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| Synopsis |
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| Based on Keisuke Matsuoka�fs popular novel series by the same title which has sold more than 400,000 copies, Detective versus Detectives is a fast-paced, action-packed suspenseful thriller with a unique setting of �ga detective chasing after detectives.�h Rena Sasaki (Keiko Kitagawa) is a beautiful woman endowed with excellent memory and superior intelligence. Rena works as an investigator who pursues corruption among other detectives at a medium-size private investigation agency called Suma Research. What motivated her to take on such position is the fact that her younger sister Sakura was murdered by a stalker who was informed of her whereabouts by an unknown detective. One day after a year, Makoto (Haruna Kawaguchi) walks into Suma Research for a job interview and gets assigned to become an assistant for Rena. Working alongside Rena, Makoto comes face to face with the extreme work situation which is well beyond anything she could have ever anticipated. | | Fuji TV |
| Soundtrack and Theme Songs (1) |
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| 1. | Beautiful Chaser [Bullet Train 超特急] | |
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| Cast Correlation Chart |
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![Tantei no Tantei [探偵の探偵] Chart](img_chart/002/002082.jpg) | | ©Fuji TV |
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| Drama Reviews (1) |
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!!WARNING!!
The review section may contain spoilers! Please understand
that you may find out about this drama's endings and plots!
| | 1. | Excellent Action Thriller Despite Some Flaws [Rating: 8/10]
Sasaki Rena is one of the best action heroines I've seen in a long time: principled, driven, independent, uncompromising, and ruthless in tracking down the bad guys. Her character is written as a complex mix of hard, impersonal exterior masking a deep emotional trauma beneath, but not in a way that is cliched or that makes her one of those sordid "anti-heroes."
I liked that the series has a single story arc rather than discrete episodes, but nonetheless allowed for episodic subplots to play out, ultimately pushing the larger story along. Not a single dull moment in this, just relentless, intense action-suspense. Some cool twists and surprises pop up along the way, and most importantly, the whole theme of the story is justice and the plot generally hinges on decisive moral choices - the key element in great storytelling - rather than arbitrary chance.
Though they do appear at key points, the plot doesn't always turn on moral choices. Maybe I'm a little spoiled by some of the other J-doramas - like the stunning, epic 2007 Fuji series "Life," (based on the manga about high school bullying by Suenobu Keiko,) where they're part of virtually every single scene - but the Sasaki character would've benefited if the "morality play" aspect had been more consistently employed. As it stands it's a fine detective drama and... the theme is well-presented, key points are indeed tied to moral choices, and Sasaki does not disappoint in that respect.
There are some suspension-of-disbelief problems here and there, but they're not so glaring that they ruin the story. A couple of (non-spoiler) examples: some of the multitude of injuries the principle characters suffer are too easily recovered from - getting smacked full in the face with a huge pipe is going to cause more than a minor cut to the forehead, f'rinstance - and there's a scene where Rena's car gets pushed out to sea by a carefully-placed loader on a waterfront dock that she picks at random (so although they'd tracked her via GPS, how did the bad guys anticipate were she'd go and get all of that set up?)
It's one of the more violent dramas I've seen but none of the violence is gratuitous or unnecessary to the plot - and the fight scenes are excellently done. The Sasaki character gets involved in a huge amount of hand-to-hand combat through the series, and she ends up getting pummeled as often as not, so the conflict is never unrealistically tilted in the heroine's favor. And Kitagawa Keiko does the fight scenes flawlessly and convincingly - she must have spent a ton of work on them, because there's never a moment that actually *looks* choreographed.
The supporting cast are all interesting, memorable characters, and the villains are convincingly, often horrifically evil without being cartoonish or over-the-top caricatures.
Last, each episode's ending theme, "Beautiful Chaser" by Bullet Train, gives us the added treat of Marty Friedman-san on electric guitar. 'Gotta love that.
This is definitely time well spent, and I'm definitely looking forward to Season Two. (Formerly available on Crunchyroll and Amazon Prime under the title "Detective vs. Detectives.") | | Reviewed by Sakebitosan on 23 March 2016 |
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| Comments From Users (5) |
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!!WARNING!!
