Shomuni

I was lucky to catch Syomuni on FujiTV, and from what I gather, the show is about a band of girls who work in the basement of a huge corporate office building doing janitorial duties. The show plays them like a band of superheroes: Makiko Esumi is the leader of the pack; each girl has her own "personality", they all wear perfectly crisp, matching uniforms and prowl the hallways, battling with the corporate goons of the office. The show is just pure slapstick comedy, with frenetic camerwork that gives it an ultramodern feel. It's one of the funnest series I've ever seen on FujiTV. If only I understood Japanese...

Popularly known as SHOMUMI, this delightful serial that set the standard for elaborately designed set pieces and a cinematic storytelling style. Deep in the bowels of a Japanese corporation, a group of office ladies have been doomed for any number of faults, personal or otherwise. They cover the range of standard office personalities -- a coldly efficient secretary, a psychic, a sexpot, the naive newcomer, and their leader (Makiko Esumi, the actress from MABOROSI and PISTOL OPERA, a statuesque beauty who shouldn't be crossed. Of course, the secretarial pool (the caste above them) hates them and personnel wants to get rid of them, but their amazing ability to slither out of disasters awes some of the smarter senior managers. It doesn't hurt that the serial has a wonderful musical score (which is available) and a lively visual style that delights even if you don't know Japanese. The subtitled version was apparently shown in NY, and may still be available through fansub channels. It's special enough to warrant the search. It's sequel, simply titled OFFICE LADIES, is widely available as an unsubbed VCD set.

With the same frantic pace of Happy Mania (and Parker Lewis Can't Lose), Shomuni follows the exploits of a "shadow department" of office ladies that seem to be able to control an entire corporation from their shoddy basement office space.

The first season was brilliant, but the second fell pretty flat.