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Hataraki Man

Hataraki Man

2007–Ongoing1 season11 episodes~27 min/epMidcredits score: 28th percentile of all shows (provisional, few ratings)

Matsukata Hiroko is a super busy magazine editor. Just like any other 28-year-old woman, she enjoys going on dates with her boyfriend, fashion and her private life. But once she turns her switch into working mode, she sacrifices all that and dedicates her life to her job. That's when her colleagues refer to her as the Hataraki Man (working man). Her success at work however doesn't give her total satisfaction. --NTV

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch Hataraki Man?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Hataraki Man streaming on Netflix.

Subscription

Reception

Is Hataraki Man worth watching?

Hataraki Man's Midcredits score is the 28th percentile of all shows, from 57 ratings across 2 sources (very few ratings yet, so treat it as provisional). 57% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

28th percentile

Better received than 28% of shows

Very few ratings yet, so treat it as provisional.

23rd percentile among Drama24th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)31st
Approval (how many liked it)27th

Acclaim

Mixed: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

66 /100

Very few ratings yet, so treat it as provisional.

31st percentile of all shows

28th percentile among Drama26th percentile among 2000s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.3 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

57% liked it

27th percentile of all shows

20th percentile among Drama22nd percentile among 2000s
57% rated it 7–1043% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

15th percentile

53 ratings across platforms

5th percentile among Drama9th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 1% in 30 days

Episodes

1 season

Season 1 · 2007 · 11 episodes

  • S1E1

    Work over love... Give me a break!!

    Oct 10, 200757 min
  • S1E2

    A woman's enemies are women!?

    Oct 17, 200746 min
  • S1E3

    I'll show you one day man

    Oct 24, 200746 min
  • S1E4

    Aspirations and tears... Look-back man

    Oct 31, 200745 min
  • S1E5
    S1E5

    Are you proud of your work?

    Nov 7, 200746 min
  • S1E6

    Finally... Crises in love and work!!

    Nov 14, 200745 min

Watch experience

What is Hataraki Man like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, serious and gentle — a slow-burn watch that leaves you thinking.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
ContemplativeMelancholicRomantic
Heaviest: middle
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Warm
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.SerializedSingle-season story
ToneThe series plays its material straight and earnest, treating Hiroko's work-life struggle with sincerity and introspection.
The rideA reflective, quiet series that lingers on Hiroko's inner conflicts, with moments of sweetness in her dating life.
StructureThe story unfolds linearly across the single season, following Hiroko's journey in a conventional beginning-middle-end structure.
Episode formatA single 11-episode season telling Hiroko's continuous story; no case-of-the-week format.
Season formatThe series appears to be a limited-run story covering one phase of Hiroko's life.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
Thought-provokingBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe series prompts reflection on work-life balance and leaves a lingering sense of unresolved personal fulfillment.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).RebirthHealing
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7% (this title): Redemption 1% · Healing 3% (this title) · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Healing: Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).

7% of shows fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe series follows a magazine editor seeking fulfillment, suggesting an arc of personal healing from dissatisfaction with her career-driven life.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfPurposeSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% (this title) · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27% (this title): Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% (this title) · Purpose 16% (this title) · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Self

PurposeAmbition · 14% of showsRomantic love · 10% of shows
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeA magazine editor questions whether intense work dedication can coexist with fulfillment in love and life.
StanceQuestions whether career ambition can coexist with personal fulfillment without settling on an answer.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernJazzSupportive music · original score
SettingA Tokyo magazine office and the city's social scene in the late 2000s.
MusicLikely a contemporary Japanese TV score, detail unknown from synopsis.

Content guide

Is Hataraki Man okay for kids?

Ratings in 2 other countries
  • South Korea15
  • SingaporePG13

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does Hataraki Man have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Hataraki Man?

Cast

Masatô Ibu
as Umemiya Tatsuhiko
Mokomichi Hayami
as Tanaka Kunio
Kanji Tsuda
as Sugawara Fumiya
Ikki Sawamura
as Narita Kimio
Michiko Kichise
as Maiko Kaji
Miho Kanno
as Matsukata Hiroko
Aya Hirayama
as Nagisa Mayu
Hisashi Yoshizawa
as Yamashiro Shinji
Kenji Matsuda
as Ryugo Shindo
Miki Matsumoto

Crew

Written by

Moyoco Anno

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