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A court / crime drama that combines serious cases with slapstick humour.
Does the combination of serious cases and humour work? Yes, for the most part.If you don't like the Japanese style of comedy and typical Japanese acting, then this show is probably not for you.
There are a few scenes when the slapstick comedy is a bit too much for me, but I thoroughly enjoyed the puns.
Things I liked:
* The cases are not too simple -- although the clues are usually quite obvious, it's not always clear on the details, so they stay interesting.
* This does not matter actually, since the main point of attraction are the lawyers and their team of paralegals and how they interact with each other.
* Especially Miyama and his "boss", Sada, who absolutely do not like each other at the beginning, start to respect each others strengths, even though their professional ethics differ.
* Regarding Miyama, the show manages to balance on the fine egde between making him eccentric and unlikeable -- usually landing on the side of eccentric. I think the humour in this show makes his quirks endearing rather than obnoxious.
* A huge plus is that there's no romance plot. Yes, there are two people with enormous crushes on another person, but these are only played for laughs, and it's very clear that the other party will never be interested.
One minor thing I did not like as much: The prosecutors' side stayed too one-dimensional; I would have liked more development for them.
Recommended!
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Mellow and relaxing; painting together on a hot summer day
What I liked:* The general atmosphere of the movie was relaxing, they managed to capture the feeling of sitting in nature on a hot summer day and falling in love perfectly.
* The storyline is a good fit for the length of the movie.
* All three main characters, especially the bodyguard. They all manged to convey their feelings without trouble. I liked the bodyguard's reaction to that suspicious person, his worry and gradual acceptance of what is to come. Also, I love that it remains unclear what his feelings are exactly -- loyalty, friendship, romantic love? Sometimes things are muddled and it's good to leave it open.
* Although I'm usually wary of timeskips, that one at the end worked. In my opinion, showing what happened directly after the return would have felt very differently to the rest of the movie. Good choice, there.
What I did not like:
* The last ten minutes or so feel weirdly paced, in contrast to the majority of the film, which is pretty slow. I think they tried to convey a sense of urgency, but why then this strange flashback to the conversation between the lady and the bodyguard?
Overall impression:
It's a nice romance, with okay-to-good pacing, nice scenery, and well acted. The story is captivating and although it is on itself quite predictable, the characters and their actors make it something special.
There are some questions that remain unanswered, sometimes I liked the ambiguity, sometimes it would have been nice to have it a bit clearer.
[This is a slightly edited version of the review I posted on Viki.]
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Things I liked:
* The story has two of my favourite tropes (emenies-to-lovers and accidental/forced roommates), which are are really well done. The boss/employee vs. tenant/landlord dynamics give good balance to their relationship. Overall the plot is a bit predictable but the characters' development and the interaction of the team members make it enjoyable.
* The team members were great, they provided both comic relief and an outsider's point of view for the developing relationship. They were also quite cute.
* Kang Woo Jung's acting was brilliant -- I hope he'll get the chance to act in productions of different genres, so more people will see him.
* Both lead actors seem comfortable with each other, which makes the intimacy between the characters believable. (It's sad that I have to say this -- but in some Korean BL dramas the actors seem so uncomfortable!)
* I also like that we get to see a glimpse of the struggles some gay men go through -- unluckily falling for a straight man, the fear what would happen if you're outed at work, how people will judge you for being with another man. Yoon Seo Bin was good at portraying all of these with a side of internalized homophobia. This topic was there throughout the show, sometimes just as an undercurrent, sometimes more obvious, but it never distracted from the sweetness of the romance plot.
Things I did not like:
* The acting of both main leads was a quite muted at times. Especially in the scenes when their characters argue with each other, I did not feel the emotions as much as I could have. I think stronger body language and facial expressions would help. They are both really good at expressing their emotions with their eyes, though, so it's not a question of talent -- either they just have to practice a bit more or the director did direct them that way. (Or is it something more ... chemical, at least concerning facial expressions? With the entertainment industry as it is, I wouldn't rule it out.)
* I wish the show would have made Jae Yoon's motivation for his decision in episode 7 clearer -- either by characterizing him better in earlier episodes or telling the audience outright. I think Jae Woon's actions come across as more tropey than it was intended.
* Also it would have been nice to get more of Ho Joon's backstory earlier and not infodump everything in one (though very heartfelt) speech.
All in all, one of the better K-BLs I've seen, and very comfortable to watch repeatedly.
