Kindaichi Shonen no Jikenbo: Gokumon Juku Satsujin Jiken
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The story was a little creepy, so I'm glad I didn't watch this at night because I am a huge scaredy cat! But, the story was well written! I never once predicted the outcome, never once guessed the suspect, and the story moved at a great pace, I never felt lost through the special and understood pretty much everything. It was great to see how Yamada Ryosuke (aka Kindaichi Hajime) deduced the case and figured out the truth. Although, that could be biased too since I'm on a detective drama kick right now!
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1.) I watched this special episode AFTER finishing the full 11 episode drama, and saw no issues.
2.) Granted, a little bit was backwards and upside down...
3.) May need to prepare tissues!
Starting off with number 3: It wasn't that serious, so no worries; but if you're an easy crier, or tear up when you see others cry... get tissues.
Now jumping to number 1: I didn't see any issues watching this special after the 11 episode drama; there was a cast change (not mentioning names), but otherwise it seemed just like a flash back to the past. It was the story of how the Qualified class was formed, but I don't think that matters in regards to watching order, unless you're a stickler for watching dramas and/or specials in order
Now to number 2: Yes, because of watching the prequel after the drama I had questions; yes, if I watched the prequel AND THEN the drama that probably wouldn't have brought up questions; and yes, it may have made a bigger impact on me or made more sense as a show in it's entirety. However, there was nothing revealed in this special that wasn't known in the drama already, so it wasnt like I missed out on some thing(s). And the drama has enough strength and stability as an 11 episode show to carry itself.
I'm not saying this special was unneeded, don't get me wrong! But, I am saying the order doesn't matter in which you watch them... at least I think so! This, I'm sure, if I watched before the drama, would have been a great prequel; but, because I watched it after the drama, it served as a nice follow-up or wrap-up to the series. I definitely recommend this special and the 11 episode drama!
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Shida Mirai, Yamada Ryosuke, Kamiki Ryunosuke, Matsukawa Naruki, Kaname Jun, Yamamoto Taro, Jinnai Takanori, Suzuki Kazuma, Okunuki Kaoru were a wonderful cast of good vs. evil; the guest cast was an amazing gathering of people too! I definitely suggest this series if you like Yamada Ryosuke, Kamiki Ryunosuke, and Kaname Jun or if you like detective dramas; I never saw any of the plot twists and could never predict any of the suspects or reasons before hand! To be honest, though, I feel like it summed things up pretty well, but it did seem to speed through a few revolations. Even so, this show is wonderful to lose yourself in!
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Anyways, this drama really exceeded my expectations! From the description, it does seem like it could be a little boring or predictable, but it isn't at all! Not one minute did I ever guess what was gonna happen next! It was great casting as well as a wonderfully written script, the ending theme song was great and sometimes the story did get a little slow, but that is what makes the drama (in its entirety) so amazing!
Kimura Takuya and Fujiki Naohito were a wonderful pair of hero vs. bad guy, and Issey Ogata was really creepy and just plain evil in some episodes. It was great to see familiar faces coming together, too! Masana Bokuzo, Hiraizumi Sei, Masu Takeshi, Maeda Oshiro, and lots, lots more! This drama exceeded my expectations by so much; it's something to see if you're just getting in to Japanese dramas or if you're in a slump, I think. I laughed, I (almost) cried, and the entire time I was so nervous about what was going to happen next! I'm glad I watched this show; it's super amazing!
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Toda Erika was amazing in this drama, completely different from how she was in the "SPEC" series and movies, and from her role in "Ryusei no Kizuna". I really liked Sato Koichi in this as well, it was my first drama that I've seen him in, but he seemed to portray a lawyer as if he really was one. I also liked that there wasn't a lot of difficult, technical lawyer/police/detective jargon to follow. This is a wonderful show; I lost myself within the story multiple times and was so amazed when the episode ended! Hahahaha!! This is a good show to watch if you like detective stories that are actualy about detective work and not filled with romance, filler episodes, or excessive drama. It doesn't get straight to the point but instead actually searches for answers; I like that it isn't so easy for some of the answers to be found.
Again, you may understand my review more if you watch the series.... But I do recommend that you do!
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This drama was amazing from the first episode! I was planning on watching another Arashi member's drama, but I couldn't find it, so I decided to watch this series on a whim. And I am so glad that I did! The characters seem completely real with actual scenarios, and I like that the story seems to build and build as you watch without the audience being able to guess the next twist or the next jump in the episode/series. The entire cast is really well put together, they seem to know exactly how the actual person they are portraying would behave, which may be a stretch of complimenting since it's only a television show. But, for it to draw in an audience and only be a show with 11 episodes, that's better than some shows who have multiple seasons... At least I think so! Also, I like that they didn't tell the back story immediately or within the first few episodes; it's not so much to keep the audience watching or guessing as it is just how the story was written and how it is acted out. The opening is really well made, too! This is definitely one of my absolute favorite shows!
