With this year’s grand finale inching nearer, so too does the season of the retrospective. Spearheading this year in drama is 2008’s most eminent trend: did any of you wonder where Salaryman Kintaro was this year? I can say with a fair amount of certainty that he was probably underneath the rush hour stampede of Hataraki Women. Even NHK’s annual yearlong taiga drama featured a female historical figure as the lead: Atsu-hime, Tokugawa Iesada’s wife and—upon his death and at his request—the political leader of the Tokugawa Shogunate. It’s safe to say the ladies ruled the drama realm this year.

The lifespan of dramas (typically a run of 11-13 episodes) makes a great medium for addressing current issues within Japanese society; with 3-4 drama cycles per year, current issues can easily find not only a spotlight, but also a floodlit illumination within dramas. Some of this year’s most popular and critically acclaimed dramas include Hataraki Man and Hotaru no Hikari, which feature female leads in slice-of-life depictions of independence, careers and workplace politics, as well as balancing these priorities with friends, lovers and families. Most importantly, both dramas highlight the various difficulties in figuring out just how these contemporary threads tie back into the bolt of Japanese society, which is deeply rooted in its cultural history and traditions. The role of women within contemporary Japanese society has obviously changed over the past few decades, and the prominence of stronger female leads, in this year alone, is a sharp indication of where women currently stand within evolving gender roles.

Here’s a basic breakdown of the history of the white-collar working girl, as portrayed in the drama world:
First, we had the O.L. (Office Lady), the secretary who photocopied and collated herself into marriage ever after. Then came along the P.S. (Power Suit), who was so scary successful that she had to change her witchy ways in order to land a man. Now, we have the C.W. (Career Woman), but who exactly is she, how is she different, and what exactly does she want?

Hotaru no Hikari, translated as both “Hotaru’s light” and “Light of the firefly,” was originally a shojou manga (mangas primarily written for female audiences). Like most successful manga, the story was conceived as an anime, and, like most successful anime, it was finally adapted as a drama this year. This series follows the life of Hotaru, an early twenty-something who works as an assistant at a well-established interior design firm. Hotaru, played by the popular actress Ayase Haruka, has it all. At least, that would’ve been the case, had this been a fantasy drama back in the 90’s. The truth is, despite her beauty, her job with a glamorous company, and her general workplace persona, she’s actually a “himono onna,” a dried squid woman, which is slang for a woman that’s old, used up, all tore up – essentially, completely lacking in her womanly essence. You’re probably wondering when Hotaru’s womanly roar kicks in, or even if it does…

Of course, it does, but it takes an unconventional journey to get there. The brilliance of Hotaru’s character is that she just doesn’t care to conform to the “Admirable Girl” image. When she comes home from work, she kicks her shoes off and chirps, “Biru, biru, biru!” all the way to the fridge, then cracks open an ice, cold beer. Afterwards, she gets into hole-ridden, food-stained jerseys, ties her hair into a samurai knot, and proceeds to lie around reading gossip while drinking and snacking the night away until she eventually falls asleep under newspapers. Yes, exactly like a hobo. She doesn’t even know she’s considered a himono onna until her landlord’s son moves into her place—and he just happens to be her boss, played by veteran hottie Fujiki Naohito. Hotaru’s boss is pretty disgusted and slightly horrified to live with her throughout the whole drama, but his access to both her work persona and sloppy home life brings to light the fact that she lazes hard in order to work hard. Hotaru is clearly a diligent worker, but she initially doesn’t have a passion for her job. Ultimately, what is most worthwhile about this drama is not watching a career woman in the full swing of things, but rather watching the fire lit under a budding career woman.

Hataraki Man, literally “hard-working man,” is also adapted from a shojou manga and anime. This drama follows the life of 28-year-old Matsukata Hiroko, an editor for Jidai (“the times”), a weekly magazine known mostly for front-page smut and gossip. Hiroko’s eclectic gang of fellow editors and writers lovingly dub her “Hataraki Man” on account of her work ethic and drive, which rivals – and beats – those of hard-working men. Hiroko, played by the versatile Kanno Miho, confronts themed issues in every episode: Work, Marriage, Newbies, Admiration, Pride, Regret, Parting, Broken Heart, Caring, Family, and Final Decisions. A storyline like this can easily fall into the following traps:

1) Working Woman lives for work and fails at life.
2) Working Woman succeeds by not being a woman.
3) Working Woman is a caricature of Working Man.
4) Working Woman works to find Love and Marriage.

Remarkably, Hataraki Man manages to avoid all of the above without sacrificing the elements that make dramas appealing to audiences in the first place. What remains consistent throughout the drama is Hiroko’s talent for her career, coupled with her frequent bouts of self-doubt. She’s the sort of woman that gets things done; yet, she’s vulnerable, unlike the Power Suit prototype.

Ultimately, I can’t give you a simple answer when it comes to defining the Career Woman or pinpointing just what it is she desires. And it’s way too easy to say she wants the whole package, too. However, what makes her different from the O.L. and the P.S. is that she is fully aware her life is always subject to professional and personal change. While she may hope and plan for things in her future, what really defines the Hataraki Woman is how she plays her cards in the meantime. In a society where issues are often born out of the simultaneous existence of the past and the present, she manages to flourish within this friction. Of course, she isn’t the Final Version – there’s no such thing – but she’s pretty damned close, and she’s definitely not going to wither away like a trend.