[This is an updated version of the review I posted at Viki.]
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Good for a one time watch
"Friends-to-lovers" is usually a trope I like very much, and they did it justice until Zheng Ze Shou and Fu Li Gong got together. From then on, it was rather cheesy and the conflicts too clichéd for me.The acting by the main couple was excellent, especially when they were still figuring out their feelings or what to do about them.
I also loved the two fathers and Nikita. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the second couple; especially Yuki's actor stayed bland, he mostly had the same gentle smile, whoever he looked at and however he felt -- I noticed it the most when he was fighting with the laundromat owner. It really didn't help that he didn't get any backstory (we only know his father was Japanese and died when Yuki was a child, which makes Yuki's "ohayou" even more pretentious).
The song that was used for the opening credits got on my nerves (it also was non-sensical); and the piano background music was distracting from what was happening on-screen.
It's a shame that the female roles did not get more development. The sister is unfortunately the stereotypical little sister (even though she's somewhere in her early twenties), the little girl has no personality whatsoever, apart from being a bit sassy. And Nikita's character, who was so cool and mysterious and generally an impressive woman with her own business, was ruined by that stupid and unnecessary crush.
I did like that we got to see two lawyers working together, and it was an excellent idea to have them be divorce lawyers in a romance -- the drama was strongest when the cases made Ze Shou and Li Gong think and talk about love and marriage, and reflect on their own love story. I wish the writer had used this also to resolve the conflicts of the second half. Together with maybe more time to show the father's side (because I think it's not very clear why he reacts the way he does). this would have made the second half better.
Overall, the story's flow is good, it's done well -- though not so good that I'd want to watch it a second time.
[cross-posted to VIki]
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180 Degree Longitude Passes Through Us
3 people found this review helpful
From a single line you can draw a wall -- or a bridge.
This is one of those dramas that leave me with a lot of feelings and with many thoughts, none of which I am able to express in words.I often give some insight of what I think a drama is about, what I believe its core themes are. I won't do so here, I think this is one you should go in as blind as possible.
But maybe as an advice for those who think about watching this drama, this is what you should *not* expect:
* fluffy, steamy or whirlwind romance,
* kissing or sex
Instead, you *will* get this:
* a slow paced drama about grief, about loss, about trans-generational trauma,
* a drama that focuses on the relationships between four people, one of them dead,
* many dialogue-heavy scenes,
* a slow reveal of what exactly happened in the past and what it means for the present,
* complex relationships,
* an ending that you will have to decide whether it is a happy one,
* excellent acting, minimal sets, and extremely intentional camera angles,
* metaphors,
* and did I say that this is slow? It's slow. And the story is not in what is happening, it is in what the characters are feeling and what they have to say (or choose not to say). And in that, it doesn't feel slow at all -- every short dialogue, every camera view is filled with meaning.
Don't expect a "BL", don't expect a drama that is focused only on a love story between two men.
The story is at least as much about the triangle between the mother, the father and the father's best friend as it is about the relationship between mother and son -- and the lines that can divide or connect them.
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Came for the comedy, stayed for the mystery, enjoyed the friendship.
The tl;dr:* Good pacing overall, nice balance between mystery and comedy
* Fine acting, distinct personalities and interesting background stories for the main cast
* No Romance!
* Strong female character, who unfortunately gets pushed out of the plot later
* Important message; good portrayal of diversity (considering it's Chinese)
* Ear-catching OST
The first episodes start with a strong comedic vibe, which is sometimes even stapsticky, after which the drama progressively gets deeper into the mystery of what happened three years ago.
I liked how this change happens gradually, the audience gets lured in with seemingly simple detective cases, and glimpses into the background stories. Only slowly the bigger picture begins to emerge, and it's not until the very end that we know all of the important elements. And on the way to the story's climax, the comedic elements are not lost -- the whole show feels well-rounded in its pacing and in the balancing of the different elements.
There are no episodes that feel dragged out, nor does the story ever feel rushed.
All of the main characters are incredibly well portrayed. Usually with costume dramas, especially those set at court, with all these similar uniforms and hats, it takes at least three episodes until I know who is supposed to be who. Not in this drama! Not only have the members of the Judicial Court all distinct personalities (more on that later), but each character has his (or her) very own body language. Even when they do nothing but sit or stand around, it's possible to recognize each and every one of them, even from behind.
No Romance! Always a plus, if the writer doesn't force a het romance into an otherwise engaging story, just to prove that there is no homo-romantic attraction between the main characters.
