Hataraki Man

Hataraki Man
Cover of Hataraki Man manga volume 1
働きマン
Manga
Written by Moyoco Anno
Published by Kodansha
Demographic Seinen
Magazine Weekly Morning
Original run March 2004 – Hiatus
Volumes 4
Anime television series
Directed by Katsumi Ono
Music by Yugo Kanno
Studio Gallop
Licensed by
Original network Fuji TV (Noitamina)
Original run October 13, 2006 – December 22, 2006
Episodes 11
Television drama
Directed by Nagumo Seichi
Sakuma Noriko
Original network Nippon TV
Original run October 10, 2007 – December 19, 2007
Episodes 11

Hataraki Man (Japanese: 働きマン) is a manga by Moyoco Anno, serialised in the seinen magazine Morning. It has been adapted into an anime television series, which screened in Japan from October to December 2006 and a drama that aired from October 2007 to December 2007. The story centers on 28-year-old Hiroko Matsukata, editor at the magazine Weekly JIDAI (週刊「JIDAI」, Shūkan JIDAI). Talented and hard-working, Hiroko's colleagues refer to her as Hataraki Man (literally "working man") because of her dedication to her job. But despite her successes in the workplace, she struggles with moments of self-doubt and with the challenge of balancing life and career. The anime is licensed by Maiden Japan.[1]

Plot

Hiroko Matsukata is a woman who works for a magazine company. She puts all she has into her work, and is known as a strong, straightforward working girl, who can at will turn herself into Hataraki man (working man) mode. Despite Hiroko's success at work, her life lacks romance. Even though a hard worker, she'd leave early anytime to go on a date. Too bad her boyfriend is even a bigger workaholic than Hiroko.

Development

Anno has said that "Absolutely, women need a Man Switch", saying that more understanding is needed of male and female psychology in the workplace. She is critical of a "laziness" in modern Japanese culture, saying that "The traditional virtue of Japan was that people took everything very seriously. As those traditions have been eroded, the quality of Japanese work has been downgraded."[2]

Characters

Hiroko Matsukata (松方弘子, Matsukata Hiroko)
Hiroko is a woman dedicated to her job. She will put her entire life on hold (becoming the "Hataraki Man") in order to get her story written to a self-imposed, very high standard of perfection. Her ultimate goal is to own and publish her own magazine.
Maiko Kaji (梶舞子, Kaji Maiko)
Maiko is an elegant woman who is revered (and very nearly worshiped) by the men at JIDAI. She is typically very silent and somewhat aloof, but she does get her job done (even if she ignores more of the rules of etiquette of such things).
Akihisa Kobayashi (小林明久, Kobayashi Akihisa)
Akihisa is a mild-mannered reporter in charge of the "food and porn" section of JIDAI. He and Hiroko started working at the magazine around the same time. There is a connection between, though whether this is from similar work ethic, starting their jobs at the same time, or the fact that they are drinking buddies (always initiated by Hiroko) is up for debate.
Mayu Nagisa (渚マユ, Nagisa Mayu)
Mayu's main goal in life is to write a work of fiction with her favorite author. She is a bit of a flake within the world of JIDAI and is often reprimanded for that fact. She is one of Hiroko's closest office friends.
Kimio Narita (成田君男, Narita Kimio)
Narita is the more active boss in the editing department, much to the dismay of the chief editor, Tatsuhiko (though he does not act offended but on occasion.) Narita is a man who knows when to be the boss and when to be the encouraging friend. While he is usually shown as being an amiable man who wants to help the other employees, he is not above yelling at the others to make sure they get their best work done and before deadline. It is never said explicitly one way or another where his sexual preference ultimately lies; but it is mentioned that Narita "doesn't like women".
Yumi Nogawa (野川由実, Nogawa Yumi)
Yumi, one of the four women actually seen working within JIDAI, is almost the complete opposite of Hiroko, if only in their approach to working within a "man's world". Yumi chose to embrace her "womanly" side instead of trying to run with the men. She is engaged to an unnamed man, though there are hints that her fiancé was the former boyfriend of coworker Maiko Kaji.
Fumiya Sugawara (菅原文哉, Sugawara Fumiya)
Sugawara is more a paparazzo than a traditional reporter. He hunts down high scandal stories and then stakes them out to get the perfect picture. Unexpectedly, he has an inner calm that is expressed through his pleasure of sky photography; however, to the outside world he is a gruff man with a bit of a mean streak.
Kunio Tanaka (田中邦男, Tanaka Kunio)
Kunio is a man who feels that one's life should not be wasted completely on working. He gets his job done but, unlike Hiroko, he does not feel that one should devote their whole life to just work. While there are several people who clash with Hiroko throughout the series, Kunio is probably one of those that repeats the most, if only for their complete difference in work ethic.
Tatsuhiko Umemiya (梅宮龍彦, Umemiya Tatsuhiko)
As the senior editor within the department, Tatsuhiko does not seem to do a whole lot. He is a rather laid back man and is often accused of being sexist towards the female characters (though whether that is true, especially compared to other male characters in the series, is debatable). While he is very susceptible to flattery, Tatsuhiko also has his serious moments. There is a reason why he is the boss and when the stakes are raised, he is willing to step up and take responsibility.
Shinji Yamashiro (山城新二, Yamashiro Shinji)
Like Hiroko, Shinji works long hours. He also frequently travels on business, making it difficult for the two of them to spend time together. Shinji is not as successful in his business endeavors as Hiroko, however, and this leads to more problems in their relationship.

