A subversive mystery drama made by the Japanese creative elite out of love of art and not for profit.

Dele was conceived as part of the project that aims to bring Japanese novels to small screen. So the production team had a budget, a non-demanding time slot (night), and no expectation for commercial success. Kaneshiro Kazuki (the Border screenwriter) suggested to his friend, the writer Takayoshi Honda, to pen a short mystery novel that they would adapt as a drama. Before the story was written, the cast for the main characters had already been decided. As it happened several years before the premiere in 2018, it explains how they managed to snatch hugely popular now Suda Masaki.

I suspect that Suda and Yamada Takayuki both agreed to the project because of its "independent" production that featured alongside those two titans of Japanese acting many other members of creative elite. The best detective writers (the episodes were written by different authors while Takayoshi Honda was the main writer), the director, the operator, etc. were involved in the making of this drama out of sheer will to do something great just for its own sake and probably as a favour to the main project team.

Thus, everything in this drama is top-notch; there is no single non-artsy shot. Even the acorn used as a projectile in the first episode was admitted by the production team to be "ikeman acorn". The interior design of the office reminds you that "hipster" is not actually an insult. But even those tasteful decorations are constantly being elevated by the skillful lighting and unexpected shot angles. The pacing and the direction are on par with the visual. Concise storytelling, tight plot, appropriate ost - everything is done by true professionals.

It's as if the professionalism of the production team further underscores the professionalism of the main characters as if to remind you that watching masters do their job is a pleasure unto itself.

Getting back to the cast, this night slot drama that gets negligently small ratings boasts not only two of the best Japanese actors but also the likes of Shibasaki Kou and Hashimoto Ai acting as mere guest stars. Those tired with familiar faces in the dramas could also enjoy the many guest stars who are actually indie musicians and other rarely seen faces. Again, I suspect, other members of creative elite were starring as favours for friends.

The novel and the script were written with the cast already in mind so the main characters were tailored for their actors. But being who they are, Suda and Yamada managed to make their characters even better. The aloof Key in another hands would quickly deteriorate to Garu Sue but Yamada's understated acting gave the character the much needed subtlety and vulnerability. Suda infused his character with his trademark "pureness" and spirit while also performing the "wilding" scenes with violent outburst with appropriate rawness and energy.

Suda and Yamada also have great friendship chemistry and their scenes together are the best.

The story itself is a subversive mystery drama, the one that Japan does the best. A modern conflict (information security), unusual cases with unpredictable flow (even if you can guess the outcome some of the time), an engaging solutions, and the focus on the human heart amidst it all makes this drama a close relative of another great show - Unnatural. The subversiveness also comes from the fact that the main investigators aren't actually there to punish "bad guys" or to save "victims". They are just two clerks in the firm that takes responsibility to delete the designated files from the deceased's devices. This setup allows for more grey morale than J-dramas usually permit. It is perks of night slot again.

At the same time, the story is not too heavy or overly dramatic making us believe that such a firm could very well exist and not just in some manga world. Dry humour and fast pace also make for a great entertainment. Episodes are very different from each other being written by the different writers. The ep. 1, 5 and 8 are the main arc done by Takayoshi Honda while ep. 6 would be recognisable to the fans of The Border. Episode 3 is supposedly the main hit with the Japanese public.

All in all, I would recommend to watch Dele as one would enjoy a cup of coffee in a 'hip' cafe you somehow ended up in. Be surprised by well thought-out interior that is actually designed to make you comfortable and relaxed, marvel at the glinting cutting edge machinery that produces actually quite decent coffee, and think about art and its place in our life.