Puzzle (2007)

I've been looking forward to watching this drama for quite some time, but since it has been so hard to find I've kept putting it off. I'm very glad I finally got to watch it though! While this short series is not what expected at all, I did enjoy it. This show is a bit better if you think of it as a movie that is broken up rather than seeing it as 4 separate episodes. This show has no relation to Puzzle (2008), so don't expect quirky comedy from this.

Story [7] - I was surprised to actually see noticeable character development in such a short series, that aspect was quite pleasing. The series is not as intense as the description makes it sound, but there is enough danger present to give the proper feeling to the show. I liked the story overall, as I wasn't completely expecting the ending. Once you get to a certain point the culprit becomes obvious, but its nearly the end of the story at that point so it's not a huge draw-back.

Acting/Cast [7] - While the acting isn't the absolute best out there, the characters are distinct and have noticeably different personalities. Plus, Yamamoto Yusuke! Even if he is only a supporting character!

Music [7] - I can't say the music was great, but it wasn't terrible either. There are certainly a few scenes where they could have used music to make it more intense but they did not do so. They also didn't ruin any scenes with badly placed music, so that's a plus.

Rewatch Value [6] - I would watch this series again, if I ever find a better version of it but I would not rewatch it for entertainment value. Then again, I'm not huge on rewatching these types of stories. It's definitely a good one time watch, but once you know the ending the rest may seem boring.

Overall [7] - Overall I did enjoy watching this show. The noticeable character development was a huge save for this series, that's something I sometimes don't even see in a longer series. I would recommend watching this series if you can find it!

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