Don’t get the wrong idea, this drama is better than other Jdramas I saw this season; it’s also unique and quite exciting to follow but it simply couldn’t keep the pace. Mozu started amazingly; packed events, intriguing characters and an involving high-scale mystery. With such a promising beginning, you would draw certain lines in your head, such as “this drama will be some sort of masterpiece”. However, that never lasted for too long.
The problem with Mozu is the unbalanced events and empty parts that made concentration almost impossible. The screenwriting of this drama failed to keep thing coherent and well-built even with all the potential they gave it at first. Some episodes were too slow to ingest while others were too packed to fully understand, the screenwriter couldn’t spread his story the right way. Moreover, the high-scale conspiracy turned out to become too predictable for my taste; that was almost a criminal act against mystery/suspense lovers, I surely expected more than that from a drama co-produced by two of my favorite Japanese channels TBS and WOWOW.
The acting was superb; Nishijima was really good as Kuraki, he had an aura that I love to see in my male lead’s character especially with his tone and facial expressions. Maki and Kagawa were great main characters too; their acting was well suited for their characters. The remaining cast were remarkable, especially Ikematsu and Hisegawa; these two actors gave a chilling performance to make their character feel so complicated, hateful and even lovable.
The characterization for this drama was really nice especially with the back stories given to many characters in order to explain their behaviors. Although some characters weren’t that interesting and others didn’t maintain their involving traits until the end but overall, they were acceptable and even enjoyable.
The soundtrack for Mozu isn’t forgettable; I liked the way it connects with what’s happening. The cinematography was also dark and gloomy in a way that fits the drama’s tone.
Watch if:
-You like action, crime dramas.
-You like interesting characterization.
Do not watch if:
-You’re looking for a mind-blowing drama.
-You’re looking for a puzzling mystery.
On a personal level, I really didn’t hate Mozu despite all of its flaws. It sneaks into you somehow and makes you addicted especially if you’re into crime oriented stories. I enjoyed this and I certainly tried to overlook many of its obvious flaws. I call it a guilty pleasure but I surely liked this drama. I am only hoping that the screenwriter will revise his way of making events in the second season.
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The story and the script were great, i love how they tell the story here. Even though you aren't a fan of suspended and mystery please give this one a try, it's worth a watch. I'm a big fan of this type of drama and Mozu also added the dark tone into it which i love it as well, it's rare to see dark mood and tone in tv-drama these days, so this drama is really make my day.
The characters from the 3 main leads were great. The killer and also antagonist were great as well. I have to admitted that in some scnes i was bitting my teenth because i get too excited while i was watching. I think from episode 1-6 were the best part and then 9-10 were great as well. I don't feel like overdone anythingin this drama. The episode 7 and 8 are great too they need these to build up the tension of the drama. Hope you will enjoy this drama as the same way as i do.
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This review may contain spoilers
This show is the definition of thrilling suspense! I was 50/50 on this show because it started out a little slow and scared the daylights out of me because I'm a giant chicken! But to be honest, this show is one of my absolute favorites and will be for forever!The mysteries, depth of darkness, and bittersweet realities within this show have made it such a fantastically epic series! There were a few moments where I had to turn the volume down or mute the audio altogether but that was mostly because I'm a huge chicken and rarely watch this type of show. However, I really hope that doesn't dissuade anyone else from watching! Maybe just do so in a well-lit room..?
Also, I have to say, I mostly started this show because I saw "Crisis" and I wanted to see more of Hidetoshi Nishijima in action; he does not disappoint in this series either! In fact, he seems to be in "top form" always. Ikematsu Sosuke is superb in this series, almost to a point that it's terrifying! And even though I know Kagawa Teruyuki and he is one of my favorite actors, he and Maki Yoko are two people whose acting I will continue to follow with vigor because of their insane immense talent and skill that was so visible within this series it was close to tangible.
This series is very heartfelt and unique, it is completely unlike any police/detective show I have ever seen (from Japan or anywhere else)! This series shows the conflict of dark and light, good and evil, so well it is almost scary. Each moment of this show builds and builds to create something so utterly realistic, gut-wrenching, honest, and creatively heartbreaking... Yet such a fantastic, dramatic way of showing how society works in everyday life, tragedies, and the rebuilding of society.
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The production budget of this show is of almost obscene levels. There is no single clandestine meeting that doesn't occur on the skyscraper rooftop that offers a magnificent (and nicely color-graded) view of the night time Tokyo. If all of the rooftops are otherwise occupied the characters opt for car parks full of gleaming sports cars or 'dirty' alley ways that have never looked so upscale before.
Those who were expecting Mozu to be serious drama might start to suspect that something is a bit off once they are hit with a full force of blockbuster grade production values. Indeed, Mozu seems like a serious political thriller with a devastating human tragedy at its core but this impression is most certainly wrong.
Mozu, first and foremost, is a hard-boiled spy thriller. The action, the atmosphere, the charismatic heroes, and the sensational reveals are the main attractions of this show.
The over complicated plot is actually a red-herring. The viewer has no chance to untangle most of the mysteries because that is not the point. After all, we all know that Soviet spies, I mean, North Korean spies are behind everything anyway. We are just not sure exactly how but that's why second seasons exist.
Once you realize that the show is not supposed to be taken too seriously, there is no end to entertainment on offer.
Firstly, while everything is stylish as it should be in a good noir, the characters are what's really in style. They are all charismatic and have great chemistry with each other. One needs exactly 5 minutes to understand why Nishijima Hidetoshi who plays the protagonist is considered a sex-symbol in Japan. His image of dependable stoic man goes right in hand with his character, a detective driven to the brink by the corrupt world he lives in. Low voice, black suite, and cool one-liners are the nice finishing touches to the portrayal of the character you wouldn't mind rooting for as he fights Russian spies and Takeshi Kitano alike (in the sequels, obviously).
Other characters are charismatic in their own way. The show that casts Yoshido Kotaro as a petty villain most certainly does not pull its punches. Ikematsu Sosuke, in particular, shows off his great range.
Another great fun of the show is plot reveals and suspense. The viewers are kept on the edge of their seat almost every episode with the litany of "they can't imply that, right? There is no way!" on their lips. While the overall plot is hopelessly tangled, some points of it are accessible and make for a lot of entertainment while the viewer tries to guess the "ultimate truth".
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