This review may contain spoilers
In my opinion, Kaitou Tantei Yamaneko is a truly excellent drama! I thoroughly enjoyed every episode the characters and acting being a high point. The story didn't go in the direction I was expecting - that's for sure, but nevertheless if you want comedy perfectly matched with drama, action, and suspense with real edged-of-your-seat and knot-in-your-throat moments you'll enjoy this! The Story:
Firstly I've got to say DON'T READ SPOILERS! Don't scroll down to the comments or look for screenshots! You'll thank me later! Some of the best moments come from the crazy twists this drama throws at you. That's partly why the story didn't go in the direction I was expecting.
Episode to episode it's not as over-arching-plot driven as most mysteries. Some may call some KTY episodes 'filler' as it's focus is rarely it's over arching plot. It's focus is instead on it's fantastic characters. You will fall in love with every one of them I guarantee it. No character is cheaply written, every character has real heart behind them and when the mystery does pick up speed in episode 8 you really care about who these people are and what's happening to them.
The Acting:
The acting is phenomenal. Kamenashi really gives it his all and clearly had a blast playing Yamaneko. He goes from goofy comedy, to heat wrenching drama, to back-flippin' action with ease and is supported by a fantastic cast. Narimya perfectly plays the put-upon and abused Katsumura and later in the series really pulls out all the stops. Hirose went way beyond my expectations almost immediately. Sasaki's comic timing is perfect, Otsuka and Nanao also made me love them, and Ikeuchi was perfect. In fact, all these actors and the other supporting/guest actors were so perfectly cast it's astounding!
The Music:
It's certainly not your average jdrama score. The way the orchestral theme music came in every time, either comically or seriously, was perfect and really sets you up for this slightly bizarre drama. The rest of the music throughout the episode is also brilliantly scored, the composer really outdid himself! UNLOCK by KAT-TUN, apart from being one of their best singles (imo), fits nicely into this drama and is never misplaced only ever coming in at the end and never drowns anything out.
Rewatch Value:
While this drama was coming out I was watching every episode two or three times! It's hilarious, cute, and Kame is a lovely bit of eye-candy when he's not acting like a doofus (and sometimes when he is). However as with any mystery once you know then ending and all the twists - watching it from episode one again is a completely different experience. So it's hard to say this is completely rewatchable but I certainly will come back to it in a month or so as it is quite episodic.
Other thoughts:
The ending has been a problem for some people and I can see where they are coming from. When I first watched it I was a bit taken aback. It's not that things are left hanging (though there is room for a sequel). As I said, you really end up loving these characters and to see what happens to them... it's not unsatisfying it's just unexpected. Once I had finally digested the events of the last three episodes I actually think I ended up respecting the show more. As with any show that has twists, things don't always go the way you were expecting.
Speaking of expectations - this drama had far more comedy than I was first l thought it would!
Overall:
This drama really packs a punch. From episode one to ten I was 100% on board loving every second. As a Kame fan I must admit that I sometimes do the very bad thing of skipping every scene Kame is not in. However, with this series I had literally no desire to do that. Every character is well acted and the story is very compelling. I highly recommend this series to anyone be they a Kame fan or not!
Was this review helpful to you?
...
Wait, let me try this again.
Absolutely watch this dorama if you're looking for a different kind of crime series.
I am no expert on the matter, but I believe crime series are mostly about heists and police running about trying to catch the bad guys. In here, of course, you will find all that - Yamaneko is a ''criminal'' after all, - but you will also find a bit of mystery, quite a bit of sass, a lot of friendship, and loads of comedy. What you will also find is a variety of amazingly well constructed characters that will make you fall in love with them as the series progresses.
Speaking of the characters... don't fall in love with the characters or you'll get feels and you'll die. Or, as some people may put it, every character is so real and so genuine you will definitely get attached to them and, when time comes to say goodbye, you'll feel like you've lost a dear friend. That's what the characters do to you, and that's, no doubt, thanks to the great performance given by the stellar cast, especially Kamenashi Kazuya and Narimiya Hiroki.
Kamenashi absolutely slays it as Yamaneko, going from comedy to action to drama in a split second and in the most realistic way. I've seen some of his previous work, and I have to say he manages to surprise me more and more with each role he gets. Narimiya was, to put it in Yamaneko's words ''fantastic!'' He can hold his own against Kamenashi, and really goes all out as Katsumura, especially in later episodes.
As for the rest of the cast, each of them was phenomenal in their role. If I have to be completely honest, I would have liked for Rikako-san and Mao's relationship to be explored more, because they were both strong people who needed each other, and I found that beautiful. Maybe in the (probable?) next season, who knows. The police officers were great as well - and I especially appreciated Sakura's clumsiness and awkwardness when it comes to her senpai. lol
I liked the music a lot! The main theme is great, and I keep whistling and mumbling it to myself from time to time. The ending theme, which I believe is from Kame's boyband, is good, but not that memorable, in my opinion. Maybe it's because we never got to actually hear it, but it was always played in the background, so I never really paid attention to it.
The rewatch value is somewhat high because this series is enjoyable even after the ''mystery'' component is gone. The characters and the comedy stay with you and compel you to watch the episodes again, to laugh with them once more, just for a bit...
