ATARU (2012)

The plot of ataru is clearly strange however there is more to it than just a savant syndrome person solving cases. there is a whole other premise behind it that reveals ataru's history and what he went through. by the end of the show you come to a more clear understanding about who ataru is and what he wants to do and how his childhood was. This drama is not just about the case solving and this is why it was a rather unique plot for me. Sure in the beginning you cannot believe that he can solve the crimes just for that but after you come go deeper in the story then you understand why he can do it.

The acting was superb. kuriyama chiaki is an okay actress but i feel her role in this with her other roles dun have much of a difference. However most of the other actors did a great job with their roles. You could definitely find them convincing.

The music of the drama, i do not remember it and it did not really bother me from focusin so i suppose it was complimenting it. As far as rewatching goes. Once you have watched it all, it would be hard to watch again with the same suspence.

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Personally i'm a fan of crime/investigation shows and this was a refreshing change from usual crime solving "structure".
SETTING: At times it was emotional and serious yet the characters and their relationships were fun and humorous. The solving i quite enjoyed especially how i, like the rest of cast was left to figure out the meanings behind Atarus clues.
STORY: The idea was unique especially the origin of Ataru and his life and how he become to be talented in investigations.
CASES: All the cases are labeled "waste dumps" aka something police wouldn't bother investigating because foul play doesn't seem to be involved.In that aspect the solving of these cases become more heartfelt as the (dead)victims are not considered victims of crime in the first place.
ACTING: it was good, Ataru himself was well played i didn't feel like he was overacting or trying too hard to be himself. Emotionally i think everyone did a great job especially after the cast begains to understand what Ataru goes through . The chief, loved him, he was the result of good casting. Lead females brother...hehe i don't about acting but he has been noted.


if you enjoy crime/investigation shows i wouldn't be too quick to rule this one out. Don't give up just after the first ep that would be a mistake there are great shows that start not so impressively only to impress you in the near future.

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Ok so I'm not a major fan of this genre because tbh once you've seen too many of them it can become repetitive and predictable but this drama is completely different...

the mystery is held in the way Ataru gives only tidbits of the case,it keeps you intrigued and you find yourself with the two detectives asking the same thing,what does he mean by that?alongside that there is the mystery of the main characters,we have Ataru who is a savant with an almost superhuman ability to connect things where the normal person wouldnt, the female lead who is haunted and has one case where it may be unsolvable.

we get a sense of their vulnerability and hardships but its unbearable,its acute while the humour element is slapstick...I cant remember how many times I laughed at their silliness.

The miscommunication between the three lends itself to very funny scenes especially Ataru's use of English

at the heart of it the core point of the show is to show how everyone has their own special ability,tic or nuance whereby it can be seen as a nuisance or useful

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This show was something I've wanted to watch for a very long time, but I never could have imagined that this show would be very intricate, very detailed, very hilarious, and amazingly well written!

Within the plot of the story, I never could predict what would happen next. Ataru was eccentric and the acting by Nakai Masahiro was so on point and accurate that I was enthralled with his talents from the first episode! The patience it must have taken to become Ataru and to return to Nakai Masahiro, and for the other actors around him (as people and as their characters) to adjust and respect and do their jobs so well is a testament to how amazing their acting skills are. Not to mention how it was so easy to see how genuine, real, and relatable everyone was in this show, no matter their involvement in the series; whether that was acting, producing, directing, writing, extras, filming, behind the scenes work, etc...

The research, empathy, sympathy, kindness, respect, and honesty it took to begin and complete this show as perfectly as it has turned out to be amazes me to no end!

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So far I've watched several dramas featuring autistic characters with Savant Syndrome trying to tackle a certain profession in which normally one wouldn't have expected people with severe autistic traits to do. I gotta say that an autistic detective with a Savant Syndrome was something I haven't expected to see. In a way, this was a very interested take in the usual detective genre.

That said, as much as the series tackled with cases that was referred to as 'discarded mountain' or cases that tend to be discarded once it was determined to not be criminal in nature, the series itself tend to not be on the serious side and more comedic at times.
The tone could also be intentional as well since I do note how at times certain scenes somewhat contain a parody of other shows (like the Galileo references) or real life (like how there's the running joke on Sawa being a divorcee, which may be influenced by the fact Kitamura Kazuki had divorced with his wife the same year). The show even in some instances broke the forth wall.

Overall the drama was really fun and quirky. Gotta say that the characters really start to grow on you after a few episodes and that was one of the reason that it felt easy to keep watching the rest of the episodes till the end.

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Oddly satisfying and fun drama

It's an okay show, a light-hearted mystery drama with a positive theme about dealing with trauma, unique disabilities, or both while trying to look at things be it life or mysteries from a different perspective like the Main Hero for example. I thought one episode about a guy being allergic to electricity was ridiculous until I saw it in better call saul which I since then Owed this show an apology. This show takes place in the same universe as the keizoku/spec because by the multiple cameos and references from that series, and the fact that they both share the same producer too but this is a standalone series and not a spinoff so I guess the relations with each other is just mere fanservice but go see Spec regardless cause it's better. While the mysteries are not as big nor epic as spec , but it is more realistic and grounded just not as dark and gritty, but if there's one thing better about ataru is their comedy that's more natural than shoehorned in to lighten the mood all the time-hell even the recurring gags has an arc of their own. Even though I always have issues with j-drama especially mystery themed j-dramas never being long enough this drama surprisingly satisfied me when it comes to its story and characters because the story was so simple and complete that it never overstayed it's welcome but ironically you do wanna see what happens to them after the show which explains the specials and movie I guess.

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