Naman Shrestha
Netflix’s ‘Let’s Get Divorced‘ is a Japanese romantic comedy-drama series focusing on the marriage story of a politician named Taishi Shoji and an actress, Yui Kurosawa. Five years into their marriage, the couple’s domestic bliss is disrupted as they face a crisis — a fling, an affair, and a potential divorce. Adamant on getting a divorce as both of them consider it the best option to move forward in their respective lives, the two must deal with many external circumstances and people in their lives that try to pull the breaks on their big decision.
As Taishi and Yui join forces to succeed in their mission, they might realize they make a good team after all. Featuring hilarious and compelling onscreen performances from talented Japanese actors like Tori Matsuzaka, Riisa Naka, Ryo Nishikido, Yuka Itaya, Risa Oda, and Fuju Kamio, the comedy show explores several true-to-life themes and subjects, such as incompatibility between couples and divorce. Since these subject matters are common occurrences in real life, many viewers are bound to wonder if ‘Let’s Get Divorced’ is based on specific actual events. Well, if you are curious about it too, let’s explore the same in detail, shall we?
Let’s Get Divorced: Fictional Tale, Not a True Story
‘Let’s Get Divorced’ is not based on a true story. Instead, the show’s gripping storyline is the result of the collaborative efforts of Kankurô Kudô and Shizuka Oishi, both of whom made the most of their excellent penmanship and experience in the industry to good use. Since divorces and flawed marriages are pretty common in real life, the screenwriters possibly take some inspiration from that and run with it to make the narrative seem as close to reality as possible.
One of the main reasons why many of you might find the show’s themes and elements familiar is that this is not the first time they have been touched upon. They have been regular topics of many films and TV shows. Some of the aptest examples are ‘Marriage Story‘ and ‘Ticket to Paradise.’ The former is a 2019 Noah Baumbach directorial that stars Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver as a conflicted couple going through a heartbreaking divorce.
While the story is mainly about a marriage slowly breaking apart, it is also about a family staying together through thick and thin. The detailed look at their crumbling marriage, while the couple gets pushed to their limits, might fall on the heavier and more serious side, but the essence of the narrative is quite similar to that of the marriage between Taishi and Yui. On the other hand, the romantic comedy movie, ‘Ticket to Paradise,’ is co-written and directed by Ol Parker that focuses on an aged divorced couple — David and Georgia.
The two exes join forces to sabotage their daughter’s wedding in Bali as they think she is making the same mistake as they once did by marrying each other. Although the couple in ‘Ticket to Paradise’ is already divorced, David and Georgia team up to achieve a common goal, just like the protagonists do in ‘Let’s Get Divorced.’ So, considering all the factors mentioned above, we can conclude that despite having some realistic themes and subjects throughout the show, the Netflix series is not rooted in reality.
