WHAT IS IT?
Oguri Shun is a section 1 detective who sees dead people.
THE GOOD
+ Since Oguri Shun can talk to the dead, we know who the killer is but since the police can't connect the killer to the crime, Oguri goes to see Furuta Arata to get a false witness. Thumbs up for grey area morality.
+ Episode 2 has the dead killer taunting Oguri Shun. Nice. As long as the writer takes the premise and keeps coming up with stories we don't see in everyday cop shows, it should be watchable.
+ Oguri Shun can act.
THE BAD
- In episode 2, the killer tells Oguri Shun that the girl was kidnapped 2 days ago and he doesn't look to see if someone's filed a missing person's report to ascertain who she is?
- Serial killer smashes his laptop against table. Why not take out the HD and put it in the fish tank/set in on fire?
- As the subber wrote in the comments, why not check the killer's phone for e-mail? Why not have someone from forensics say they couldn't recover anything from the pc or his phone?
- As the HD was damaged that was pretty quick HD recovery. Reminds me of Bloody Monday where the writer had no idea how the internet worked and things just magically happened.
- How come none of the girls appeared to Oguri Shun at the place they were killed? Does he have to come into contact with the bodies for them to appear?
THE UGLY
- Haru's agency demanding that she not wear the usual coroner outfits and that she show skin during autopsy. How old is she btw cause one would need years to get a medical degree, work experience and then acquiring a coroner's qualification? One line about her carrying a mensa card could have solved a lot.
SUMMARY
Watchable cause its something different. The writer has to come up with various stories to keep things interesting when the victim can give information to Oguri Shun.
I watched the first episode and liked it but wasn't sure about checking the next episode out. It was a lot darker than I thought it would be, which I appreciated - as well as the gray area morality as you say. I liked that his boss doesn't underestimate him. There were a few moments which I didn't appreciate though - that leering cop and the way he treats the female coroner in particular, the cheesy ending with the little kids "thank you" Also thought it wrapped up a little too neatly with the confessions. I think its interesting the whole idea of knowing the killer and having to find the clues to prove it and I wonder if at some point they will have a lying ghost or a dead person who isn't good. actually sounds like episode 2 may deliver that which sounds intriguing! going to catch episode 2 now I think. It will give me something to watch. I've got mozu on my too watch list, and I tried to watch hanasaki mai for kamikawa takiya but couldn't get through it (what a waste)
ReplyDeleteI think ep 3 might be about a lying ghost. Its pretty hard to write for this show because of episode has to have a unique ghost angle.
ReplyDeleteI agree with almost all points especially the unnecessary showing of skin during the autopsy.
ReplyDeleteAs the phone was dunked into the fish tank I think it's not THAT unrealistic that they couldnt obtain any emails via his phone...but I do agree that they should have at least included a line saying that they couldn't recover anything from his PC or phone.
Loving the tone of the drama though.
> - In episode 2, the killer tells Oguri Shun that the girl was kidnapped 2 days ago and he doesn't look to see if someone's filed a missing person's report to ascertain who she is?
ReplyDeleteWell they did say that the girl's parents were on holiday and therefore it's plausible that no one would realise she's missing.
> - How come none of the girls appeared to Oguri Shun at the place they were killed? Does he have to come into contact with the bodies for them to appear?
Good point. That is probably correct in the show's context. I can accept ghosts, so long as they play by the rules :P
BORDER is dark but not cynical, and as Akiramike says, the premise is new and forces them to come up with something interesting every week. Enjoying this one together with Black President.
Actually Oguri Shun only finds out that her parents were on holiday after the killer gives him her name and he visits her home. There was a good chunk of the episode where he wasn't concerned with her identity.
ReplyDeleteMy guess on how can he see the ghosts: maybe cuz they want to be seen. And for that they must somehow be aware of his involvement. In the first episode, he was at the scene of the crime; in the second, the criminal saw him before his death. He was never in contact with the victims in the second episode or at the crime scene…
ReplyDeleteI really liked his acting in the second episode, especially when the criminal would taunt his character, and he had to hide his reaction. I could almost hear his teeth grinding.