Atami no Sousakan (2010)

Unique, intriguing and mysterious. I wouldn't be surprised if many people overlooked this drama expecting another generic detective show, I can't express how sorry I feel that they will miss out. This drama will challenge your preconceptions and keep you interested to the very last minute.

This drama isn't for everybody, I can imagine the quirks and humour won't appeal to many. I, however, really thought they influenced the overall feel in a positive way. It isn't your typical drama, if you take everything too literally you will miss out on a lot of the symbolism and underlying messages. It's one of those drama you can keep coming back to, every time you re-watch you will notice something new, a small detail you missed the first time around. These little details, in my opinion, really show how wonderful both the plot and execution are.

Acting wise, no complaints there, they all did a fine job portraying their characters. As for the music, the choices really helped build up atmosphere and fit well with the drama's mysterious vibe.

All in all, a drama I highly recommend if you want something completely different to the majority of other drama out there.

Leggi di Più

This drama is a twist to the typical police/mystery drama. The town of focus, Atami, has kooky residents, cults, a creepy boarding school and evil politicians.
The plot was fantastic and left me intrigued after every episode.

The overall vibe of the drama is strange with tons of dry humor (totally Odagiri's style).
Odagiri and Kuriyama portray an attractive detective duo, who have solid chemistry and plenty of bickering between themselves.

The ending left me wanting a second season.
Also, upon visiting several forum discussions, it seems that there is a lot of cultural symbols and subtle messages in this drama that hint at certain things. A re-watch of this drama after some research/pondering is definitely suggested.

Overall, this is a twist to the typical police/mystery drama with tons of crazy characters and dry humor.

Leggi di Più