ONLY JUST MARRIED

Akiha Ōkado is 27 and has sworn off marriage, but her resolve is tested when 30-year-old Shu Momose proposes a practical arrangement: a legal marriage in name only so he can be listed as married for reasons he keeps to himself. They set ground rules and move in together, treating daily life like a rehearsal for normalcy, with staged interactions and joint responsibilities. Small habitual moments and unguarded conversations begin to chip away at the pretense. As routines accumulate, private vulnerabilities surface and the dynamic between them shifts, forcing each person to reassess what they want from relationships, careers, and the expectations pressing in from friends and family.

Released in 2021 in Japan, Only Just Married was created by Shigenori Tanabe and Aoharu Yuki. The series stars Kentaro Sakaguchi as Shu Momose and Nana Seino as Akiha Okado, with Mai Fukagawa, Mahiro Takasugi and Hideyuki Kasahara rounding out the principal cast.

The show found a modest but engaged online audience, prompting conversations about contract marriages and contemporary attitudes toward commitment. Viewers shared scenes that felt familiar, debated the ethics of staged relationships, and used the series as a touchpoint when discussing work-life balance and shifting social expectations among younger adults in Japan.

Critical response was mixed and viewer ratings sit around a middling average, but many commentators praised the blend of light comedy and sincere drama. The series leans into themes of personal choice, social pressure, identity in relationships, and how ordinary routines reveal emotional truths, often through quiet, believable moments rather than big plot twists.

Only Just Married did not collect prominent industry awards or high-profile nominations, yet reviewers and social commentary frequently singled out the leads' chemistry and naturalistic performances. That recognition helped the series gain word-of-mouth interest and a steady fanbase despite the lack of formal accolades.