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Just When You Think You've Got It.... What Was It Again..?
Whatever you believe this story is about... You're wrong. You couldn't be more wrong if you tried. Detectives... Mysterious cases... First loves... True self... Familial relationships... Friendships... Good and Evil... Coming out of one's shell... Growing as a person... So many different stories wrapped up into one extremely imaginative, genuinely honest, heartbreakingly, gutwrenching, beautiful, funny, thrilling adventure.I have no idea where to begin with this review. Even the above doesn't sound like an entry paragraph, it sounds more like a confused person rambling. Honestly, though, I couldn't pinpoint a genre or theme for this story throughout all 10 episodes. Just when I thought I had the storyline down, just around the corner came an epic curve that shook me to my core! I never could have predicted what happened within each episode, not to mention within the show as a whole.
While there were some familiar pieces within the story or an episode, trust me when I say that I cannot stress enough how original this story is. I've truly never watched, nor read, anything like this. At the beginning, I thought it was going to be a comedy; lots of detective work but a few deadpan-straight man lines here and there, but as I continued watching I realized how far from the truth that theory was. This show is seemingly "perfect", in my own humble opinion. Hilarious yet sad, thrilling yet perhaps a little dull, dramatic yet simplistic. I rarely cry during dramas or movies, however, I was tearing up during at least 3 or 4 episodes while on the edge of my seat, biting my nails in anticipation of what would happen next to the characters or within the show itself.
Soil & Pimp Sessions did such a fantastic job with the music! During the credits for each episode, it was exciting and enjoyable to listen to the music while wondering and/or imagining what was going to happen next! The ensemble cast for this story was remarkable! In the beginning, I was casting another actor to play a role in the show but the more I watched the more I realized the cast chosen was impeccable, and I enjoyed seeing different sides of the actors I already knew of and watching them portray the different roles of mesmerizingly different characters. I've also found a few new-to-me actors that I really enjoyed watching in this show and look forward to seeing more of them!
If you enjoy mysteries so coiled and warped and tightly wound that you can just barely figure out the truth, or watching actors not only meet their limits but surpass them, or listening to wonderful music, or straight-man-deadpan humor, or dramatics that put your stomach in knots... then please give this show a chance!
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Dr. White in Wonderland...?
This story was truly a unique one. I've not seen one like it and wonder if I will see another like it in the future. The cast created such an open, curious, fun, relatable, genuine, beautiful story that I couldn't stop watching!As the story continued through the 10 episodes, honestly I began to feel like I was watching Alice in Wonderland almost. Bits and pieces of each episode started to make my head spin and I felt more and more curious as the show continued. This review may be a little short because, in all honesty, I still cannot wrap my head around this story.
The beginning toward the middle was a wonderful build-up to the finale, however, somewhere in the middle it began to feel like the show was rushed for time a little; nothing confused me or was hard to understand, though. It seemed like pieces were missing, cut for time, or even just shortened. I do wish that there was more story and/or character-building. While each character seemed to get their moment in the spotlight, it too felt like it was cut short. The character's did not seem to be "empty" creations, though, if that makes sense. Each person seemed solid, reliable, and most assuredly knew what they were doing to attribute their talents and genuine personalitiy's to each person.
The opening and ending for this show was done by one of my favorite artists, ADO, so that was also a surprise plus for me as I started the show. I don't want to say that there's a cliffhanger, because I don't think there is, but I do think there are a few bits of the story left open. Like unanswered questions or a place for the viewers imagination to take off! This show is a great beginner for Japanese drama watchers, as well as medical mystery favorites. This story became a quick favorite for me!
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Epically Unexpected!
I have no idea what I was expecting but, in all honesty, this story was most definitely NOT IT! And that is such an amazingly fascinating thing!This story truly amazed me from the beginning. Breaking the fourth wall, the humor, the situations (both dangerous and unassuming), the dialogue, the scenery, the acting, the story in its entirety... I cannot begin to fathom what type of story this is, except to say that I immediately became a fan.
The story was such a curious one that I couldn't help but be hooked from the beginning; like a tidal wave that swallowed me whole. I've never seen a story like this one, I couldn't even begin to place this story in a specific genre. The actors splendidly outdid themselves with each episode!