This section may contain spoilers! Do not proceed if you
do not want to read about this drama's endings and plots!
| | 1. | Comments by Sakebitosan [Rating: 8/10]
Sasaki Rena is one of the best action heroines I've seen in a long time: principled, driven, independent, uncompromising, and ruthless in tracking down the bad guys. Her character is written as a complex mix of hard, impersonal exterior masking a deep emotional trauma beneath, but not in a way that is cliched or that makes her one of those sordid "anti-heroes."
I liked that the series has a single story arc rather than discrete episodes, but nonetheless allowed for episodic subplots to play out, ultimately pushing the larger story along. Not a single dull moment in this, just relentless, intense action-suspense. Some cool twists and surprises pop up along the way, and most importantly, the whole theme of the story is justice and the plot generally hinges on decisive moral choices - the key element in great storytelling - rather than arbitrary chance.
Though they do appear at key points, the plot doesn't always turn on moral choices. Maybe I'm a little spoiled by some of the other J-doramas - like the stunning, epic 2007 Fuji series "Life," (based on the manga about high school bullying by Suenobu Keiko,) where they're part of virtually every single scene - but the Sasaki character would've benefited if the "morality play" aspect had been more consistently employed. As it stands it's a fine detective drama and... the theme is well-presented, key points are indeed tied to moral choices, and Sasaki does not disappoint in that respect.
There are some suspension-of-disbelief problems here and there, but they're not so glaring that they ruin the story. A couple of (non-spoiler) examples: some of the multitude of injuries the principle characters suffer are too easily recovered from - getting smacked full in the face with a huge pipe is going to cause more than a minor cut to the forehead, f'rinstance - and there's a scene where Rena's car gets pushed out to sea by a carefully-placed loader on a waterfront dock that she picks at random (so although they'd tracked her via GPS, how did the bad guys anticipate were she'd go and get all of that set up?)
It's one of the more violent dramas I've seen but none of the violence is gratuitous or unnecessary to the plot - and the fight scenes are excellently done. The Sasaki character gets involved in a huge amount of hand-to-hand combat through the series, and she ends up getting pummeled as often as not, so the conflict is never unrealistically tilted in the heroine's favor. And Kitagawa Keiko does the fight scenes flawlessly and convincingly - she must have spent a ton of work on them, because there's never a moment that actually *looks* choreographed.
The supporting cast are all interesting, memorable characters, and the villains are convincingly, often horrifically evil without being cartoonish or over-the-top caricatures.
Last, each episode's ending theme, "Beautiful Chaser" by Bullet Train, gives us the added treat of Marty Friedman-san on electric guitar. 'Gotta love that.
This is definitely time well spent, and I'm definitely looking forward to Season Two. (Formerly available on Crunchyroll and Amazon Prime under the title "Detective vs. Detectives.") | | 2. | Comments by oonqy [Rating: 7/10]
quite intensive plot. however, the ending was quite a disappointment but nonetheless the suspense of each episode is good enough to pursue next. | | 3. | Comments by Eyeyore [Rating: 4/10]
The casting is disappointing. It could have been a better drama. | | 4. | Comments by shinjitsu [Rating: 7/10]
Had lots of potential but just fell short | | 5. | Comments by spaced_man [Rating: 8/10]
vgood | | 6. | Comments by jessiesoon [Rating: 7/10]
| | 7. | Comments by mammothb [Rating: ?/10]
| | 8. | Comments by resha22chad [Rating: 7/10]
| | 9. | Comments by fefe_chow [Rating: ?/10]
| | 10. | Comments by hellogirl1604 [Rating: ?/10]
| | 11. | Comments by darknitelight [Rating: ?/10]
| | 12. | Comments by mvc [Rating: 8/10]
| | 13. | Comments by Rinrin [Rating: 7/10]
| | 14. | Comments by orenji [Rating: 7/10]
| | 15. | Comments by oldpilot [Rating: 8/10]
| | 16. | Comments by kfinc [Rating: ?/10]
| | 17. | Comments by dira [Rating: 6/10]
| | 18. | Comments by lunelle [Rating: ?/10]
| | 19. | Comments by The Mighty Mango [Rating: ?/10]
| | 20. | Comments by rikastar [Rating: ?/10]
| | 21. | Comments by lynn [Rating: ?/10]
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