Thebluescraze

Kind of bummed they split into 2 eps but I understand that this is one of those cases where they need to take their time considering it also explores important development to the characters

I don't understand your comment, sorry. It's a weekly drama, so one ep per week. There was a gap from ep 1-2 but that was because of the FujiTv scandal + 10 hours press conference that affected the airing time. To compare it with Cdrama is unsuitable imo because only Cdramas release dramas in those format. Cdramas just have too many dramas in the pipeline, they can finish the whole thing in 2 weeks and there are ready to release dramas. It's also common to see actors appearing in various dramas at the same time because they were filmed more than a year in advance. And Cdramas are always dubbed. The Jdrama format is the same as kdrama format, even western tv shows.

Also, some Kdramas air 2 eps per week and they have about 16 eps. Jdramas have shorter no of eps so they basically finish airing around similar length.
From a fan pov though, I like the Cdrama format because I'm inpatient. I can even purchase advance screening of the final ep. So I get the frustration. Most of the time, I would wait until a drama has finish airing before watching it. But sometimes, I do follow it weekly (like this one).

Agreed. But I think it's getting better as the series progresses, esp compared to the manga. I guess it's because they had to manage the limited eps no against the entire manga series.

Can't wait to see how they portray Aoki-Yukiko's romance

I'm OK with Itagaki playing Maki because he also fits the physical description (his height and physique). In terms of the age, Maki in the manga gets confused for a teen so they did good casting the young Itagaki. But at the same time, they did good at also making him believable as an adult (also thanks to his acting). So, he doesn't look like he's in his 30s but he still looks believable as an adult at least. Yuto is a really talented actor. He's so good I forgot he's an idol sometimes. He already did dual roles in the movie Manhole so as someone familiar with his body of work, my expectations were already high. Happy to see he delivered.

Since Aoki has been officially introduced, I can say that they did a great casting job for the main roles of Maki and Aoki. It's interesting to note that Yuto adjusted his portrayal of both Suzuki and Aoki so we could really see them as 2 separate characters, not just one person who dresses differently. And they also did a good job making Aoki and Suzuki look of different ages. Suzuki was more mature, and Aoki looked like the fresh newbie.

There is a huge BL undertone from the manga

I understand your point. I actually see the merits of both Kainumas in the manga vs drama. The fact that the drama version made Kainuma the inventor of this technology made him more sadistic imo because he created this tech but went and become one of the biggest psychopaths. They still retained the obsession with Maki in both versions and both versions ensured Maki would continue to be haunted by Kainuma. Manga - Maki's humanity, Drama - Maki's mentor. I ultimately think people should have some understanding from the source material because I kept seeing comments about Itagaki's casting. And there are people who love manga and couldn't accept the changes. It's good to note that the manga author herself is heavily involved in this drama adaptation so any changes made definitely were with the author's approval.

You mean Suzuki? Suzuki is never a main character in the manga, he's just part of Maki's tormenting past. Suzuki's appearance has always been in flashbacks. And the entire ninth team is made up on interesting characters who also sometimes provide comic relief (like Okabe). The other main character is Aoki and he hasnt been properly introduced yet.

Too early to tell since Aoki hasn't even started investigating any case yet. I like the fact that they decided to do something a bit different from the movie by having the same actor play both Suzuki and Aoki.

Well, the main leads are Maki and the new guy aka Aoki. Also, it is a bit unfair to compare Okabe with Suzuki considering Okabe is the more prominent character and Suzuki from the main manga source only appeared in flashbacks. Literally Suzuki's existence is to set the background to Maki's struggles from killing his best friend as well as the complexity in his dynamics with Aoki who resembles his dead friend.

It's supposed to be like that because Maki in the manga gets confused with a teenager too. So Itagaki actually fits the character description well. I'm so glad they cast him. I think they did great with the casting too. Even Yuto looks great as Aoki/Suzuki. And the height difference is always on point with the manga anyway

Yes. So much so that it's baffling the experts as well. Usually after the opening weekend, movies would gradually drop off their sales but in this case, it started slow and ended up making more every week since. As in week 2 made more than week 1, week 3 made more than week 2, etc. It's said that it comes from strong word of mouth promotion. And this kind of success for a movie is uncommon. So far the movie already grossed over USD8 million. And I think it even reached no 1 in the box office ranking despite competing with the anime movies which are usually big hits with the audience.

The actor is playing two roles. Two completely separate roles. They're supposed to resemble each other

Considering the box office performance of this movie, I hope they'll distribute it to Netflix global eventually. And perhaps they can distribute it more to international cinemas.

The page has been updated to also include Aoki, although I believe putting Aoki first before Suzuki would be better considering Aoki is the main protagonist alongside Maki

There is a drama also with the same title based on the same song. The story is different though and the drama ended long before this movie premiered

You can also check for ep 1 Eng Sub at HSJHoshi live journal page. Don't share links, though. Please support the hard work of the subber.

On a side note, I love ep 1, it was darker than I expected. But other than that, a good start to the show. For anyone questioning Maki's casting, he IS supposed to look that young for a man in his 30s, so I don't get seeing comments on Twitter about casting 22-year old Itagaki for the role. And Yuto, damn, he's really fine.. But that aside, he's always been an amazing actor and he's truly underrated IMO.

I don't want to read the manga to avoid the comparison, but I feel like I need to watch it now.

Looks like this will soon be available on Netflix Japan.

No announcement yet but eventually it will for sure. The problem would be if it's restricted to just domestic market, eg: Netflix Japan but it will find its way online somehow.