Renai Gikyoku

This love comedy is based on the play of the same name, both of which are directed by Kokami Shoji, who heads the Third Stage Theatre Company. A female playwright who has fallen into a heavy slump presents an unreasonable demand to a forgettable TV producer. Its three-level structure (reality, a play-within-a-play, and a play-within-a-play-within-a-play) is unique. Mayumi (Fukada Kyoko) is a popular playwright who receives an assignment to write the script for a special TV drama but she can’t get any words down on the page. When pressed by a mediocre producer named Mukai (Shiina Kippei), she gives him an ultimatum: If he wants the script, he’ll have to go out with her.