Quick Review #12: Ishiko to Haneo - Sonna koto de utaemasu? - (Summer 2022)

Title: Ishiko to Haneo - Sonna koto de utaemasu? - 石子と羽男―そんなコトで訴えます？―

Season: Summer 2022

Broadcast by: TBS

Rating: 8/10

Recommended for: those who are interested in legal/investigative stories and/or those where the weak fight against the rich & those with power

Liked:

- The chemistry between Arimura Kasumi & Nakamura Tomoya as their characters progressed from bickering foes to soulmates who could support each other in all areas except for the romantic aspect. Although I thought it would be nice to have them end up as a couple, this current state of being soulmates actually turned out to be better than expected. It was good that Haneo managed to stand up against his father by proving his abilities instead of arguing. I also liked the final scene when Haneo gave Ishiko a gentle nudge in the back and "offered an umbrella" to her so as to get over her emotional trauma. However, rather than having Haneo supporting her throughout, it was great that Ishiko could walk the final leg of her journey to become a lawyer on her own. 

- The legal topics covered in each episode not only provided lots of useful information in an easy-to-understand manner but also offered food for thought on what may be true justice. I also liked it that the story didn't try to push through with just one or the standard perspective but rather showed that the truth or what's considered justice can be viewed differently depending on your position in the issue.

- The scenes where Ishiko and Haneo were eating mega-sized dishes together - those always made me hungry after watching!

Disliked: 

- The romance between Ishiko and Oba was just too awkward to watch and I didn't get any romantic vibes from them at all. Moreover, I was rooting for Ishiko and Haneo to become an item so it was very disappointing to see her end up with Oba. Nothing against Oba though.

- Dangling potential twists but to find that they amounted to nothing. For example, the explanation of how Oba was the president of a company despite supposedly being of a modest background and having difficulty in finding a permanent job - I struggle to believe how gullible and dumb he might have been. This was really unfathomable especially after he went through so much in his previous job. I would have assumed that he would become more street-smart after that unpleasant experience but clearly, he hadn't. And how he chose to keep quiet in order to protect his younger brother in the arson case - I just cannot understand why he had to do that. I would have thought his stint at the law firm could have given him a bit of legal knowledge but apparently not. Likewise, the part hinting that Wataro had something to do with Mikogami - it also ended up with nothing much to add value to the story. As such, these anti-climatic developments in the last few episodes turned out to be so bland that it contrasted greatly with how the drama began with a bang initially.

- The way how Mikogami's case concluded - this is where it can be viewed differently. The fact that his involvement in the fraud scheme wasn't proven meant that Ishiko and Haneo had to take an alternative route to get him punished in another way for a different crime. I could accept that because in real life, there are times when it's impossible to have things go your way all the time and that there are people who can exploit loopholes in the law to get away with things. On the other hand, the crime that he was held accountable for may seem comparatively trivial compared to fraud so it leaves a lingering sense of regret and dissatisfaction that Mikogami didn't really get what he deserved. I would be OK with this way of ending the case if it wasn't the finale. To end the drama with a big baddie being treated in this way just felt as if everything fizzled out without a trace.