BTS (Beyond the TextbookS) – Real Japanese and Korean, one phrase at a time

Hotspot (ホットスポット): A Quiet Japanese Drama with an Alien Twist

ogp2

Images used under fair use for commentary purposes. © NTV / “Hotspot” official visual source.

I wasn’t planning to get hooked on this show.
But then I watched the first episode of Hotspot (ホットスポット), and suddenly I was all in.

It’s slow.
It’s quiet.
And it’s about a woman who works at a small hotel near Mt. Fuji… and discovers her new coworker is an alien.

What it’s about

The main character, Endo Kiyomi, is a single mom in her 40s who works at a small hotel near Mt. Fuji.

One day, she realizes that her quiet new coworker… isn’t exactly human.
He’s kind. He’s awkward. And yes — he’s an alien.

But there are no spaceship battles. No explosions.
Just quiet conversations, small misunderstandings, and a surprising amount of heart.

What I liked

I especially liked how normal everything felt, even as the alien started helping people with little problems.
It didn’t feel like sci-fi.
It felt like… life, just slightly tilted.

And apparently, I’m not the only one

Since the show aired, one of its filming locations — a café called Monburan in Fujiyoshida — has been so flooded with visitors that people have waited up to 7 hours just to get in.

Even on weekdays, the line stretches out the door.
Locals, tourists, and even fans from abroad have been making pilgrimages just to sit where the main characters had a quiet chat over parfaits.

And it’s not just the café.
Hotels, streets, and even the tourism board’s website have seen a spike in traffic since the show aired.
Some call it seichi junrei — a kind of pop culture pilgrimage.

Pretty impressive for a quiet little sci-fi comedy.

Why I’m writing this

Because I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did.
And maybe someone else out there is also looking for something a little slow, a little strange, and kind of lovely.

If that’s you — Hotspot might be worth a try.

← Back to Japanese Expressions