Mikuko Abe is a 49-year-old career woman and divorcée, who lives in a big house by herself after her mother was moved into hospice care. She’s stuck in an unfulfilling job, caught up in a dispassionate relationship with an elite businessman, Koichi, and frustrated at her irresponsible daughter, Chieko, who’s backpacking around the world.
In order to pay the bills, she has to take in a foreign roommate, Vincent, for three months. A man with a mysterious past who has thrown it all away, Vincent is rambling around the world, trying to discover what freedom is all about. He gets a job teaching English, and after weeks of hilarious miscommunication, the strange roommates get used to each other, and Mikuko starts to open up.

Mikuko realizes she’s been fulfilling others’ expectations her whole life, but now decides to take control of her own destiny. With Vincent’s help, she follows her dream of learning English, and begins to break away from the constraints that have been put upon her for so long.

As Mikuko embarks on this new journey, she must navigate her relationships with Vincent and Koichi, and ultimately decide what kind of life she wants to lead. Will she choose to follow her heart, or will she succumb to the pressures of society?

RULES OF LIVING is a heartwarming comedy of self-discovery and taking the path less traveled.