Overall, I am very pleased with this roller coaster of a dorama. Nya~!
Was this review helpful to you?
Part puss in boots, part Sherlock and part Robin Hood- Kaitou Tantei comes with its own unique spurn of mystery, a cheeky slice of detective and hilarious laugh-out-loud slapstick comedy.
Let's take a moment of silence to appreciate the brilliance that is Kame Kazuya. Is there anything this man can't do? If being an excellent singer, dancer and beatboxer wasn't enough; twenty minutes into the first episode and he twerked his way into my favorite actors list. The way he's able to juggle different emotions is simply amazing and the fact that he's just so beautiful to look at only helps his case.
Kame's Yamaneko is undeniably one of Dramaland's most beloved characters. Rocking his retro sunglasses, an edgy cat mask and the infamous smirk, he fights crime with crime; one theft at a time.He's the only one who can be tone-deaf, wet his pants, guzzle noodles like they're water, be extremely over-the-top and cringey to the max but at the end, still retain the charisma and cool that defines him. He just has so much swag and style that all I can say is that he's the definition of a badass diva.
Yamaneko is that one rude asshole who comes bullshit free himself and doesn't tolerate anybody else's bs either. He does what he wants to do, when he wants to do it. He's the kind of person that would literally yank you by the hair, shove you infront of a mirror and scream your every insecurity, flaw and your deepest secret into your ear. He'll challenge you to face your worst self and at the end, push you head-on into whatever it was that you were running away from.
However, under all his arrogance and goofy persona hides a deeply compassionate, patriotic and thoughtful individual. Ten steps ahead of everyone and always thorough with his strategies; Yamaneko is an idiotic genius. He won my heart over and over again in every episode and made me feel genuine warmth and happiness
The rest of the cast-especially the versatile Narimiya Hiroki- holds their own against him. Katsamura, Mao, Rikako, Sekimoto- literally all of the characters were people that I felt deeply for. Kaitou Tantei is an acquired taste. It comes with its fair share of contradictions. It's in your face, yet sincere. It has an almost ridiculous plot, yet intelligent writing. It's characters are over-dramatic but not pretentious. It's peculiar, yet simple. A beautiful story of friendship, yet an account of jarring betrayal. Seemingly lame jokes and puns, yet excellent and thought-provoking dialogues. Hilariously non-serious, yet almost tragic beneath the layers. But ultimately, in its core, it's a show that doesn't aim to please anyone.
Middle fingers up, put them hands high. Wave it in their face, tell 'em boy bye.
^That's the motto it lives by. Devoid of the usual tropes and the same ol' bullshit, the Dorama comes with a sort of refreshing freedom that is now rarely seen. It's incredible just how much of the story they covered in as little as ten episodes (only 45 minutes worth).
They started in an almost coy manner and ended with a sly hint of tongue in cheek. While some complain and whine that the ending was rushed and not properly executed, it was perfect for me. It was exactly in line with the feel of the show; leaving you with a feeling of hope and uncertainty of the future and I absolutely loved it.
The dorky cat sound effects and the pink panther style background instrumental served to further increase the show's allure. The OST: Unlock by Gat-Tun (Kame's idol group) is so appropriate for the show and never failed to turn me up. Kame sounds so good in real life that I think that all the purposefully awful singing he did in the show must've done a number on his throat.
I believe I couldn't have picked a better show to begin my J-Dorama journey. I highly recommend this and to those who are having cold feet about watching it; I would like to quote my baby Yamaneko's words: "Don't think, just feeeeeel. And it will be Fanthastic." Cue the tongue swipe~Meow.
Was this review helpful to you?
Yamaneko, the sort of tonedeaf version of Lupin, a thief that looks high on drugs every time that he opens his mouth to say something.
I’ll be honest while writing this review and I’ll try to ignore my HUGE love for Kame.
What’s this drama core? Yamaneko and Katsumura’s characters.
Without these two leads this drama would have been sloppy and pretty boring.
The plot is simple. The handsome and weird thief who wants to take revenge and kill the bad man that has ruined his entire life making him a spy without his will.
Yuuki’s character wasn’t a real villain. He looked like a ghost, something that haunts Yamaneko.
The real villain, the one who really made you scream “THAT’S A NASTY ONE” was Katsumura.
Clever, insane, yet not Narimiya’s best villain. We all know how good is Narimiya at playing the bad guy role.
Suzu Hirose’s character was irrelevant. A genius young hacker with a cold yet good personality who just want to stuck with Yamaneko to finally have a proper family. That was a clique. She was boring, her personality was not well written.
This drama had some good points, a really funny comedy scenes but, also, it had a lot of black holes.
I’ll making a simple example. Let’s talk about Yamaneko’s past. Totally massed up. I think the audience had some hard times while trying to understand what the hell was his reasons to take revenge on that masked creepy ghost. Sure, he was betrayed by the one who rose him. Sure, he wanted to make Japan great again. But why? Why was his trying so hard to heal a country that didn’t asked to be healed?
He was so obsessed with Bushido, yet he didn’t actually follow the Bushido’s philosophy.
