Deliciously quirky-but-gentle comedy of manners about a nerdy fifty-something alien working as a hotel desk clerk in Mt Fuji.
Mr Takahashi, who looks totally normal, comes out as an extra-terrestrial to his co-worker - 40ish single mother Kiyomi Endo - after he had to use his powers to save her from being hit by a truck while cycling home. Ms Endo lets a couple of her close friends in on the secret, but the neurotic Mr Takahasi pleads with her to keep it quiet beyond that.
Of course, any other program about aliens living on earth with superhuman strength and speed would be the cue for plots about planet -saving escapades. But the twist here is that Mr Takahashi has otherwise very human attributes. He's a lazy, vain middle-aged man with a bad back and often skives off from his work post on the nightshift to use the hotel onsen, insisting he needs to bathe in the hot mineral waters to 'restore' his powers.
The other twist is that Ms Endo and her friends plead with him to use his powers, not to fight injustice, but to attend to
mundane tasks like recovering stolen bikes or dislodging basketballs from gymnasium ceilings or replacing screen protectors on smart phones. In each case, Mr Takahashi (like a put-upon husband) makes excuses and tries to wriggle out of doing any work. Of course, ultimately he gives in begrudgingly and saves the day.
It's this juxtaposition between the alien's shear ordinariness and the extra-terrestrial nature of his powers that ignites the comedy.
Being Japanese, the show also derives much of its humour from social embarrassment and discomfort - as well as by highlighting the contrast between the rigidly polite codes of Japanese culture and what the characters are really thinking.
Altogether, the low-stakes situations and social tensions together with the deadpan delivery of the lines - in particular by the delightful Mikako Ichikawa (who plays Ms Endo) - makes for an almost Seinfeldian mix. Like that classic US comedy, ''The Hot Spot' is a 'show about nothing' except for one detail - the central character comes from another planet.
It works brilliantly as a satire of indulged male malingerers in Japanese culture who are superheroes in their own heads but who have to be brought down to earth by busy, practical women who just need a few chores done.
The fantasy 'fish out of water' element of a supernatural being living awkwardly in the human world while trying not to blow their cover also is rich in comedic potential and recalled for me classic 60s US sitcoms like ''Bewitched' and ''My Favourite Martian'.
In summary, this charming and sweetly affectionate comedy is just the tonic I needed in an increasingly crazy world.
