luvluvluv
Binge-worthy with a fresh storyline
This is a solid, binge-worthy series with an interesting storyline. With seven episodes of approximately 45 mins each, it is an easy watch and well-paced.
The plot revolves around a group of con-artists who forge property documents and persuade the buyer into a sale. The first episode shows them doing this for a medium size property and then the rest of the series focuses on their planning and execution of a similar scam for a prime piece of land in downtown Tokyo. The specifics of the scam require serious skills to execute but at the end of the day, they are profiting by exploiting the weakness caused by the buyer's greed.
The writing is strong. It is refreshing to see characters that are unapologetically unethical and do not hesitate to exploit their victims. All of them are highly motivated to succeed and good at what they do - cheating.
Only one character gets a sad backstory and there are only 2 characters who could be considered ethical or 'good'. Nearly every character faces the consequences of their deeds.
What this means is that there isnt a character to root for, which some viewers may not like. I found that perfectly ok.
We get to see the meticulous planning behind the scam and there are many enjoyable, tension-filled scenes as they prepare to pull-off the big one. Sadly, there are also several victims and we are along for the uncomfortable ride of watching them walk to their doom.
The performances are mostly compelling. Go Ayano is the clear stand-out with his chameleon-like ability to switch characters and personalities. He has at least 4 different looks and plays each of the characters beautifully. The super-pretty Elaiza Ikeda doesnt have much to do but is lovely to watch. "Reiko', "Goto' and "Orochi' bring the laughs but there isnt a lot of comedy. This is a thriller through and through.
I hesitate to give this a 10 for few minor reasons but they wont take away too much from your viewing pleasure.
1. Unnecessary smut. There isnt a lot but the bold scenes have been clearly shoe-horned in to tick a box for Netflix. There's a completely random scene during a religious ceremony which is particularly offensive.
2. The somewhat poor ending. It sets-up a season 2 but felt unsatisfying.
3. It is incredibly hard to believe that all the money (millions and billions of yen) would change hands without the property actually being transferred.
4. The lighting and dark sets for where the team works or lives. They do spend a lot of time here and with quite a few scenes shot in natural lighting and outdoors, this felt dated, artificial and inauthentic.
5. The antagonist should have been a menacing, charismatic and energetic personality. But 'Harrison' is an evil and somewhat dull character. He indulges in typical villain activities - hunts animals, kills people, drinks expensive whiskey, espouses philosophy, dresses nattily and has henchmen to do this dirty work , but he leaves us indifferent- eliciting neither hatred or admiration for himself. Was it a badly written or badly acted character?
But again, don't overthink, just go ahead and watch it.
The plot revolves around a group of con-artists who forge property documents and persuade the buyer into a sale. The first episode shows them doing this for a medium size property and then the rest of the series focuses on their planning and execution of a similar scam for a prime piece of land in downtown Tokyo. The specifics of the scam require serious skills to execute but at the end of the day, they are profiting by exploiting the weakness caused by the buyer's greed.
The writing is strong. It is refreshing to see characters that are unapologetically unethical and do not hesitate to exploit their victims. All of them are highly motivated to succeed and good at what they do - cheating.
Only one character gets a sad backstory and there are only 2 characters who could be considered ethical or 'good'. Nearly every character faces the consequences of their deeds.
What this means is that there isnt a character to root for, which some viewers may not like. I found that perfectly ok.
We get to see the meticulous planning behind the scam and there are many enjoyable, tension-filled scenes as they prepare to pull-off the big one. Sadly, there are also several victims and we are along for the uncomfortable ride of watching them walk to their doom.
The performances are mostly compelling. Go Ayano is the clear stand-out with his chameleon-like ability to switch characters and personalities. He has at least 4 different looks and plays each of the characters beautifully. The super-pretty Elaiza Ikeda doesnt have much to do but is lovely to watch. "Reiko', "Goto' and "Orochi' bring the laughs but there isnt a lot of comedy. This is a thriller through and through.
I hesitate to give this a 10 for few minor reasons but they wont take away too much from your viewing pleasure.
1. Unnecessary smut. There isnt a lot but the bold scenes have been clearly shoe-horned in to tick a box for Netflix. There's a completely random scene during a religious ceremony which is particularly offensive.
2. The somewhat poor ending. It sets-up a season 2 but felt unsatisfying.
3. It is incredibly hard to believe that all the money (millions and billions of yen) would change hands without the property actually being transferred.
4. The lighting and dark sets for where the team works or lives. They do spend a lot of time here and with quite a few scenes shot in natural lighting and outdoors, this felt dated, artificial and inauthentic.
5. The antagonist should have been a menacing, charismatic and energetic personality. But 'Harrison' is an evil and somewhat dull character. He indulges in typical villain activities - hunts animals, kills people, drinks expensive whiskey, espouses philosophy, dresses nattily and has henchmen to do this dirty work , but he leaves us indifferent- eliciting neither hatred or admiration for himself. Was it a badly written or badly acted character?
But again, don't overthink, just go ahead and watch it.
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