DRAMA MANIAC

Abe Hiroshi as Kuwano Shinsuke
Natsukawa Yui as Hayasaka Natsumi
Kuninaka Ryoko as Tamura Michiru
Tsukamoto Takashi as Murakami Eiji
SHEILA as Nishimura Chizuru, Michiru's friend
Nishimaru Yuko as Ozawa Mari
Takamatsu Iku as Emori Kazumi
Omi Toshinori as Nakagawa Yoshio
Miura Rieko as Nakagawa Keiko
Hiraoka Emi as Nakagawa Yumi
Sakura as Yoshikawa Saori
Takachi Noboru as Kaneda Hiroyuki
Kusabue Mitsuko as Kuwano Ikuyo
Takashima Reiko as Sawazaki Maya
Nagaoka Naohiko as the bartender
Tachibana Ayano as the combini cashier
Nishio Hiroyuki as the video rental cashier
Matsui Ryoko as the waitress
Fuwa Mansaku as the foreman

A man is cooking a steak in an apartment kitchen. Although his skills are a bit rusty, his usage of spices and way of pouring brandy to light a fire is quite a sight. He's Shinsuke Kuwano, an architect. He starts taking bites of the steak when his cell phone rings. It's Eiji Murakami, Shinsuke's assistant at the office. He has called to remind Shinsuke of a party that he was supposed to attend.
"Mr. Kuwano, you were the one invited. Why aren't you here?" "Eiji, did you know that the ancient Romans partied by lying on the floor and feasting with their hands?" "You have to come. There's somebody that wants to build a house soon."
Later on at the party, Shinsuke finds Eiji hitting on a girl. "Did you know that five-story pagodas are actually one-story high?" This is a piece of trivia that Shinsuke had told him. Shinsuke stands out at the party with his handsome looks. When he learns that a girl at the party is interested in him, for some reason, he starts talking endlessly about architecture, eventually boring the girl. Eiji says, "Mr. Kuwano, if you don't do something about your personality, you'll never be able to get married." "I like being alone!" replies Shinsuke.
In the meantime, at a Japanese restaurant, Natsumi Hayasaka is reluctantly having dinner with an arranged date. When Natsumi feels that the topic of conversation is heading towards marriage, she finally speaks up.
At a later date, Maya Sawasaki, who works in the housing industry is giving a tour of a house Shinsuke designed. Maya is confident of landing a deal with a customer, but Shinsuke just can't keep his mouth shut, ruining the deal. Although Maya and Eiji are fed up with Shinsuke's personality, they still respect his way of designing homes, focusing on the kitchen — the place in the house where family warmth is built upon.