I loved Vice Minister Shangguan from the first minute -- finally, here is a female character who is not a simpering, love-sick and annoying girl but rather a strong woman who fought for her right to have her own life. In a sexist society (other characters even comment on this), she opposed her parents' will and got into a position of power as an official. Her office which is overflowing with scrolls and paperwork shows how hard-working she is. She must have had a hard time navigating Palace politics, as a woman and sole vice minister -- always on the outlook for people who want to sabotage her and her work; and we get to see glimpses of how she did it in the first episodes.
I also loved how her appearance underlines her character -- she's wearing sensible clothes, her make-up is modestly done.
All of which make the one thing that's really bad about the drama even worse: When things get serious, she's getting shipped off, for her safety, or, as Li Bing would put it, "for her own good". Why? She's certainly not weaker that, say, Cui Bei. She's not less experienced in intrigue than Wang Qi or less clever than any of them. So, why? Only so that when it gets serious, she can't "steal" the spotlight from the men. Plotwise, it would have been very much possible for her to be an important part of the team.
This is the one reason I deducted half a point from the rating for the category "story".
One big point in the drama's favour is that it shows us how important it is to see others as a human being -- what it does to a person if they are dehumanized (whether revered as god or reviled as monster) and how it makes us more human if we are kind to one another. Connected to this is that the acceptance of diversity can only strengthen us. (Which makes it even more regrettable that Vice Minister Shangguan is not part of the team!)
The team of Ming Jing Hall are very different people, not only is the boss half-human, half-cat, there's also the superstitious ex-soldier, the "diplomat" with a fondness for cross-dressing, the bookish man who always brings bad luck, the bumbling country boy and even a foreigner!
(That's one aspect that I found astonishing, there was actually very little nationalism in this drama; usually Chinese dramas are all about how great and heroic the Chinese people are -- here they are the aggressors towards another country, while the presumed antagonist just wants ... well, that would be a spoiler.)
Only by working together, by not just accepting each other but also recognizing each other's strengths and quirks, can the team solve the mystery and get justice for those who have been wronged.
Overall, this is an engaging and well-acted drama that made me laugh, and made me cry, and had me on the edge of my seat until the last minute of the closing credits.
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Weird, remarkably consistent -- and can make you think if you look beyond the Pork Blood Soup
For vampire Pun, only meeting Yo makes his own life meaningful. Only when they are together, during the all too short span of a human life, there can be happiness. Pun will enjoy every single second with Yo, it doesn't matter if these seconds are good, bad, or deeply absurd.For those who seek help in deciding if they should watch this series, this might be important to know:
* Take all of your ideas what a vampire story should be like, and put them away, because this story either discards them or at least subverts all the vampire tropes.
* Almost all of the characters are weird in some way. If you can't handle "cringe" (whatever that is, because I still don't understand the word), then this might not be for you.
* Blood Pork Soup sometimes feels like the main character of the show. This is what brings the group together.
* This is not a fast-paced romance. At times, it seems as if this show is not about the romance, but about the absurdity of life. Which also means that sometimes it seems that nothing is happening at all. Relax, follow the flow of the drama, enjoy every scene on its own, without expecting it to advance the story -- and you'll enjoy this show.
* Pun is, and that is important to notice, usually at least an unreliable narrator -- inconsistencies in what he says are not plot holes. Take everything Pun says about himself or other vampires with a grain of salt, he has his reasons.
* You *will* get a common trope used in stories about humans and immortals at the end.
* And last, watch the trailer https://youtu.be/5ekNPUazAmA. For a trailer, this one is pretty much accurate. If you like what you see there, you might like the series.
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Now, the things I love about the series:
1. The series tries to do something different.
While I can love a tropey rom-com, I don't want only that. I love when somebody does something new; when tropes are discarded or subverted. Actually, I was deeply sceptical before I started watching this serie, because I DON'T like vampire stories and their tropes. Dark and brooding, cruel and mysterious, erotic blood-sucking included? No, thank you. But this one is different. This is colourful, and bright, and everybody enjoys the absurdity life can bring.
"Different" always gets bonus points, even if other aspects might not be good.
2. The characters are weird, and so, so loveable.
Pun, of course, the good vampire who loves Yo and Pork Blood Soup, who once wore braces as an accessory, whose assortment of colourful umbrellas shade us from the harsh sun of reality.