There were moments where I laughed out loud, moments that I replayed because I didn't want to miss anything, moments I feared, and moments I absolutely could not understand. I felt the plot line in the pit of my stomach; each episode had me enthralled by the mystery of Hayabusa. The ending was incredible, something that I never predicted. Especially after watching a certain actor in a different show; seeing him in this story (compared to the last one I saw him in) was a complete turnaround, like he was a completely different person!
I fell in love with the Fire Brigade, it was amazing to watch them in action. Some parts of the story seemed a bit creepy, but they all served to make the story as incredible and fantastic as it is! While some points of this story may seem familiar, I guarantee that you have never seen a story like this one before! The show in its entirety is one of the most spectacular shows I've ever seen!
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Was It The Real Ending?
I don't know what I expected from this drama, however.... it wasn't what I watched. I don't know if this story exceeded or met or fell below any or all expectations that I had, though it did fall in the range of "extraordinary" and "thrilling".This story was very well cast, at first I wasn't sure if a few cast members were the right choice, though the more I continued to watch, the more I was proven wrong. I haven't watched the first series of "Kurosagi" yet, even though I've planned to, so I'm not entirely sure how this remake matches or creates its own story with the original. The music really added to fueling up anticipation for the next episode so much that I'm still looking forward to more stories of Kurosaki, Yoshikawa, Kashina, and everyone else!
I'm curious about the role of the professor at Yoshikawa-san's college, however; I feel like that part could have been played up a bit more, though I can see why it wasn't toward the end. While there didn't seem to be any cliffhanger, per say, the last episode definitely left me wanting more! I'm glad there wasn't a strong romance side story within this show, I think it would have made the storyline a bit complicated and maybe even a little cheesy.
I really liked watching Hirano Sho's take on his character. Seeing his personality come through and the way he portrayed such strong, intense, scary emotions and roles in each episode was really spectacular. I wonder If this show was tough; emotionally, mentally, or even physically. There are a few parts I wish they drew out longer, or gave more definition too, including a few characters, too.
This show really is one of a kind, keeping in mind I haven't seen the first series that started it all. Watching the cast put their unique spin on each story was fascinating. Though I do have a few questions left, I'm not disappointed with how things turned out, so much as I feel like there should have been more to the story; it sort of felt like, toward the end, that there was a rush on time or something like that. I think this show has great rewatching power, and it is most definitely one of my favorites of Hirano Sho's. I think he was supposed to be something of the "main cast/headliner" for this series, although I don't think that would be fair to the rest of the cast selected; everyone was truly incredible! It was nice to see a new side of Hirano Sho, and a few other actors I like, too.
This story definitely leaves you thinking!
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Reality Check
*** POSSIBLE SPOILERS ***The story for this show was truly spectacular and one of the most honestly unique yet real "true-to-life" stories I have seen in a long time. Granted it may just be my personal bias since recently I've also moved and had to go through combining households, which is tricky for any situation.
The family in this story is relatively close and friendly with each other, however, you can tell from the beginning that each member also had their own worries and challenges they kept secret, making it even more difficult for them to fully immerse themselves immediately into the "2.5 household".
Watching each character find their own pace and place within the newly built home/family was gut-wrenching and even a little heartbreaking, yet also very relatable. Watching Ema-chan go through such a big family change while going through her own turbulent private, personal growth and change was extremely relatable and made me feel so very proud of her when watching her character grow. The same goes for Masaharu-san, too; I felt attached to both him and Ema-chan, they both seemed to bring to light sides of me from when I'm depressed or overwhelmed, and even sides of myself from when I was younger. I apologize if I sound like a broken record here.
Watching the family dynamic from an outsider's point of view was truly wonderful. While there were some relatable things, there were also some moments that felt like there was a "lesson" to be learned. Though, not so much so that it felt pushy or more prominent than the story or overbearing. It was nice to see a family gathering together, even while in their own spaces, to grow as their own person and to strengthen the family without such strong feelings that overtook the show or warped the story into something completely different.
I truly enjoyed this show. It was a very calming, relatable, genuine, open, honest, funny, and comforting show to watch, while also bringing up some questions for myself, and for society as a whole on how we treat people or help people different than ourselves. After all... "what is diversity?"
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Tanihara Shosuke and Ishihara Satomi make such a good team, the talent and respect they had for each other was palpable and it was such a pleasure to watch them both act out something(s) different than what I've seen them in before!
The show was ridiculous and hilarious, but it had such a thrilling, mysterious, suspenseful, supernatural, detective, true crime feeling to it that it was balanced out so perfectly! I believe this show is very underrated, and to be honest, I almost dropped it; but I am so glad I stuck through all 9 episodes! Each one had me guessing until the end and I never figured out who the real criminal was either! This is definitely Ishihara Satomi and Tanihara Shosuke at their best!
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