Media

Manga

Chapter list

No.Release date ISBN
1 November 22, 2004 ISBN 978-4-06-328999-2
      2 July 22, 2005 ISBN 978-4-06-372453-0
          3 October 6, 2006 ISBN 978-4-06-372550-6
              4 August 23, 2007 ISBN 978-4-06-372626-8

                  Anime

                  No. Title Original air date[3]
                  1 "The Female Hataraki Man"
                  "Onna no Hataraki Man" (女の働きマン)                   		October 13, 2006
                  Hiroko writes a cover article exposing political corruption. But is she prepared for the consequences? 
                  2 "Stake Out Man"
                  "Harikomi Man" (張り込みマン)                   		October 20, 2006
                  Hiroko goes stakeout with the stakeout man. she discovers that he admire the sky. 
                  3 "Ramen Man"
                  "Rāmen Man" (ラーメンマン)                   		October 27, 2006
                  Kobu chan gets the new magazine work on ramens. 
                  4 "Error Man"
                  "Ayamari Man" (あやまりマン)                   		November 3, 2006
                  Shinji reflects on past mistakes, questioning what he wants in life. 
                  5 "Turn Around Man"
                  "Furimuki Man" (振り向きマン)                   		November 10, 2006
                  6 "Princess Man"
                  "O-Himesama-n" (お姫さマン)                   		November 17, 2006
                  7 "Fussy Man"
                  "Kodawari Man" (こだわりマン)                   		November 24, 2006
                  8 "Reward Man"
                  "Mukuware Man" (報われマン)                   		December 1, 2006
                  9 "Full-Fledged Hataraki Man"
                  "Ichininmae no Hataraki Man" (一人前の働きマン)                   		December 8, 2006
                  Hiroko struggles against a cold and time to write interviews. Her relationship with Shinji further deteriorates, as each forgets about the other due to work and just stops caring. 
                  10 "Non-working Man"
                  "Hatarakanai Man" (働かないマン)                   		December 15, 2006
                  11 "Even So, Hataraki Man"
                  "Soredemo Hataraki Man" (それでも働きマン)                   		December 22, 2006

                  Reception

                  The realism of the series has been regarded as key to its popularity with readers facing the same issues in life.[4]

                  References

                  1. ↑ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (July 5, 2018). "Maiden Japan Licenses Maria Watches Over Us, Hataraki Man, Basquash!, Yumeiro Pâtissière, Votoms, Ideon, Xabungle, Human Crossing Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 5, 2018.
                  2. ↑ Lewis, Leo (November 5, 2007). "Comic-book heroine turns tables on men in Japanese workplace". The Times Online. Archived from the original on July 6, 2008. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
                  3. ↑ "働きマン". Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
                  4. ↑ ""Strip!": The Manga Art of Anno Moyoco". nippon.com. Retrieved 26 April 2017.

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