Yo, who is obsessed with aliens and fascinated by the weird, who likes wearing his beaded bracelets and, of course, loves eating Pork Blood Soup.
Kamsai, whose main goal in life is to have a Pork Blood Soup stall, and who is the most pragmatic of them all at the age of 16.
Yam, Yo's little sister, who seems to be a no-nonsense kind of person but ultimately gives in to the weird obsession of Yo's, and who is the one who has a good sense for people and is the first to point out the attraction between Yo and Pun.
Shin, of course, who is hard-working, always full of energy, and who seems to have a slight humiliation kink.
And then there are the side characters; the alien-obsessed Pak and her mute girlfriend, the nosy but courageous auntie, Gyoza and her elderly grandma, the small and cheeky landlady.
3. The series is consistent:
When I watched the series for the first time, I waited for the plot to fall apart very episode. It didn't. Actually, after rewatching, I can say, the plot and the worldbuilding is remarkably consistent -- there are no glaring inconsistencies, no obvious plot holes. I do wish the writer had put more obvious clues about Pun's backstory in earlier episodes. As it is, the last episodes reveals *two* crucial pieces of information about the past and has to resolve all of it in half an episode -- this might be one of the reasons some people find the ending rushed.
I also have to mention that this is one of the few Thai BLs that actually give us dates! The main story starts shortly before Valentine (episode 1, the couple's discount at the food stall) and ends shortly after Songkran, then there's a time-skip of a year, after which follows a montage over the next fifty-four years (this can be easily calculated). So, and I think that's something a lot of people haven't noticed, the main part only takes just over two months -- that's actually not that long.
I also feel that the characters are consistent in their actions. There wasn't a scene when I thought that someone was out of character. Even the side characters had, well, *character*.
Look at Chalui / Luis for example. He's part of "UFO and the gang" (Yo's college friend group) -- if you observe him, he's obviously not as into alien hunting as Yo and Pak. He rolls his eyes continuously, he doesn't want to get involved with that vampire nonsense. He points out that their thesis in the next semester will be a solo project -- and consequently, disappears from the moment the break starts and doesn't appear again. (And, let's be honest, friend groups at college form and disband all the time.)
4. Something that also impressed me were the props and sets.
Seeing the Pun and Yo's rooms, they fit their characters. None of those soulless condos and houses for the super-rich that look as if they were just rented spaces for a series. I can see Yo and Pun *living* there, surrounded by all the things that are important to them. The roof-top restaurant, too, evolves over time, from a neglected space to a place where our group regularly meets and eats their pork blood soup -- props were added over the course of the series, changed places, were *used*. That shows what you can do with a small budget, if you know what you want.
5. The music.
Most of the songs are sung by Boy YourMOOD, who also plays Shin in this show, they are as up-beat and colourful as the whole series. And I encourage you to pay attention to the songs at the opening and closing credits!
6. The plot, in all its consistency, leaves some questions unanswered. (Yes, I'm still at "things I love")
I don't mean the important questions -- the main plot itself is resolved in the end; we get to hear the reasons for the main obstacle, we know why Pun acts the way he does. But there are some minor plot points that are left open -- I won't talk about them here, I try to keep this spoiler-free.
The thing is, I like it when I can think and theorize more after a show has ended. When I can have my little fantasies about what happened before and why, about what someone did or said between scenes, about what will happen after the last scene. Bonus points for that!
7. Below all of the quirky weirdness, there lie unexplored depths of existential questions.
Throughout the series, it feels as if the mood is just one turn away from shifting into the dark.
The drama asks: What to do when everything falls apart and the thing / the person that gave meaning to your life is gone? What will you do when you are the one who will outlive them all?
And: How much do you let yourself be defined by what you are? Can you go against your very own nature? Against what everybody else says how you should be? How long will you be able to defy expectations?
And: What makes a good life? Can happiness be a bowl of Pork Blood Soup?
________________________
The acting by all of the actors was not something exceptional, but we've all seen much worse in Thai BLs. Both main actors did a good job -- especially Pun's besotted stares and Yo's laugh whenever he was embarrassed or confused were very well done. The comedic timing was usually spot-on for me, and where it wasn't. it seems mainly be a strange editing choice. Somchai could have had more range -- the clapping and laughing got samey after a while, but in other scenes the actor was good enough to make everybody hate his character. Special mention goes to Mild who played Kaemsai, what a remarkable scene in episode 11! And she was only 16 when they filmed; I'm looking forward to following her acting career.
