Quick Review #62: Shylock no kodomotachi - Autumn 2022

Title: Shylock no kodomotachi /  シャイロックの子供たち

Rating: 8 / 10

Recommended for: 

Those who want to see a quick-paced suspense story and/or are fans of Inohara Yoshihiko

Liked:

- Given that this drama only has 4.5 episodes (Episode 0 ran for half an episode's airtime), the story moved along speedily as it shuttled between the past and present timelines. Despite the amount of information to take in and the number of characters to keep track of, everything was presented very logically so it would be easy to keep track of what's going on. The build-up to the climax was evenly spaced out so you won't feel bored along the way even in Episode 0 which was just an introduction to what was to come.

- Inohara Yoshihiko is probably more remembered and well-known for his "Tokusou 9" series in recent years which has been running since 2006 (predecessor was "Keishichou sousa ikka kyugakari") and has a new installment every year except 2018. As such, for his longtime fans or even those new to his acting, you would probably discover a new side to him beyond what you see in variety shows and the "Tokusou 9" series. He was a perfect fit for the lead character Nishiki who was endearing and well-liked by his colleagues and juniors (not so much by his seniors and superiors) while juggling his own struggles such as family issues and career setbacks due to him trying to do the right thing. I don't know if he fitted the Nishiki in the original novel because I didn't read it. Just based on this drama alone, I think he did really well and fully immersed himself into this character.

Disliked: 

- The drama's short length could also be seen as a factor leading to the somewhat anti-climatic ending which seemed a bit sloppy and hurried in comparison. Given that there was so much effort and time spent to build up to the concluding episode, the "showdown" with the culprit was over in no time and it also felt as if Nishiki didn't get "rewarded" for his efforts in doing the right thing. As such, this is probably an unconventional ending which may not go down well with all viewers although I can understand that this outcome was probably what Nishiki wanted more than to continue being caught in a toxic work environment that was in conflict with his beliefs.