The cinematography is something you'd see in Fuji TV Dramas? Nothing exceptional however the lighting helps with the 'feel' or 'atmosphere' of the show, giving it a warm and lighthearted feel. Music-wise, it is a drama where nostalgic songs such as GreeeN's Kiseki would play..why? You'd have to find out for yourself.
That's right, this drama isn't just about the entertainment and thrill the three characters may give you on screen but it also displays a lot of morals for the viewers. What's true happiness? Does Money really matter? and so on.
Actors? The likes of Konihata Fumiyo is someone you will typically see in all sorts of drama but his portrayal of Richard leaves an impression! Truly, I do not think Richard will appear as a seemingly 'gentleman' if it weren't for the tone of his voice and his image. This is followed by Higashide Masahiro who has been gaining much popularity in the Japanese Acting Industry as of late, well.. what do you expect, Higashide will make a character as charming as he is! The gullible Boku-chan is one of the highlights of the show so do look out for him. Last but not the least ( as you'd have to consider the wonderful guests each episode offers), Nagasawa Masami. She has never been in my list of favorite actresses as her previous acting skills did not 'wow' me at all despite her long stay in the industry but if you have seen her acting or state back then, then you could pretty much see how much she's grown over the years. With that said, I can finally say Dako won't be as fun as Dako without her cheeky and bright portrayal. She truly shined in this role and she fits it 100%. No overacting from the three at all. so rest assured.
Overall, it was fun.. it was fun to the point that once the drama hit its final episode, I was too sad to bid goodbye to the three characters. The ending was well-played too.
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It is an episodic drama, and almost all episodes were unpredictable. Like 90% of them. The last one was amazing. There is nothing Dako can't prevent nor can't do. These trio of con may make a lot of money, but to make money, they also spend tons. So most of the times it was very over-the-top, but that is why this drama was so much fun to watch. It was a witty drama, with lots of sense of humor.
I know it is almost impossible, but I wish this one has a 2nd Season. Or at least a movie. I feel like I didn't have enough time with Dako's, Boku's and Richard's adventures.
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What you need to know right away is that this is one of those dramas which, for the most part, consists of episodes which tell a "case" from start to finish, sort of one-shots, if you will. Each one is centered around one "catch", a character these three swindlers (Dako, played by Nagasawa Masami, Boku, played by Higashide Masahiro and Richard, played by Kohinata Fumiyo) are going to trick for their money. All of those catches are primarily set as "bad" people, but their nature sort of develops as the case grows, which leads to some very interesting character development and some insightful reflections that you don't normally get from this kind of drama in which comedy is very present.
The only episode which has a connection to what we could call an underlying plot, of sorts, is the last one, which is by far the best episode of the bunch and which made me up my rating from 7 to 7.5 because a) the writing is very good and b) Sato Ryuta is a delight.
My problem with the drama is that the dynamic between the characters gets a bit too repetitive for a story that stands so much on the unpredictable. Considering that the twists and turns have to do with how these people do their tricks, it would be better if their characters weren't so recurrent in the way they are with each other. They aren't one-dimensional but the repetition becomes both a bit exhausting and a bit predictable. You know who's the one that always has the upper hand, which one is the sentimental, which one is always lying and that can lead you to predict some twists and turns.
I wasn't a fan of Dako's character, which sucks because I like female leads out-witting people. But I was bothered about her attitude and the way the character lacked depth in comparison to others. The entirety of episode 8 I also disliked, I don't think the themes in it were handled well at all, but I can't expect much from male writers and directors handling the subject of the female beauty industry and representation of plus size characters correctly in jdramas, I've seen worse at least.
I'd recommend this drama to people who're looking for something fun, which can tend to the dramatic at times, shows some heart and those who don't want something too plot heavy to watch at a slower pace. If you like swindler-themed dramas, this one is a recommendable one of those.
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Loved the acting of the con-men trio, they made the story alive. Some might consider that Nagasawa and Higashide took the biggest credits, but Kohinata's acting should be appreciated too. For me, they don't just cast him as a "gentleman" role because of his age/appearance, he really did the job very well. Listening to him speaking gave a true gentleman vibe (even more biased if you know the Burari Tochu Gesha no tabi program). This trio managed to convey the message for viewers "to be cautious, trust but never became super overly trusting - even if you're super close."
Music is nice, they didn't overuse them... I couldn't really comment on anything else. The main theme made me hooked with Higedan, and I am glad for that. Definitely would rewatch again for laugh, I won't get bored with this. After this I gonna watch the movies too!
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