Kekkon Dekinai Otoko: A Japanese Television Drama Series

Kekkon Dekinai Otoko (Japanese: 結婚できない男), broadcast internationally as He Who Can't Marry, is a Japanese television drama series. It was aired by Fuji TV across 12 episodes between July 4 and September 19, 2006, airing in the Tuesday 22:00 time slot. The series was written by Masaya Ozaki and directed by Yoshishige Miyake, Takashi Komatsu, and Hisashi Ueda.

Plot and Characters

The narrative centers on Shinsuke Kuwano, a successful 40-year-old architect characterized by financial stability, professional talent, and conventional physical appearance. Despite these attributes, he is notably self-righteous, cynical, and pigheaded, maintaining that he has no desire to marry. His routine life shifts after meeting Natsumi Hayasaka, a pragmatic doctor who neither immediately dismisses nor flatly approves of his demeanor. This interaction disrupts his isolated habits and prompts him to reevaluate interpersonal relationships alongside acquaintances such as architect assistant Eiji Murakami and neighbor Michiru Tamura.

Cast

The principal cast includes Hiroshi Abe as Shinsuke Kuwano, Yui Natsukawa as Natsumi Hayasaka, Ryoko Kuninaka as Michiru Tamura, Takashi Tsukamoto as Eiji Murakami, and Reiko Takashima as Maya Sawazaki.

Adaptations and Related Titles

The 2006 Japanese series generated subsequent adaptations and sequels in television broadcasting. A South Korean television adaptation titled He Who Can't Marry aired on KBS2 in 2009. A Japanese sequel series titled He Who Can't Marry Season 2 (Mada Kekkon Dekinai Otoko) was broadcast jointly by Fuji TV and KTV in 2019.