Fan reviews: Unubore Deka

jdoramadotcom · 21 Sep 2011

Too many Japanese comedies fall prey to formula: offering an interesting premise, a familiar delivery, and ba by-the-numbers conclusion. Superficially, UNUBORE DEKA falls into the same pattern - and it's all the more surprising that it's so appealing and funny in spite of itself.

A handsome detective (Tomoya Nagase) wins the hearts of a succession of lovely women, with a catch: in each case, the object of his affection is guilty of some crime or another, whether it's murder, fraud, burglary, or worse. As a result, he wins the admiration of colleagues for his astonishing success at nabbing villains (while losing potential girlfriends in the process). Nagase (MY BOSS MY HERO, TIGER AND DRAGON) has a gift for flamboyant reaction shots, and other actors (Yoshiyoshi Arakawa, Mika Nakashima) put in winning supporting performances that are almost as funny.

Does this get repetitive? Admittedly, yes, but it's hard to resist a good joke, and the script mixes things up to freshen old gags. Like ep2, where Nagase inadvertently downs a sleeping drug, and juggles three tasks - nabbing the femme fatale, proposing marriage to her, and snoring in between breaks in dialog. I only wish the series could have been longer.

ester_grace · 10 Feb 2011

Tomoya is so cute here, cutest ever.. Unubore 5, rocks!! heyheyhey

Sajen16 · 28 Jan 2011

I'm not really sure about this one it was pretty funny throughout but I think that the fact the end went exactly like I predicted almost word for word drags the whole show down hence the slightly above average rating. Even the excellent cast especially the guests such as the wonderful Yu Aoi, Erica Toda and Koyuki can't keep the formula from dragging it down. Would have made a much better movie or shorter series, if they make a second season I hope they set it 5 or 10 years later when Rie is out of prison because I really like her interactions with Unubore-san.

dekatrain · 13 Jan 2011

Given the ridiculousness and seemingly one-dimensional nature of the synopsis, there is no wonder why this drama may be dismissed on paper as another silly jdrama filled with cliche after cliche. That is, however, until you realize Kudo Kankuro is both director and writer for the series. Fans of Kankuro's previous work will no doubt recognize many faces, almost as if they never left our screens, from titles like Tiger & Dragon and IWPG. Nagase is his usual comic best, with help from Ikuta Toma and Mika Nakashima, whom both surprised me with their valuable contributions. But really, Nishida Toshiyuki is the scene stealer, constantly upping Nagase, especially in the episodes that fall flat. Improving on their screen-time together in Tiger and Dragon, Nagase and Nishida's onscreen relationship really makes this drama for me. It is a joy to watch. While not quite as consistently funny as the likes of Tiger and Dragon, or as emotionally gripping as IWPG or Cats Eye, Unubore still proves why Kudo Kankuro is loved by audiences worldwide.