Tricʞ - 2000 - Japan

Tricʞ - 2000 - 6/10 
AKA - トリック

 
Naoko is an unsuccessful magician.  Behind in rent, she accepts a challenge from a physicist.
Ueda refutes magic and spiritualism, and the pair are soon a team.
Seeking out phony mediums, shamans, cults, curses.
There are also a pair of police detectives who provide comic relief.
Word to the wise, Japanese comedy, often lowbrow, can be an acquired taste.
Cheap looking, two-part episodes birthed more seasons and four movies.
New fans of Yukie Nakama ought to hunt this down.

Scandal Eve - 2025 - Japan

Scandal Eve - 2025 - 7/10
AKA - スキャンダルイブ

 
Rafale is a small talent agency.  So when their major star is exposed in a tabloid, it damages.
An old incident, of him drinking / sleeping with an underage female.
Readers were shocked!  She was 19 (age of consent in Japan is 13, so please).
Turns out there was collusion between a mega-agency and the scandal sheet.
Brief J-dorama of the small upstart trying to survive opposition by the colossus.
Well written, fiercely acted, some sharp turns.
Problems for viewers may be the tabloid or print angle.
In most of the world, those are passé.
Readers, by and large, grow more extinct daily.

Million Yen Women - 2017 - Japan

Million Yen Women - 2017 - 7/10 
AKA - 1,000,000 Yen no Onnatachi // 100万円の女たち

 
Five females appear at Shin’s doorstep, each paying 1M monthly to live there.
There are rules: No questions, no familiarity, no physical contact.
Shin is a writer.  Not a bestseller, but admired by a few.
Females prove a mixed bunch.  From innocent to hardened, creative to repressed.
Overall narrative is one of who invited them, and why?
And why does it become so deadly dangerous?
Quirky, imaginative, unexpected, only the Japanese do shows like these.
Koreans would go over-the-top, Americans wallow in clichés.
Oh, and there is a kitten, romping freely!

Gannibal: S02 - 2025 - Japan

Gannibal: S02 - 2025 - 7/10
AKA - Gan'nibaru 2 / /ガンニバル

All the tension that had been mounting throughout S01 boils over and explodes here.
This is a wildly violent season, with multiple gun battles.
And bloodletting, a tremendous spillage.

 
This season showcases the backstory of the Goto family, and their acquired attitude.
Youthful Gin Goto, in particular, as the beautiful, sex-driven female – with a grudge.
The family has a history of dealing with Kuge Village, with the police, a lot of police.
Officer Agawa, however, booted out of Tokyo, is a borderline psychopath.
Japanese exploitation fans, this is manna.

Gannibal - 2022 - Japan

Gannibal - 2022 - 6/10
AKA - Gan'nibaru / /ガンニバル

Officer Agawa is transferred to sleepy village of Kuge.
He carries a history and superiors hope the tranquil mountain area will sort him.
The previous village officer had disappeared under mysterious circumstances.
As far as peace and calm, the area is a festering web.
Inhabitants live in fear of the Goto family, amidst whispers of cannibalism.

 
Officer Agawa is a piece of work, however, and not one to back down.
Series (7ep) explores the dark side, is punctuated with explosive violence.
Ends on a cliffhanger, although S02 has finished airing.

Demon Ward - 2013 - Japan

Demon Ward - 2013 - 5/10
AKA - Akuryô Byôtô // 悪霊病棟

 
And just how evil is this hospital wing?  Wait till patients receive the bill!
There is the new hospital, where patients who see the apparition, drop dead.
Then there’s the old hospital across the way, where the nurses have to enter for some medicine or equipment, in the middle of the night, no power, just their flashlight.
What lurks within?  Yes, a ghost, demon with black teeth, that bites.
And leaves victims dead or infected.
Half hour horror series is cheap looking, poorly acted, with a copy cat script.
Finale (episode 10) was more compelling, but it took me over three years to get there.

Tokyo Vice - 2022 - USA

Tokyo Vice - 2022 - 6/10

 
Missouri journalism major lands dream job with Japan’s most prestigious newspaper.
Assignments mean reporting news in such a way that does not offend, speculate, gainsay the police line.
Bland headlines, meekly espoused.
In the midst of the day to day, an outside Yakuza is trying to muscle in on territory.
Yakuza rivalries and tactics, absolutely!  Police maneuverings, irresistible.  Newspaper, great stuff.
That said, much of the “story” dawdles into club hostesses and their angst.
At best, the females are a distraction.  By and large, they are written as stupid.
Together, they have the common sense of a sea sponge.
This could have, should have, been superb, instead of soap opera poo-poo.

Angels Without Wings - 2006 - Japan

Angels Without Wings - 2006 - 6/10
AKA - Tsubasa no Oreta Tenshitachi // 翼の折れた天使たち

 
Late night J-dorama follows four different girls (one per episode) who have gotten lost in Tokyo.
One works as an escort so she can buy expensive fashions.  Another makes adult films.
One works a phone sex line, another is lucky with gambling, unlucky in love.
Each receive unexpected assistance, guidance, and there is something of a closing moral.
I imagine most of the females are idols, trying to break into film.
Watchable, neither cloying nor preachy.  Good stories for those about to fledge.
English subtitles = https://subscene.cam/subtitle/3225492

Alice In Borderland: S02 - 2022 - Japan

Alice In Borderland: S02 - 2022 - 7/10
AKA - Imawa no Kuni no Arisu // 今際の国のアリス

Never would have predicted this.
I enjoyed S01 up until it faltered at the Beach.
Was unsure if I wanted to view this season, until the fans raved deliriously.