__________________
And, at last, the not-so-good.
Because everything cannot be perfect, and we can love something while also be aware of the flaws.
I already pointed it out earlier: There are two crucial plot points that answer questions that are central to the whole plot; and we don't even get real hints before that. While rewatching, I noticed that, at least for one of those plot points, there are actions that make much more sense now that I know what I know -- during the first time, I felt that there was something ... not quite off, but strange about them, but I couldn't put my finger on it.
In my opinion, it would have been possible to place more and stronger hints in earlier episodes, without revealing everything. It might also have made the series more palatable for the people who felt that it was "too slow" or that "nothing is happening".
To everyone who made it to the end of this review, I say:
โบกมือลา ... แล้ววันหน้าพบกันใหม่ --- Wave goodbye ... and meet you again in the future.
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This review may contain spoilers
Road trip drama
"The End of the World With You" is, at its core, a road-trip movie -- in drama form, with a romance and instead of just one character dying, it's the whole world.And the world here feels very real -- the way the drama is filmed, acted and edited makes everything feel very grounded. There's no flashiness; sets and colours are as realistic as they can be, and as a viewer, I felt the heat of the sun, the refreshing water, the lushness of a Japanese summer.
As usual for the genre of "road trip", it's about reflecting ones past, bringing up regrets and giving character(s) their last-minute character development. And there's always the question in the background: Will we believe in a miracle?
The miracle, so much can be said, is heavily implied here but not fully confirmed. I like it when a story like this one stays open-ended, others might not be satisfied.
It took me years to start this, several days to get through the first two episodes. First because others talked about it being "hard to watch" and "toxic" (and I should have known then and there that this opinion is utter rot, the word "toxic" is as much of a bad sign as "heart-warming") and then because it seemed as if this would be another BL about lost-and-found-again love told only from the perspective of the "uke" character. But near the beginning of episode 4 I saw that this would be more.
The drama started to really go into the road trip part: picking up new party members, encountering different strangers and situations, and going deeper into the past of the four characters, which (of course) are intertwined. During this second half of the drama, Ritsu undergoes a very subtle character development -- maybe a bit too subtle for the average Western viewer. He has to confront his decisons of the past, whether good or bad. He has to face the results of his decisions -- especially what his actions towards his then-lover did to Masumi. With typical Japanese restraint, both of them quietly resolve their tension and understand each other's feelings with the prospect that their lives might end in a few days.
Or it might not, and that is the main crux of the drama and of life: We know we will have to die, but it's not certain when. Masumi and Ritsu will probably die tomorrow, but maybe, if a miracle happens, they might not. We, the viewers of the drama, will probably live longer -- but maybe, if a disaster happens, we might not.
The question is, how will you go on regardless?
Was it good?
It was made with care and a limited budget. It's surprisingly realistic for such a fantastic scenario.
Did I like it?
Yes, and much more than I thought I would. I loved the subtle and understated character development of Ritsu's.
Who would I recommend it to?
Actually, I think every BL fan should at least try it and see for themselves.
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Whichever aspect I consider -- story, acting, the pace, the set design, the message, how music and silance are used -- there is nothing I would want to change.
"Our Dining Table" is a gentle, slow-paced romance, tied together by simple but delicious food and an energetic little boy.
Both young men are missing something in their lives -- Yutaka is the more obvious one; since the story is mostly told from his perspective, and his loneliness and his problem with eating in a group is at the centre of the story -- but Minoru is also alone in his own way: Caring for a pre-schooler as a 23-year-old, he is only met with incomprehension from his peers, and so has lost most of his social circle.
While I was interested in Yutaka's story about how he found his own family, as well as delighted by Tane's overwhelming cuteness, it's Minoru who makes me come back to this drama. I love watching his face, and especially his eyes when he looks at Yutaka, and how their expression subtly changes over the course of the story, from interest to happiness to resignation and finally, to a gaze that is so full of love that it almost feels intrusive to watch him.
And it's not only Minoru's actor's ability that elevates a lovely story to something special -- it's all of them. The child actor, of course, but also the father's actor, who infuses the character's silliness with genuine fatherly love for his sons.
"Our Dining Table" is one of two dramas I choose to rewatch whenever I despair of humanity.
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เพราะเขามีหัวใจของหมอ
I breezed through this drama -- the acting is top-notch, the script (with one exception) incredibly well-written, and the characters are not only consistent but also multilayered.First of all: The acting.