I wanted him to commit suicide in the end, just like betrayed samurais do.
Even if the plot was lacking some points, I still think that this drama proved once again that Kamenashi is actually a pretty good character.
Maybe Yameneko reminded me a bit to much of god Yato from Noragami manga but still it was a good watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
Well to start with,I have to mention that this drama is superbly entertaining till the end.
The central character to this drama is Yamaneko meaning 'wildcat' played wonderfully by the talented Kamenashi Kazuya. This Yamaneko's antics make you crazy. He has athlete's foot so expect him in flipflops and rubbing his feet all the time. Secondly he is terrible(bad) singer who loves to sing but hates it when people point out this to him. I wonder how difficult it might have been for Kamenashi to sing that way,considering he is one of the best singers. Thirdly he loves cup noodles. When he is not doing anything,he will be eating cup noodles. Fourth, he occasionally pees in his pants and never accepts it. Fifth,wears cat hats that look so cute on him. Not to mention the weird glasses that he wears.
With all this eccentricity,he is amazingly intelligent and witty. He exposes crimes and criminals with vigor. Has heart of gold and wants japan to see sea of change.
What the good thing about the drama is that the crimes are exposed in a funny and hilarious way. There are cheeky one liners uttered by Yamaneko that make you smile.Never in the drama you will feel bored or sad.
This drama is basically a mystery drama at its core. You will have goosebumps every-time twists and turns unfold. You need to watch the drama till the end to uncover the mystery.
Kamenashi Kazuya is a versatile actor. He has diplayed wide range of emotions in this drama. Along with Kamenashi Kazuya,Narimiya Hiroki as Katsumura Hideo
Hirose Suzu as Takasugi Mao are important characters. The rest of the support cast is excellent. The drama is made on good budget and the product has turned out to be excellent.
This drama definitely needs a sequel.
There are lot of interesting things in this drama that I have purposely left out. You need to watch them.
PS : In episode 6,you will find Nobuta re-union. Horakita Maki will make a cameo.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
Kamenashi Kazuya did an excellent job here. I absolutely love characters with eccentric personalities, and this takes the cake. I've seen a few dramas with him in before, but this is by far the best that I've seen.
The storyline is absolutely brilliant. It's a really good mix of mystery, comedy and angst. It was perfect in my opinion. There were jokes and laughs, but there was also a serious side to this drama which I fully enjoyed. Kazuya's character was incredibly well developed, as were the rest of the cast. I also liked the comedic references they added in, as well as the disgustingly large amount of cat puns that they used throughout.
The music was great too, with Kat-tun releasing a song for the drama. I also liked the fact that Yamaneko was a terrible singer.
Would I rewatch this drama? Definitely. Please give it a watch, you won't believe what's coming!
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
The Cat on the Mat Is Flat
That would have been a good drama, all things considered, if this show has been made 10 years earlier. But it's a 2016 TV-show. And as a modern entertainment, Kaitou Tantei Yamaneko is not even close to provide anything to the viewers, in any way. Everything in this drama is exaggerated, and when it was not, incredibly boring : The comedy, playing with redundancy, repetitions and clichés, felt so old that I actually believed, at first, that I was watching an old drama (and a very old one at that).Were action scenes any better ? Well, in truth, quite... But The MC is so annoying (an exaggerated trait presented to the viewer as a proof of the MC intelligence... !) that any action involving him is treated as a way to showoff his "wow" skills.
But the rewarding gem, the trophy, indubitably goes to the scenario. Well at least as soon as you able to find one here. This very absent scenario leaves everything, - again -, in the MC hands, which in turn leaves us very few things to better appreciate the MC smart methods and choices while it will, in the end, got you bored out of your mind, totally uninterested by the events that happened in this drama.
Now don't get me wrong : there's a goal and the means to reach it, and along the way some very nice ideas and concepts that would have been very interesting if they were pushed further. But here lies another issue : when the rhythm in this drama seems to reach a peak, the inept comedy reaches out and wrecks all in one swift punchline.
Some may say this drama is a tribute to earlier 80's TV-shows (with some winks to US, even). That's probably true, but there was a lot more to do before reaching out to the 80's : make it a 2016 TV show first before trying to reminisce anything, because as it happens, most will already forget everything about this drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
"Even if you can't understand them one hundred percent, you can change people...you try to understand just by being near them."I've stay up all night long to finish this movie and I'm glad I did that. The twisted plot and unexpected ending paid my eye bag (^o^)
At the beginning, this story is looks like a standard crime story with Yamaneko as the criminal. Many comedy occur as Hideo chase after Yamaneko to interview him. And there is a special appearance of Horikita Maki. As you know, she and Kame played together in Nobuta wo Produce, but when they meet in this drama, Maki is dressed up as Kinomiya Nagisa in Higanbana (^_^) The comedy stopped (a little) after the plot twisted and the truth reveal, and those all makes this drama even more fascinating.
Oh by the way, I watch this because of Kamenashi Kazuya and Narimiya Hiroki (kyaaa~), their acting is unquestionably superb, but I never know that Hirose Suzu is great too, this is the first drama I watched her.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
