Meishi Game episodes 2-4 spoiler review

I really enjoyed Meishi Game. Its about a life or death game show but its more about people getting chewed out from the entertainment industry; the caterer, director, gravure idoru, manager and aspiring writer. They all tried very hard to succeed and they all got screwed by a power crazy producer which I think is something that is not uncommon in the industry.

The one hook that really got my reason was why the director covered up for Tsutsumi Shinichi. I was expecting a twist whereby Tsutsumi Shinichi wasn't as bad as expected or that the director had done something wrong with the gravure idoru.

Initially I was disappointed with the reveal of the reason why he covered for Tsutsumi Shinichi; that the director had begun to hate the industry that he had once loved. I think most people would have elected to take out the abusive producer in the process of quiting anyway.

However. the more I thought about it, the more I could see how the director was a defeated man. Rather than hating the producer for turning him into a scapegoat he was sad that he had lost the motivation to direct. I also did not figure that the director would turn out to be the person pulling the strings. I was so sure it was going to be the producer's ex-wife.

I was really sad when the idoru Ohara Maika finally decided to do AV. Being a talento is a cutthroat business where gravure idorus are dime a dozen. However, it is because of her hard work that in the end she could get as money as she did from AV. One of the sad realities of the Japanese entertainment industry.

So what was Meishi Game about? It's about how an industry as tough as the entertainment industry can create monsters of the best people. Its about how hard work may not be necessarily rewarded and how when the door to success is closed sometimes you have to climb through the back window.

Lastly I loved the hint that Tsutsumi Shinichi knew what was going on and played along to give himself an out. After all, he is a veteran television producer and would know the ins and outs of a gameshow and how to stage a good one.

Very enjoyable. Not must watch but very good.