Always Smiling (2003): cast, story & where to watch
2003 · Series · ★ 8
Released in 2003, Always Smiling is a drama and comedy series.
What it’s about. Yumi, a 23-year-old office worker, is fired from her job out of the blue. A few days later, coming from a friend's wedding and having no time to change out of her kimono, she is rushing to an interview for a job at a publishing company. Yumi stumbles into the room, looking for somewhere to change out of her kimono, and finds popular comic book writer Reijiro Sakurai is having an editorial meeting with some staff. He is planning to lock himself away at a hot spring for the next three months to concentrate on his next project. Sakurai comments that if Yumi were to join him he wouldn't mind being away for so long..., and so their adventure begins.
Who’s in it. Always Smiling stars Yuko Takeuchi as Yumi Kurasawa, Hiroshi Abe as Reijiro Sakurai, Hidetoshi Nishijima as Kazuya Yuzuhara and Katsumi Takahashi as Eikichi Koizumi, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 8.0/10, Always Smiling sits among the best-reviewed titles in the catalogue.
Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Always Smiling page.
If you liked it. Fans of Always Smiling tend to enjoy Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and Attack on Titan.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch Always Smiling (2003)?
- Streaming, rental and purchase options for Always Smiling change frequently. Check our where-to-watch page for the latest availability in your country.
- Is Always Smiling worth watching?
- Always Smiling holds an audience score of 8.0 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy drama and comedy. Most viewers rate it highly.
- Who stars in Always Smiling?
- Always Smiling stars Yuko Takeuchi, Hiroshi Abe, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Katsumi Takahashi and Rie Shibata.
- When was Always Smiling released?
- Always Smiling was released in 2003.