There is really nothing to complain about. From the main cast to the small roles, there was no awkward moment or a moment where I would have said that something didn't fit with the character or the scene.
Especially for some of the main cast, whose characters are more of the ambivalent type, they managed to make me like or dislike them, as needed by the respective scene.
The script is overall very neatly written. It gently leads us through the lives of a group of doctors in a Thai hospital; with Doctor Talodgan and his journey through self-doubt and grief at the centre, and several other story lines around him, some just an episode long, others are weaved through more than half of the total runtime.
There is a set-up of an important plot point right at the beginning, and then, especially after episode 5, more and more story lines are gently introduced. There is a lot going on between episodes 6 and 14 -- but somehow the drama never feels crowded or rushed; on the contrary, there is a lot of space to work through the emotions we feel together with the characters as well as space to breathe between events.
The story picks up pace in the last two episodes, where the crime plot and its fall-out come to the forefront and the secrets of the past are revealed -- here most of the long-term story lines are tied together into one.
There is one revelation in episode 14 that in my opinion didn't fit the rest of the narrative, as well as a brief dip into a cliche in episode 15, but that is overall negligible.
"เพราะเขามีหัวใจของหมอ -- Because they have the heart of a doctor" is at the centre of the drama -- which is question of what it means to "have a doctor's heart", i.e. the ethics of being a medical professional. Around it there are other issues that are discussed by Thai society: for example the influence of social media on public perception or how money, political power and social status are still a deciding factor in whether a person gets preferential treatment in society. I also liked how the drama places importance on mental well-being as part of being healthy, and de-stigmatizes seeking professional help in these matters.
The characters are very consistent -- and most importantly, nobody except for two background (but influential) characters is solely a hero or a villain, not even the hospital director. The script gives every character a reason for their actions and feelings as well as the chance to grow throughout the series. I found this the most obvious for Talodgan's friend and colleague, Tonnam, and for the female intern, Fon.
Relating to that, there were many points where the script could have veered into lakorn territory, with jealousy, love triangle or revenge plots. It didn't.
There is a slight romance arc, but it's more simmering in the background, and even the love confessionss are extremely understated.
Overall, the characters are *adults* and medical professionals and act accordingly.
The medical aspect seems to be very accurate -- given that there are several messages about healthy living, organ and blood donations and other medical issues that are relevant for the average citizen, and that medical ethics are at the centre, it's good that the writers and the director paid a lot of attention to this. I loved how they showed the doctors as professionals, and that there is no more drama in the cases than needed. An normal operation is already tense enough, you don't need extra dramatics.
A last note: The background music was sometimes a bit too sentimental, but I loved the percussion part in tense moments, which sounded a bit like a heart beat.
Was it good?
Yes! It had very tidy writing, and the acting was superb. I liked how they weaved character development, a sound plot and messages to the public into one engaging drama.
Did I like it?
I loved it and finished the whole thing in days. I love the unhurried pace, and how every character has their redeeming qualities. Also, the romance was barely there.
Who would I recommend it to?
To anyone who watches dramas for the characters, who can cope with a pace that takes its time to arrive where it was going, and who doesn't need a blazing romance.
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Twists and turns, steeped in Thai spiritualism
"Shadow" is an all-around solid supernatural mystery (not horror) with some gay main characters. It's not a romance, and there are no BL tropes in sight.So, anyone who wants a BL romance should maybe not watch it.
However, those who are interested in a ghost mystery with a lot of twists and turns, to the very last second even, might have a great time with it.
Before I go into my thoughts about the script, let me say a sentence or two about the actors. They were fantastic!
This was only the second role of Fiat Patchata's that I saw him in. The first (in this year's "The Death of Khun Phra") was so different that I almost can't believe that this is the same actor! Both Fluke Natouch and Poon Mitpakdee were excellent; and Utt Uttsada led me by the nose with his portrayal of Brother Anurak.
And Singto Prachaya? If there was any doubt at all that he was brilliant as Dan, any doubt would have been swept away by the last eight minutes of the drama.
The sets, the camera work, the background music and the colours were appropriately done for setting the mood of each scene; I admit I am not overly fond of the end credits song.
The script though.
The script was *everything* I look for in a supernatural mystery.
It led me from one question to another -- I had so many theories while I watched it, and most of them made a lot of sense at the time, but then with the next reveal, all of them had to be discarded. And it was well-written in that regard: the new information *always* made sense, and in the end I saw that I had picked up on some important hints and foreshadowing, without understanding what I saw at the time.
