Title: Zenryouiki ijou kaiketsushitsu / 全領域異常解決室
Rating: 9.5 / 10
Recommended for:
Those who like mystery + suspense + humanity stories with a SPEC-vibe and Japanese mythology elements and/or are fans of the cast especially Fujiwara Tatsuya and Hirose Arisu
SPOILERS AHEAD, PROCEED WITH CAUTION~
Liked:
- As noted in my first impression post about this drama, it was hard to tell where the story was headed to other than the fact that it had the SPEC vibe, minus the wackiness but still retained some humour. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the twists and turns in the story and how the hints and clues leading to the truth scattered throughout the drama were tied up really nicely at the end. The incorporation of Japanese mythology and gods as a key component of the story was totally unexpected but very intriguing even though my knowledge of this area is quite limited. With regard to the humanity aspect, the theme might be a bit heavy and serious at times but it was neither preachy nor presented in an unnatural manner. Instead, I felt that the messages conveyed to the viewers were really thought-provoking and meaningful.
It's been a while since I felt so satisfied with a drama's plot especially since I wasn't expecting too much and had picked up this title just because of the leads and my impression that this was going to be yet another mystery-suspense story. I'm glad that this drama proved me wrong.
Given how this drama ended, it looks likely that there will be a sequel in the future, hopefully soon.
- The cast especially Fujiwara and Hirose were excellent in bringing out the best in their roles. In particular, I like the relationship development of, revelations surrounding Okitama (Fujiwara) and Koyume (Hirose) and the wonderful chemistry showed by both actors. A number of scenes in the last 15 minutes or so were so bittersweet and heart-wrenching. Even the last-minute cameo by Mizobata Junpei was so interesting to watch (buying Tokyo Banana back to Kyoto after a business trip???) that it would be great to see him return if there is ever going to be a sequel.
Disliked:
- The only thing which bothered me a bit was the names of the gods. As the names were in Kanji and sometimes quite difficult to pronounce and read at one go, it was a tad challenging to follow the story whenever a new god was introduced. Especially when Okitama and his gang was talking about the supernatural beings in Japanese mythology over the first few episodes and later introducing the various gods who appeared or got mentioned, it can get really mind-boggling and disruptive. For those familiar with Japanese mythology and the gods, this wouldn't have been much of a challenge though.
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