Completed
devitto
14 people found this review helpful
May 26, 2012
11 of 11 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 9.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 8.0
In the beginning I started watching IWGP because Yamapi was in it - But after only a few minutes I had almost forgotten about him.

The characters in this drama are very believable and well-done, they are realistic and have their good and bad sides.

I like how important friendship is for the story, much more important than the romance or violence.

The acting was really good, especially in the dramatic and fighting scenes. The actors looked like they were really in character and I never thought someone looked awkward, when they weren't supposed to.

The music wasn't outstanding, but it was there. I didn't pay much attention to it and felt like it wasn't really important.

The story itself was great, interesting and full of emotions. I never thought an episode was dragging, though there were some that confused me in the beginning.

You do notice that the drama is a few years old, though, but I don't think it's a bad thing.

I recommend everyone to watch this and give it a try because I thought it was great.

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Completed
khjfan01
6 people found this review helpful
Nov 6, 2014
11 of 11 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.5
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.5
Rewatch Value 7.5
I try not to be biased, but honestly, I love anything Nagase Tomoya is in. In all the dramas I've seen with him, he has not disappointed me, and IWGP is no exception. Putting my feelings aside from Nagase for a minute, I can honestly say that this drama was very good. I loved the aspect of different ppl going to Makoto for help solving crimes that they can't go to the police for. I loved the underlying themes of finding what your good at and self-confidence (it's subtle but it's there). I did not like the main girl at all, from the very beginning I thought she was annoying. I loved the themes of friendship and loyalty.

MDL did a good job at summarizing IWGP, but honestly, I thought this drama was gonna be so cliche. Like I thought there would be a fight between Makoto and his best friend for the leadership spot of the gang, but no such thing happened. Makoto's best friend, Takashi, has his back throughout the entire drama. Not only does Takahi love Makoto, but everyone does. This character just has so much swag I can't take it.

There's also kinda sorta a love triangle, between Makoto, the main girl, and some other girl. I definitely liked the other girl better, but w/e. I'm not even upset with the ending because things get wrapped up, all questions are answered, and it all just ties together very nicely.

I wouldn't call this a detective drama to be exact, but if you like those types of dramas (the types where the characters are trying to figure out who committed a certain crime), u like laughing (it was kinda funny, u know anything with Nagase will have u laughing), u like dramas with friendship and loyalty, u may like this one. I'd definitely recommend, although some may not like the style/quality since it is a kinda older one (2000 I think). Of course the acting/cast is on point. And the music is pretty good (at least it is to me). The only character I didn't like was the main girl, I found her very annoying and self-centered. But that didn't stop me from enjoying the drama. It's good, definitely worth a watch.

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Completed
sambart
3 people found this review helpful
Mar 14, 2013
11 of 11 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.0
Story 6.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
Story: To say this is from 2000 I was impressed with how not crappy the camera/shooting actually was! Didn't feel like 2000 at all until you say their mobile phones xD haha The story changed constantly in my opinion and something new went on every episode and it finally came together at the end. While the dorama was incredibly funny to me, there were times where I just wasn't interested in what the actually story was. The ending kinda ticked me off as well with everyone being 'suicidal'. I HATE what the story did to Shun's character though. Doramas now a days very much try to keep the sex topic quite but I liked how more open about sex this dorama was. It was refreshing and it was overly stated nor a constant theme or being spoken about.

Cast: Amazing, great cast. I was shocked to see Yamashita pop up and I have to say, his acting here is the best I've seen of him since... Nobuta wo Produce. So to me he was better at acting when he was younger compared to how he is now, but that could also be to do with the lame characters and doramas he does now... anyway, yeah loved the cast! Nagase Tomoya only seen him in My Boss, My Hero. Definitely plan to watch more of his stuff now! He looks good in a cop uniform too! haha Kubozuka Yosuke is another I've only seen one or two times and defo want to see more of! Sato Ryuta awesome as always and seriously hasn't changed in 13 years xD I normally see Takahashi Issei do quite everyday characters and I liked he was a hacker in this with a MASS of hair xD WAIT... Oguri Shun was in this?! o_O I do not remember =/ Tsumabuki Satoshi another I rarely see and plan to watch more of. I liked Watanabe Ken in this dorama also!

Characters: Where to start... Favourite characters: Makoto was cool and as the main character you gotta be interesting which he was and he has a nice stomach! Yokoyama - I love his corruption and the fact he doesn't play the 'good' cop that you seem to just see in doramas now these days, The King was AWESOME I think he was my favourite, crazy mother chucker! Kazunori was enjoyable when he popped up. Loved Shun and that he was quiet and has this side of him that was interesting even when quiet! Masa was adorable and fun! Yamai was interesting til he died his hair dark then the rest of the story he wasn't interesting. Characters I hated: Rika, glad she left the show early, and Hikaru - words can not express how much Hikaru annoyed me. I wanted to kill her and he VOICE was hella annoying! Shame the story didn't go the way I wanted with her, grrr...

Music: LOVED the opening theme. Loved Makoto's ringtone was awesome, I want it as a ringtone! The soundtrack was reminiscent of Wong Kar Wai's 1990's film music which I loved so naturally loved this soundtrack =]

Overall: I enjoyed it, sometimes didn't care about the story line and some parts of the story I really didn't like and had that one hella annoying character that I wanted dead from the moment I saw her. But besides that it's interesting, funny, great how the story comes together in the end, it does feel mysterious at times too! Now to watch the SP xD

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Completed
claudya87
3 people found this review helpful
Jul 22, 2011
11 of 11 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 8.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 7.0
This was better than I expected, It got me hooked from the first minutes. I loved Nagase Tomoya in this one - it\''s maybe his greatest series - but I\''ll have to add that other than him Kubozuka Yosuke did a great job as King.