 
Vestiges of Tokyo are disappearing under vegetation.
Players survive in pockets, form temporary enclaves as the games grow more elaborate.
For a second season, there is a wealth of narrative track, in deeper, richer veins.
Secondary, even tertiary players assume major roles.
Just how much is packed into eight episodes is astonishing.
Much relies on S01, so one must see that season first,
A few installments boast separate contests, with glimpses of still other games.
This season is more thoughtful as characters grapple with the value of human life.
What determines value?  Merit, money, education?  Who decides?
Is Life itself even worth the struggle, worth living?  How about freedom?
Imaginative ending, too, in this well thought-out series.

 
”Your life is yours. Don't follow someone else's path."
Kyuma

Pension Metsä - 2021 - Japan

Pension Metsä - 2021 - 7/10
AKA - ペンション メッツァ

 
Gentle, soft-spoken series about the proprietress of a rural guest house.
Each episode (of six) sees one visitor arrive, talk about life, perhaps their past or a future, share a meal.
Discussions are contemplative, meditative, whimsical, philosophical.
If you desire action, emotional drama, or answers, this is not the place.
This is a quiet show, the house is something like a rest oasis
Those who peer deeper will grasp the passage of time, and how transitory is one’s journey.
Regulars at the Midnight Diner will feel at home.

Kinpika - 2016 - Japan

Kinpika - 2016 - 6/10
AKA - きんぴか

 
What do a yakuza enforcer, recently released from prison, a disgraced political aspirant, and a discharged combat soldier have in common?
Give up?  Yeah, well, nothing.
Except a retired police commissioner puts the trio together, gives them swank digs, and lets them right wrongs.
Guts, muscles and brains.  Age-old premise of the mismatched unit bonding.
Slick, stylish, empty headed.
At five episodes, this is worth a watch, streaming easily through into eyes and out the back of your skull.

Kurokôchi - 2013 - Japan

Kurokôchi - 2013 - 7/10
AKA - クロコーチ

Sleazy, dishonest, crooked, scheming, even murderous.
Barely comes close to describing the used car ethics of Detective Kurokôchi.

 
He extorts money from politicians, covers-up killings by businessmen, blackmails anyone he can slip the wedge under.
For all that, he is almost a breath of fresh air in the entrenched law enforcement hierarchy.
And, as the 10 episode series unfolds, he digs deeper and deeper into a long buried mystery.
The 300 Million Yen Bank Robbery of 1968 (actual event).
Forces behind the vanished monies, one soon realizes, are powerful and secure.
Nevertheless, they never take the shifty Kurokôchi for granted.
He is partnered with a by-the-book individual, whom he shamelessly exploits.
Very much a game of lies, knives and smiles.  Irresistible!

Bones Of Steel - 2020 - Japan

Bones Of Steel - 2020 - 6/10
AKA - Tetsu no hone  // 鉄の骨

 
Heita (right) works as site inspector for the construction firm.
His overzealousness gets him transferred to HQ Operations.
Abilities, idealism, or less obvious reasons.
The mid-sized company has trouble competing against the large groups.
Nevertheless, all outfits engage in illegal bid-rigging and collusion.
Legal and ethical concerns weigh against company loyalty and climbing the corporate ladder.
Sharp “business drama” is a mere five episodes, so easily watched.
If you develop a taste for this, check out the superb Hanzawa Naoki.

Roosevelt Game - 2014 - Japan

Roosevelt Game - 2014 - 8/10
AKA - Ruzuveruto Gemu // ルーズヴェルト・ゲーム

 
Nine innings J-dorama, set in the corporate boardroom, in the research lab, and on the diamond.
Small manufacturing firm finds itself under serious attack by king sized competitor.
The larger outfit has deep pockets, and they launch every trick in the book to destroy the smaller group.
To add insult to injury, the big guys even poach three top players and coach from the small firm’s baseball team.
(Footnote - Corporations in Japan sponsor their own teams, have a season, and a tournament.)
To save money, the small firm initiates layoffs and decides to shutter the baseball club.
They compromise, however, and the team will be disbanded only after they lose in the playoffs.

 
Bet you can see where this is heading?  Well, not exactly.
In the best tradition of J-doramas, the villains are wicked, sinister types.
But they are not stupid.  In the ballpark, or in the boardroom, they are crafty and intelligent.
They countermove every tack the smaller electronics firm attempts to stay alive.
An addicting, nine episode series, with the battles played across multiple fronts.
Of course, the ball teams will square off eventually.

Enjoyed this greatly, and I truly despise baseball, specifically overpaid, MLB players who give the impression they don’t even like playing the game, disdain fans who root them on.
The games in this are old-fashioned, and the players earn next to nothing, so they play for love of the game.
Baseball fans, track this down!