When the story ended, there were only very few loose threads and unanswered questions, none of which concerned the main plot.
Apart from all the the parallels to "Hamlet", one other thing in the script I adore was that it managed to include some metaphorical commentary on some other topics, for example on Thailand's history and the influence of western culture, on how being viewed as different can lead to self-destruction, as well as how abuse shapes children, and more.
Just a few, hopefully non-spoilery examples:
* The forest spirit whose mutually beneficial co-existence with the locals is cut by the arrival of western (Christian) culture, and is consequently becoming twisted and malevolent.
* The silence of Thai society about the events of 6th October, which they call "Red October" in the drama (I suggest to read up on it, this is *the* scar on Thailand's communal conscience), ultimately leads to more pain and mistrust in the present.
* Trin, Dan and Nai are different from the norm -- and the difference in how they are dealing with it and if they have the good kind of support leads to growth or destruction.
* An abused and lonely child is easy prey for the next abuser, who can use the child's needs and trauma to forge a connection and the illusion of safety and belonging.
"Shadow" is also deeply intertwined with Thai spiritualism and Buddhist believes, and I'm sure I didn't understand all of it. Like with the events of 6th October, the writers assume that the audience are aware of it, and I'm sure that Thai viewers understand much of what is only implicitely said that I don't.
One belief that does seem to be extremely important is the concept of "karma" -- that is different for everybody from birth, and that we might be able to escape, or not.
I also suspect that the Thai and Buddhist way of seeing the world influenced the ending and the overall meaning of the drama -- which might lead to some disappointment by western viewers because it means the story goes towards a different conclusion than westerners might expect or hope for.
So.
Was it good? -- Yes, the script was solid and engaging, the acting excellent.
Did I like it? -- Oh, yes. It had everything I want in a mystery, made me develop theories and ideas and gave me lots of twists, right until the very end. And I *loved* the ending.
Who would I recommend it to? -- To everyone who likes supernatural mysteries, and like to explore the mystery together with the characters. Not to those who are looking for a BL.
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It felt as if it was two different dramas -- one that ran for about two thirds of the total and another that started around the end of episode 7 or 8.
The drama starts like quite a few Japanese detective dramas do: An eccentric main character, often a genius, accompagnied by one or two equally eccentric (or very straight-laced) side-kicks solve a "case of the week" , often with a twist or using unusual methods. Their "lair" is appropriately colourful and chaotic, the way the first few cases are laid out follows the pattern of traditional mystery dramas.
And I do love this kind of mystery drama, I liked 99.9 Criminal Lawyer, The Locked Room Murders, and more.
But Inheritance Detective failed to connect me with the team members. It neither develops their quirks well enough for them to really become a running gag (for example Tomonaga is supposed to often speak very quietly, so that nobody can understand him, which is used only occasionally in the earlier episodes, and never in the later ones. Haie himself eats dry coffee beans when he takes on a case, but it's never explained why or at least commented on or, I don't know, *something*, he just does.)
The drama's cases are neither good detective cases, where the audience can either guess along or be astonished at the genius detective's abilities, nor are they connected by a common thread (except by inheritance and wills), unlike the themes of "identity" and "mother-child-relationships" in Don't Call it Mystery.
I could have followed either direction -- comedy, mystery, philosophy -- but this drama failed to evolve any of these possibilities to a depth I could have been satisfied with.
And then the "showdown" with the real villain started, and it felt as if I watched a completely different drama. Any hint of levity was gone, characters suddenly seemed to change (from antagonists to supporters), and it felt like a revenge thriller or court drama, complete with seemingly life-threatening situations.
But this too was never developed deeply enough, even the villain stayed one-dimensional, the speech Haie gives in court near the end felt more contrived than moving -- mainly because I wasn't invested in anything.
Actually, I went through the first five episodes like a breeze, slowed down later, and the last episode took me long enough that I watched both seasons of Minato's Laundromat (which were at least not boring, just frustrating), *and* 8 episodes of Monster Next Door in the meantime.
And it's a real shame that the script was so bad, because the main actors were brilliant. I almost didn't recognize Akaso Eiji, he completely disappeared behind his role.
I think, based on the actors' abilities, I could have loved the team -- but not with this script.
However, there *is* one thing in the script I loved: When Haie tries to sideline his female sidekick "for her safety" (not his male sidekick), she doesn't let him, but involves herself again without his consent or even knowledge.
