BrightestStar

Thanks for the interesting article :)

My point of view: Whatever he may have suffered in the past doesn't grant him the right to cause harm. He stopped deserving sympathy the moment he started harming others. I'm sure his own abusive father would have a similar back story. It doesn't excuse what he did to his son though

The problem with such mental illnesses is that it leaves the ones with those illnesses free from accountability, which in turn, cause abuse to other innocent people, which might again start getting the same illness as their oppressor. It's an ongoing vicious cycle. I think society needs to recognize people with such illnesses to put a stop to this cycle.

Well, your article made me think of all those complicated things, I don't know where to stop anymore haha XD

Hmm... I like what this drama is trying to say but... not happy with the execution. Basically, this supposedly extraordinary team can be really stupid at times. The 2nd half is better than the first half though.

Talking about tokenism, it’s one of the reasons that made me subconsciously stop watching western media. Especially when it tried to “represent me”. Never once in my life have I ever wanted to be presented.

Another is the over the top violence that has started in GoT and now is in every show.

If I want to watch anything western, I go back to the 90s :P

I never put a “diet” or restriction to what I want to watch, but I always try to be mindful of anyone I watch and what it wants to show me.

I don’t think it has to do with age, I think you have to be well grounded to avoid letting it influence or change you.

Also I didn't watch 20th Century boys but read the manga (Big fan of the author Urasawa Naoki) you might find that relates to this subject as well.

Such a well-researched article! Got me glued reading it haha!

The movies mentioned seem interesting. A recent dorama that touches upon it in 2 episodes as well as being the overarching theme (I think... didn't finish the drama yet) is Crisis
https://mydramalist.com/22164-crisis-kouan-kidou-sousatai-tokusou-han
It's not a perfect drama but it touches upon a lot of things that more or less relate to this theme, as well as the dissatisfaction of living situation that might lead to such brainwash.

They definitely underestimate the interest of Japanese media by international viewers. They think we are only interested in Anime. They also refuse to get on with the times when it comes to marketing their media or making profit in this globalized internet era. On the other hand, I South Korea really impresses me in the way they took advantage of the time to bring their works to the world and turning itself into a phenomenon.

In any case, this discussion is probably not suitable to a movie review XD I just always have so much to say about it haha

Yes I miss those days too. I feel so alone in my drama watching these days. I always enjoy reading your thoughts on dramas whenever I get the chance.

These days I mostly watch wtv is easily accessible and my time is too limited. Even this movie I had to watch in 3-4 sittings.

I find most directors in Japan underestimate the interest in the Japanese entertainment industry by international fans, ESPECIALLY when it comes to history. So a lot of their production is made solely for Japanese viewers. It’s not entirely a bad thing, but I think they could be more ambitious when it comes to movies and internationally audience.

Thank you for such an amazing article! Omg it feels like another world waiting to be attempted! I’ve learned so much! Off to check your older article as well :D

What a beautiful review. you do bring up all the points that make this drama stand out!

I was always a fan of Nagase Tomoya, but I always thought he had a certain range in his abilities. I just thought he knew what roles to pick. This show, as you say, being a tribute to his journey, also shows how far he came in honing his abilities. I wish him even more success in his new stage in life.

That's one unlucky caterpillar man :P

It might've been a bit over the top, but the "fanning the flame" without checking for accuracy definitely is the reality of this current era. The characters in this drama were pretty standard, stereotypical but I think it's because the drama didn't have the time to do more, and still covered an overall solid story within 2 episodes.

Despite the surprise of the last episode, the theme of the drama and tone remained the same. This drama made me contemplate many things in life, like family, fate, luck, and the flawed way we might try to express our love. I hope to get around writing a review about this one!

I HOPE this won't be the last we see of Nagase Tomoya in dramaland!

I guess it depends on the angle it's being viewed.

I also liked the sun/moon theory, and how it didn't only mean Hidaka and Mochizuki switching, but also the chance of Hidaka and Azuma's fate could have been switched based on minutes difference. Also, originally, Azuma was the one that was supposed to be in an advantageous position (the Heir) and Hidaka at a disadvantage (son of a poor single mom) yet their fates switched completely.

Well, the moment Hidaka (in Mochizuki's body) showed empathy towards SekuHara, I had the feeling he wasn't going to turn out to be the killer. Exploring the love of 2 brothers despite the awful circumstances is nice and all, but it's not really something new.

I was more curious to see, if Hidaka was truly a psycho, how Mochizuki would handle it. She would be at a terrible disadvantage, but maybe she would also find ways to take control/stop the criminal by taking advantage of his own resources?

Also, another idea came to mind. What if the cop was originally the psycho, then when the switch happens, the person who takes over the body uncovers the crimes? I think that's an idea for a whole new drama XD

either way, I see a lot of creative possibilities that would've been great to explore.

I feel we always want to see the human side of people, including criminals. I used to be like that. Life taught me some people don't really have a human side to them. And while trying to explore such individuals isn't merely as interesting, exploring how they affect those around them is.

I think it's more like the characters she's been playing in dramas are more on a one-note type (even if they are lovely characters). Here, she had to demonstrate the ups and downs of 2 complex characters and managed well.

I wished Hidaka was an actual psycho. It felt the whole premise was a red herring. Otherwise, I enjoyed the drama.

I wasn't talking about the punishment. I'm talking about letting the crimes do the talking. Like saying "he committed crimes because the victims deserved it" would be giving a twisted message to the public.

It's an entertaining drama, with excellent performance. It just felt they took the easy way out story-wise.

The whole "let the dead murderers voice be heard. Yes, it was treated unfairly, but I felt it was like saying "just take the law in your own hand". The murders were so brutal yet no one focused on that. Anyways, for me at least, but giving a murderer a voice is like giving the green light for others to follow suit.

The acting was superb from the whole cast, the characters were very endearing (especially Riku), but I felt the storytelling was inconsistent. For me, it felt had a big red herring :P Well, it's still a fun watch

I don't agree with the message of the drama, which may or may not have been intentional...

I have been a fan of Takahashi Issei for a long time and though he’s great in this drama, it’s Ayase Haruka’s acting that most impressed me. Also Kitamura Kazuki was a natural in his role

I knew it! About Kaede :P

Really light mystery. Engaging enough to keep your eyes on the screen without using up much of your energy stressing you about the story.

I’m stuck at episode 4 I started watching for Jo Seung Woo + the scifi idea but it’s done so badly! Almost like a satire to scifi shows lol