Diplomat Kuroda Kosaku - 2011 - Japan

Diplomat Kuroda Kosaku - 2011 - 7/10
AKA - Gaikôkan Kuroda Kôsaku //  外交官・黒田康作

 
Well done spy thriller / sequel to Amalfi: Rewards of the Goddess.
Ten episode J-dorama follows diplomat (ha!) as he attempts to solve a series of increasingly high profile murders.
The police are involved, as is the Foreign Department, finally whatever they call National Security.
He enlists an unappreciated police detective, and also a few unlikely allies (including a couple of cameos from Byung-hun Lee).
Kuroda is mostly a  one man show, however.
Cooperation and sharing details are not strong points, viewers have to work out mysteries on their own.
That will be fine for some, too difficult for others.
Closing credits of chess play symbolize the moves, counter-moves and calculated alliances.
The final two episodes forget the basic film rule of “Show, don’t tell” and are extremely talky and explanatory.
Excellent adult drama, nevertheless.

Alice In Borderland - 2020 - Japan

Alice In Borderland - 2020 - 6/10
AKA - Imawa no Kuni no Arisu // 今際の国のアリス

 
Three friends gaze out at deserted Tokyo.
Warm car engines, cigarettes burning in ashtrays, frosty drinks still cold, but humans are gone.
Night falls, and they are summoned, as are others.
And the “games” begins.
Games of life and death, meaning winners survive, losers zzzztt!!
First 3-4 installments move crisply, the contests are inventive, characters fleshed out.
I wondered if the creative team could maintain this level.
In a word, no.  Once at the stagnant “oasis” energy plummets.
The “ending” is a Netflix ending (meaning there ain’t no ending).
The finale is drawn out, sluggish and inconclusive.  S02 is confirmed.

Suspect X - 2008 - Japan

Suspect X - 2008 - 6/10
AKA - Yôgisha X no Kenshin  //  容疑者Xの献身

 
Movie tie-in for the popular J-dorama, Galileo.
Once again, there is a mysterious murder, with crucial evidence missing or tainted.
The Professor is consulted.
This outing, however, we see the crime.  We know who did it and why.
Moreover, this individual is suspect number 1.
Unlike the series, there is no science, no physics.
Earlier chemistry between physicist Yukawa and detective Kaoru is missing.
Big disappointment.  See the series, not this,

Nameless Poison - 2013 - Japan

Nameless Poison - 2013 - 7/10
AKA - Na mo Naki Doku / 名もなき毒

 
Eleven part J-dorama, following two commonplace mysteries.
In the first half, the Chairman asks his son-in-law to assist the grieving daughters of his recently killed chauffeur.
They want to write a simple memorial about their father, with the hope whoever accidentally killed him confesses.
Only - as the son-in-law delves into the chauffeur’s history, a dark history emerges.
The second half is about a serial poisoner who is injecting cyanide into drink cartons in convenience stores.
Again, the son-in-law is drawn in, while his wife pleads,  “Quit getting involved!”
So say we all.
No police - no detectives - just an ordinary man trying to help others, not always succeeding.
Even though he works full time, and has family obligations, he spends much of his free hours in a fabulously empty cafe.

English subs = https://subscene.com/subtitles/nameless-poison-na-mo-naki-doku/english/1161557

Galileo: S01 - 2008 - Japan

Galileo: S01 - 2008 - 6/10
AKA - ガリレオ

When faced with baffling, unsolvable murders, female cop consults physics professor.
One case follows another until - Hey! - Apologies to Mr Berra, but is this deja vu all over again?

 
Hold on. Another reboot of the Eleventh Hour franchise?
Not exactly, there are too many flaws.
For a serious drama, there is comic silliness.
Several music cues are goofy and slapstick, their noisy intrusion wrecks the mood.
The story arc suffers implausible romantic leanings.  Detective and professor are acid n oil opposites, the attraction phony.
Complaints out of the way, the 10 part series is entertaining throughout.

 
Most of the crimes are “unsolvable.” - Spontaneous combustion - Poltergeist - Fireballs - Ghosts - Premonitions
That is, until the prof and students set up testing apparatus.
Big, Goldberg devices.
Fun to watch,  though uncertain how valid the scientific accuracy is.
Easy science for non-demanding C grade students.

Tokumei Tantei: S01 - 2012 - Japan

Tokumei Tantei: S01 - 2012 - 7/10
AKA - 匿名探偵

 
Terrific detective spoof, that also features solid mysteries.
Each episode is a single story, so no narrative arc to follow. ( binging not necessary ).
Low rent private eye lives across from strip club, and trio of forever practicing lovelies.
No car, he pedals a girl’s pink bike.  That said, he is a coffee aficionado, and a damn smart dresser.
The clothes and look struck me as prime Disco era, which he wears with flair.
Each episode begins with a damsel in distress:  missing money, lost relative, stalker . . .
Because the detective truly lives on limited means, he does plenty of footwork and deduction.
The tone is lightweight, and Katsunori Takahashi oozes charisma.
Fun series - nine episodes.