Shinzanmono

Shinzanmono 新参者

Shinzanmono is a crime/mystery Japanese drama with the title, Shinzanmono新参者, meaning 'new comer', which describes the character of police officer Kyoichiro Kaga (played by Abe Hiroshi). The show delves into the plot immediately, with the death of a resident happening within the first ten minutes. This really kicks off the show and let's the audience see Abe Hiroshi's 'Sherlock-like' detective skill. From the first episode till the last, various residents of the area (Nihonbashi 'Doll Town'), are suspected of being the murderers, with different clues left around for the audience to pick up through the use of dramatic irony. 

As one can imagine, it is quite frustrating to believe that a character is the murderer only to be proven wrong at the end of the episode; and this happens every episode save the last. However, this drama is more than just a detective case: it's drama. Each person in the show lies, and these lies are key. There is an intense build up to finding the murderer, with touching side stories and as always, stories surrounding family problems or personal issues within each character.

It does get quite repetitive; you feel as if there is no point in watching the next episode if the person it revolves around is not the murderer. However, i was always suspicious of the person who, by the end, is revealed as the murder. Moreover, during the last two episodes, the tempo of the drama increases and the viewers have a lot of information (or should i say clues) to take in which lead up to the revealing of the true criminal.

I may be biased since Abe Hiroshi plays the lead role for this drama, but along side him were great actors such as Mizobata Junpei who played the cousin of Kyoichiro and also a detective, and Izumiya Shigeru, who did a wonderful role of playing the "lone wolf". All together, they really worked with the story and various situations

(p.s. The music was great. So far, it is the drama with the best soundtrack, in my opinion. Check out the ost here. < This is also my favourite track number).

Kekkon Dekinai Otoko

Ah, this drama. Or should i say "dorama". This isn't the first J-drama (Japanese Drama) i have watched but so far; it is my most favourite. A funny story about an awkward man and his inability to marry - as the title says "The Man Who Cannot Marry".

 If you're a fan of the American TV show "The Big Bang Theory", well, the main character (played by my favourite Japanese Actor: Abe Hiroshi) could quite easily be compared to Dr. Sheldon Cooper. Their bluntness and excessive knowledge is the downfall of their social relationships. However, this J-drama is short; consisting of eleven 'one-hour' episodes and as a result, you can see the development of Hiroshi's character and it is all very beautiful and heart warming. Personally, i am infatuated with the amount of dramatic irony used in this show. It definitely kept me on edge throughout the drama and all the plot twists failed to throw me off.

If there was any fault with this show, it was that, in my opinion, Kuwano (the main character) seemed to have found courage for the final episode, which took me by surprise since i wasn't expecting such a proclamation without seeing him struggle. I guess being blunt really is his strong point.

I cannot say this enough - Abe Hiroshi is a FANTASTIC actor. I'm currently watching a crime drama in which he has the lead role. You may start to see a pattern in the next few reviews i do as i'll be watching a lot of Hiroshi's work.

Next Week : Shinzanmono review!