Luly
Argentina
Jdramas about swindlers have always been a popular subject. Sometimes they're aimed more towards the dramatic aspect, because they can show gritty situations, and other times they go towards the comedy side, because they can be very formulaic. This one, surprisingly, is a little bit of both.
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.
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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