What should I say more?! This series can be categorized as one of the best, a must see, as it combines the street factor with all the violence, gangs and raw characters with detective work and funny moments. For me this is the recipe to success.
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Completed
NB4Y
2 people found this review helpful
Jul 9, 2014
11 of 11 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.5
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
This is my first review. Because of the person I am, I will simply talk about the rated aspects of the drama:
Story, Characters/Cast, Music and overall.

The story was just awesome. From the very beginning until the end it was very entertaining and didn't even try to let me bored. Every episode was really enjoyable, the funny ones in the beginning and the more serious ones in the end managed to make me give a 9.5/10 to the story.

I personally liked every character. They were very realistic and well-developed. The evolution was also good and the actors were just perfect for every character.

Not too much to say about the music, loved the opening and the soundtrack was also enjoyable.

If you like street-style comedy/drama with some mystery and the idea of the main character giving all he got to help out his friends, without giving (who reminds of the Onizuka character from GTO) then you should definitely try this one.

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Completed
fiflydramalover
2 people found this review helpful
Sep 9, 2022
11 of 11 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 10
Rewatch Value 8.0
This review may contain spoilers

Jazzy

You know how free jazz is a bit chaotic, but there's an underlying element to it that's smart about it? That's this show.

I went into this show not knowing much. Put it on my ptw after seeing it on the feeds, and eventually watched it to complete a challenge. It starts off feeling a bit like a mess. There's so many things happening, so many characters to get to know, and each one has their own charm or displeasing element to make them memorable.

Honestly, I'd like others to go in kind of blind as well, so I won't explain the story all that much. If you don't mind feeling a little uncomfortable with an alternative-feeling directing style and can handle the plot occasionally going over the top, then just go with it.

I found the story a bit predictable, though the plot somehow made me doubt my instincts several times. The writer did a good job of dropping hints and then dropping red herrings. I liked that a lot. The reveals still felt rewarding to me.

idk I liked this, probably more than the average person, but I did. It feels like I should give it an 8.5 rating, but I gave it a 9 for the overall feeling it gave me. There was a lot of heart and empathy in this tale.

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Completed
Maggi64
1 people found this review helpful
Jan 10, 2023
11 of 11 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10

A Quirky Sensibility & Charming as Hell Characters!

This was made 23 years ago and, man, it still holds up! In fact, it feels quite contemporary. For instance, there is a transgender character who is played as a perfectly normal person whom the main characters had known as a female child at school, but now accept as a male adult without missing a beat. They simply accept that the girl had surgery and is now a man, and move on to other issues as the story progresses in this episode (the trans person appears as a supporting character in ep 5).

But it isn't just this character who feels contemporary, it's the sensibility of the entire show in general. This is achieved with a lot of fun, tricky camera work that keeps the narrative pulsing with a vibrant, visual appeal, as well as with the use of constant, witty dialogue. Indeed, the entire vibe of the show is fun in a quirky, original sort of way.

And the main characters are all highly charismatic and enormously likable. Yet it isn't just the main characters; because in this show, even the side characters draw you into the screen. It must be said that while each episode plays as a crime procedural with the main character setting out to solve a different crime, the real pleasure is not found in watching him solve the crimes, but in watching him and the rest of the cast be charming as hell.

Moreover, the actors playing these charming characters all do a wonderful job. Indeed, a lot of the fun in this show is watching these actors 23 years ago before they became super famous in Japan. To wit: Ken Watanabe, Tomoya Nagasa, Yasuke Kubozuka and Issei Takahashi. There's a reason such fine actors all chose to be in this show, and that is because it has a terrific script, talented directors and exceptional cinematographers. In short, the show is a winner.

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Completed
pinkcrown
1 people found this review helpful
Jun 9, 2012
11 of 11 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
Seriously, the cast, the BGM and the storyline.. were just amazingly perfect.
The personalities of the cast were thought through until the end, the BGM fitted perfectly and the whole plot was done nicely.

It was my first Drama. I totally recommend that to everyone.
You'll laugh a lot and cry a lot. It's a very good drama. :D

The OST is one of my favourites until now. :)

[off topic]And I choose a Hotel in Ikebukuro when I went to Japan in 2009.. because of this Drama. :D[/off]
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Completed
Deejay
0 people found this review helpful
Jun 16, 2023
11 of 11 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 10
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 9.0

IWGP lays the foundation for quirky Kudo Kankuro dramas

While it is a thriller, you see how the characters are goofy which makes them more human. Apart from the main character who's been a Kankuro mainstay, the drama boasts of a support cast that came to be well known over the years - Ken Watanabe, Kubozuka Yosuke, Sato Ryota, Yamashita Tomohisa, Kenji Sakaguchi and guest actors such as Satoshi Tsumabuki, Koyuki, Takashi Issei, Abe Sadawo, Shun Oguri, Endo Kenichi and many more.

The story with the multiple subplots is the highlight of this drama as the characters inch closer to finding the main culprit in every episode, which keeps you gripped. The humour is also subtle so there's no boring moments. The camera work is great with good shots of the IWGP area. I have watched it twice already and am currently on my third rewatch. Kudo Kankuro saiko!!

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Ikebukuro West Gate Park (2000) poster

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