Chase 2017

Chase is an investigative jdorama made by Amazone Prime starring Honda Tsubasa as a rookie assistant director for a broadcast satelite (BS) station and Otani Ryohei as the freelance journalist who she teams with to investigate the unsolve murders 27 years ago.

First off, I never knew that BS stations were looked down by others in media because they did mostly shopping programs. Sometimes I find BS jdoramas more enjoyable than the mainstream ones.

Second is that everyone in the BS station was demoted there for various reasons so there is the underdog element because they are the station that no one gives a crap about and they are going against the police and courts.

I really enjoyed this show because it does something we see very often in jdoramas; the unsolved case from XX number of years but its done without all the overacting and doesn't repeat the phrase 'unsolved incident from XX year ago' one hundred times. (I am looking at you Triangle)

Honda and Otani have decent chemistry as the young AD out of her depth trying to be acknowledged as a reporter by the grizzled veteran. The 30 minute runtime is breezy and every episode ends in a cliffhanger so I went through the whole 7 episodes very quickly.

Chase doesn't do anything extremely well but it does everything much better than your average jdorama. Very watchable and its been a while since I've since a good underdog investigative reporting jdorama. Its just so well paced that I've got no complaints.

Big thanks to rjgman56 for subbing and I got the raws and retimed subs from avista but they are also available at nyaa. Can't wait to get started on season 2 which I don't think has been subbed.

Akuma no Bengonin Episode 1

Akuma no Bengonin is a no budget midnight dorama starring Kaname Jun as the devil's lawyer because he wears all black 24/7 and he never smiles.

I think every actor desires to play a role where they don't have to move any facial muscles and try to recite every sentence without any feelings.

Becky plays his new assistant whose housemate works as a legal reporter.

Akuma no Bengonin is about this defence lawyer who will supposedly say and do anything to get results. Its a pretty standard legal dorama and you won't find any good acting here.

Its got too things that make it different though; first is that its got flashback scenes where the lawyers are in the flashback. Hard to explain but you'll see in the first episode.

The second is the secret of our Devil's lawyers which is revealed at the end of the episode. Ultimately, Akuma no Bengonin is a decent and breezy way to spend 40 minutes. Episode 1 has been subbed by Avallac'h here.

Hikinukiya: Headhunter no Ryugi Episode 1

Hikinukiya feels like someone watched Suits and then decided to make a WOWOW version set in the world of headhunting.

By headhunting, we are not talking about everyday jobs. The show is about getting the right person for the very elite jobs.

I have no idea about such things since I would think that very lucrative jobs would be well known within the top industry people would have the absolute best candidates but it seems like that is not necessarily the case and perhaps people from outside an industry might be best.

Matsushima Nao (Yami no Bansosha) is our main character. The daughter of an outdoor clothing manufacturer who is fired and told to learn for herself what the real world is.

Matsushima Nao has Uchida Yuki and the dude from Suits as her mentors and Watabe Atsuro as their company's main rival.

What has me worried about this show is whether there are any interesting tricks to winning. Whether there will be strategies that will make me think that was smart or if they are just going to pull random stuff and people from mid air.

Its a WOWOW show so I'll give it a shot and the first two episodes have been subbed by Gabrielmpf. Meh first episode but will continue as there is nothing wrong with more Uchida Yuki.