"Saionji-san wa Kaji o Shinai" completely took me by surprise. I expected this to be a typical live-action version of a romantic comedy manga. And in ways it is that, and in a lot of ways, it surpassed my expectations with its incredibly wholesome vibes and also the simple honesty in which is addresses challenging social norms. The cast is solid with Matsumoto Wakana bringing the eccentric, but oh so likable and relatable Saionji Itsuki to life and Matsumura Hokoto serving as a nice foil and pair to her as Kusumi. Kurata Ema as Ruka, Kusumi's daughter, is so cute that she will make your teeth rot, and you will be happy about it. ;) And of course, the amazing Tsuda Kenjiro as Yokoi!! On the whole, the drama strikes the perfect tone for its genre, though I felt the pacing of the plot struggled a little in the final episodes (especially in the handling of the plot points about Saionji's family). And I definitely wanted a little more from the ending, as I wasn't sure what it was trying to do until maybe the last 3 minutes. However, if you can look past those relatively minor notes, the drama will leave you smiling from episode to episode. I truly enjoyed my weekly dose of the Saionji-Kusumi "fake family", and I know that particular episodes will definitely be on my rewatch list when I need a good emotional pick-me-up. :)