Ningen no Shoumei

This drama is too racist and too stereotypical for my liking. I just finished episode 2 and I don't think I can watch anymore. I find the writing too offensive and over the top.

This is one of the best Japanese drama I have seen. It's unjustly underrated in my humble opinion. The whole cast is excellent. Especially Yutaka Takenouchi and Keiko Matsuzaka. The former is at perfect at the role of Koichiro Munakata, my favorite from the various adaption that has been done. The supporting cast is excellent as well!

The score, the story (even though there're some changes made from the original novel) and the camera are all excellent. The whole series is beautifully shot both in Japan and abroad. And finally I must add the ending credit and the music is brilliant. I would highly recommend anyone interested in a good suspense and thriller series to get this DVD!

After seeing him in this drama, I must say, it's hard to see him not doing this when he's 80 years old. He's seems to just hold his own so well on camera, perhaps even more confidently than Kimura Takuya (although many fangirls may not like to agree and dramas like this one, aren't as glossed up like KimuTaku's). The drama's plot is quite complex and this is largely due to the excellent work done by the screenwriters. Admittedly, at times I thought the detectives spent whole episodes unravelling the simplest of discoveries and although this could get quite frustrating for the viewer, it did add the overall feel of the drama. The main problem I felt was the actual portrayal of the crime, as it just seemed so unnatural to me - when I saw it I thought I was watching a children's play, it was that bad. But the cast is excellent, the way in which the stories intertwine is also commendable, especially in a time where the trend is that drama producers go for style over substance. A must watch for a drama lover with a keen eye for crime mysteries.