Why I Dress Up for Love

As a successful publicist, Kurumi Mashiba (Haruna Kawaguchi) is proud of the work she has done thus far. Currently working for the interior design company, el Arco Iris, Kurumi has transformed the company’s social presence into a thriving community which adds new followers daily. While Kurumi loves her work, it does keep her busy; so busy, in fact, that she completely forgets that the contract on her apartment is about to expire.  Letting the contract expire, purely on accident, Kurumi has no choice but to find a new place to live. But with such a hectic schedule, she doesn’t have any time to start looking. Aware of her friend’s dilemma, Kouko Saotome (Yui Natsukawa) asks Kurumi to move in with her. Happy to accept Koko’s invitation, Kurumi wastes no time in moving in but is shocked when she realizes Koko actually lives in a luxury apartment shared by three other people: Shun Fujino (Ryusei Yokohama), a minimalist chef looking to live a simple life, Haruto Terai (Ryuhei Maruyama), an online counselor and Shun’s cousin, and Ayaka Hase (Anne Nakamura), an aspiring contemporary artist who works part-time as a delivery driver for a high-end supermarket.  With so many unique individuals living under the same roof, conflict is inevitable but working through their issues allows each housemate the chance to grow as individuals. As Kurumi begins to build real relationships with her housemates, the well-dressed armor she uses to protect herself begins to fall away, leaving her heart open for the most unexpected thing of all: love. How will Kurumi react when she realizes someone in her life has inadvertently stolen her heart? A story of friendship, growth, and love, “Why I Dress Up For Love” is a 2021 Japanese romance drama directed by Ayuko Tsukahara.