opening scene.It certainly raised the sprits of this jaded male!.
I think partially the reason why it's so crazy, is that the original manga is also pretty wacko and you could basically take elements from it and in the end, do 'whatever you want' and still seem 'faithful' to the manga, so they just went all-out and did whatever, I suppose.
She's not 'gorgeous', she's 'OK' for a swimsuit model. There are prettier girls, actually beautiful women and truly gorgeous 'bijins' in Japan and japanese entertainment, she is pretty mediocre at best by comparison. (Of course compared to what they show in hollywood movies as 'normal women' (real fat hippos in some movies), she must look like the most cosmically beautiful thing ever)
The TV show is .. well, I couldn't really call it grounded, but maybe makes a bit more sense than the movie, at least. The character is also a bit more intelligent and interesting than just a 'cutesy bimbo', although I do have a soft spot for something silly like that, so I can't hate on the movie.
MY problem with this movie is that it's actually kind of boring - many scenes are too long, the interesting bits, like the over-the-top fights and such, are way too short, and there are slow-paced, boring singing inserted here and there, and the ending fight is a bit anti-climactic and not very satisfying.
The office scenes are 100% unrealistic - all the men in the office would be simping for her and bringing HER coffee and tea and whatnot, and helping her every single second. They wouldn't be angry and bored with her, as shown in the movie, especially since she's smily and wants to be everyone's friend. The simps of the office would be drooling on her shoes crying in emotional shock while thanking the Lord Above that they're allowed to be in the same room with someone like her.
Why would the cleaning woman be so friendly towards her, when no one else is? Is she a lesbian?
It's like no one even gives her a chance. Also, why would she have to stay late to work when everyone else goes to party or whatnot?