Was it good? -- It had some good ideas, but wasn't consistent in theme or tone. The actors were brilliant.
Did I like it? -- I would have given the first part a 7/10 or the second part a 6/10 -- but put together, no.
Would I recommend it? -- No. Neither to mystery nor to thriller aficionados.
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The awards are certainly well deserved. The acting, the soundtrack, the cinematography, everything served to enhance an already incredible story.
Here are some aspects that impressed me:
* The whole drama is not something to watch casually. Every minute is relevant, every twitch or facial twist is an important part of the story.
* I loved how I got to see only bits and pieces of what happened -- and had me mistrusting everybody throughout the series. Especially during the first episodes, which left me reeling with their cliffhangers. And then there was some new bit of info which slotted seamlessly into what I knew but changed all my ideas on what was going on.
* The first episodes made me guess and mistrust to the point where I expected a new twist even to the very end, when in other dramas I would already have been bored by the predictable plot -- I did no longer trust my own deductions nor my knowledge of the genre's usual plots, culprits and tropes.
* Every character is just shades of grey. Everybody's got their motives and reasons for their actions. Nobody is purely good, and still, a lot of them are somewhat likeable. That is something not a lot of dramas manage to do.
* I loved the role smiling and laughing played in this drama. I think the times when a smile, a chuckle or a laugh was really genuine instead of expressing any kind of negative emotion could be counted on the fingers of one hand.
* While the female characters were in the minority (no surprise there), all of them were strong, independent and active characters in their own right. (Apart from the victims of the serial killer, which was one of the few genre-conforming elements.)
* And last: No romance! Always a plus.
If you are a fan of mystery thrillers, this one will be worth your time!
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What I liked best:
* The initial premise is different and interesting, the story arcs well paced and in the end, all story threads are neatly tied up. Even if they ended the series with a glimpse of a new plot, it felt more like a "this is not the end" than a cliffhanger.
* The main character was extremely well acted, I loved the facial expressions (or, sometimes, the lack of them) and how the actor moved his body, we never forget that this is actually a dead body, not a living being.
* The comedy was there duiring all the episodes, and varied between spoofing Zombie movies and the detective genre, slapstick-y routines and just plain hilarious situations.
* The mysteries were not too simple, but simple enough for a comedy.
* Some K-Dramas I've watched have a weird slump in pacing or story in the 9th to 11th episdes. This one doesn't, every episode was interesting or funny enough to keep me watching.
* There was no romance between the two main characters, only a hint of interest on the woman's side, which is not even recognized by the zombie detective.
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Things I liked most:
* The female characters! Although they were still in the minority, they were fantastic! The two main female characters were an equal part of the cast -- in most cases the female forensic doctor was the one who found the deciding clue, even. Both were shown as professionals, with interesting personal lives, own ambitions and well-rounded personalities.
* The team! We get to know all five (hm, six) people of the UDI well, and how they learn and grow together. They start as distant, even uncomfortable colleagues -- and in the end, they work as a well-integrated team. Some of them get some character development, some don't really need it.
* The supporting cast! Even they got a personality, some are more mysterious, some antagonistic, some familial. All of them clearly have their own motivations and goals.
* The acting! The directing! The soundtrack!
* No Romance! Well, over the course of one or two episodes, the male part-timer wonders if the female lead might be interested in him, and it seems he wouldn't have rejected any advances -- but! That fizzles out and is never even thought about again.
(Although, as I read through the other reviews, I see Orangevine's who states that "There is also a love triangle (with the caveat that one must be well-versed in Japanese romance tropes to spot it)". I'm obviously not well-versed, so I don't see it.)
* Minimal gore! We see blood, contusions, discoloration of the skin, some wounds, the occasional part of an organ preserved in formalin. Faces of the deceased are never disfigured, there are a few scenes where we see how the scalpel starts to cut, but never any opened bodies or any inner body parts while the autopsy is in progress.
All in all, it's remarkably respectful of the dead (compared to US productions) and there's never any kind of voyeurism.
* A fascinating insight into Japanese culture! Concerning death, and how the deceased and those who have contact with them are regarded and what it means for the politics around them.
* Last but not least: The cases! Not every case is a crime, but they are all interesting. The first one is noticably from before CoViD. The seventh had me in tears, that one hit close to home for me. The overarching plot was also intense, and was the main focus of the last three or so episodes, and tied all the personalities and their development together.
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