Maou (2008)

This is a melodramatic remake of a Korean revenge drama with tight plot, some really tense sequences, and great performances from some of the cast. Slow pacing and melodrama detract from the story at times.

Maou's premise is great. Ikuta Toma and Ohno Satoshi - two of the most famous idols from Johnny & Associates - play the characters who are pitted against each other in a fight-to-the-death conflict. South Korean origins of the story provide tight plot, high level of suspense, and aggressive temperamental characters. Moreover, K-dramas take on the theme of revenge is very famous in its own right; the main intrigue of whether the characters will be able to reconcile or if someone will have to cut out their own tongue first never lets the viewer off the hook.

As usual with J-drama remakes some elements translate less convincingly than the others. The roughness of brash police officers like Serizawa Naoto is looked upon favourably in South Korea where it's the only thing that allows them to fight for justice in the face of many obstacles. As much as J-dramas love their rough police officers this kind of characters are firmly thing of the past and Ikuta Toma's Naoto looks out of place in Maou. It's never quite clear why his colleagues tolerate him and even his humbleness is not particularly endearing in the context of Japan where being humble is a default. Ikuta Toma has played many complex characters since Maou but he's not quite convincing in there. He doesn't look the part and he struggles in the dramatic scenes that call for display of raw emotions.

Ohno Satoshi's twisted sharply-dressed lawyer Naruse Ryo fits better in J-drama landscape than his nemesis. Ohno pulls off menacing aura well, however, his cherub visuals constantly spoil the effect and give the moniker “angel attorney” a more literal meaning.

Nevertheless, the story is tense and full of suspense. The strong support cast also deserve the praise. The characters of Tanaka Kei, Kichise Michiko, Okunuki Kaoru, and Oshinari Shugo are charismatic and relatable despite not having that many scenes. Even the introduction of psychic powers as investigative tool doesn't strain suspension of disbelief much.

What really detracts from the story is slow pacing especially during melodramatic scenes. The characters are understandably ravaged by strong emotions and feelings. However, the viewer can only take that many scenes with heroes crying 'woe-is-me' seriously. The overly-sweet romance doesn't help.

Personally, I don't like how the trappings of Catholicism are used in the story. Even taken at the face value, they don't bring that much symbolism. Naruse Ryo for all his omnipotence and plotting is not a devil incarnate and the way the drama treats past 'sins' seems quite removed from the western Christian tradition. Thus, it was hard not to roll my eyes at some of the scenes (of course, your take may be different from mine).

All in all, Maou is a gripping drama with some dubious creative choices. Discounting those choices, somewhat lacking acting of the male leads, and at-times slow pacing, the drama is quite enjoyable and I'd especially recommend it for the lovers of dramatic angst who usually avoid South Korean dark revenge dramas.

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I wasn't sure if I was in the mood for this type of drama, but both of these actors were new to me, so, based on the previous two reviews, I took the plunge. This drama was awesome! I won't give away any spoilers, but it's been a while since I felt compelled to do some reading about other viewers' reaction to this drama, after I finished it. Be prepared for tissues at the end...revenge is a difficult one. Great acting, suspenseful, and totally worth your time. I am looking up some of these actors to see some more of their dramas. I highly recommend this drama!

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So, I like to write reviews just after finishing a series and I finished Maou today. I'm not really into crime dramas, so I was first a little skeptical about the series. Also, my only experience of Ikuta Toma is from Hana Kimi and I really couldn't picture him in a serious role.

However, Maou was good. I'm not Christian and I despise religions, but I found the aspect of Christianity good in this story... If you can even say it had that kind of an aspect. Ikuta Toma was great, although a little stereotypical with his role. I don't remember him doing much else than running in slow motion and yelling dramatic, bold lines. Ohno Satoshi, however, was absolutely brilliant as the Devilish lawyer, and it's mostly because of him that I got hooked up. The music was excellent too, the opening song especially.

It's a good, exciting and fun watch, but sadly nothing mind-blowing. I might be a little picky with dramas, but having seen so many clichés this drama kind of gave me, in the end, the already-been-there-and-done-that feeling. What's really good, though, was the fact that it was unpredictable in most episodes. How it was all done, was not unpredictable and kind of left me hoping for something more. All in all, though, it's a good drama and worth watching!

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This drama is brilliant in an incredibly sad and soul-crushing way. Honestly, if you're looking for a happy end, this is not it.
To be honest, I started watching this drama because I had a little bit of free time and I thought I'll just watch one episode and won't have a problem putting the show aside for now.
Instead, I immediately got hooked.
The episodes are written in a way that has you sitting on the edge of your chair, waiting for the conclusion while desperately trying to figure out what is going to happen yourself. At the end of every episode, I immediately wanted to know what would happen next and couldn't help but watch the next episode.
The way the main characters change throughout the drama, the way they start to think about thinks differently and how that affects their actions (or doesn't) is captivating and at times truley soul-crushing.
I can't get into this without spoiling anything, but I think you'll understand once you watch the drama.
The ending was very.... fitting and to a certain degree satisfying. While it is sad, it was the only proper end to this story.

The acting was immaculate. At first, I thought Ohno Satoshi might have been a little bit cold and stiff, but it turns out that said coldness and stiffness was intentional. He manages to portray Naruse's struggles perfectly and makes the audience understand, what Naruse is going through emotionally.
Serizawa Naoto seems like a very stereotypical character at first, but through Ikuta Toma's acting he became a likeable character that the audience can sympathize with, to a certain degree.

The music was very fitting and altogether good. At times I thought it was a little bit too dramatic.

I'm really not sure about the rewatch value. I don't think I will rewtach this drama, to be honest. Personally, I don't think I can watch Naruse and Naoto in the first few episode if I already know what kind of people they are in the end of the drama. Especially Naruse would be tough to watch.
I do think it has rewatch value though if you don't have the same problem as me.

To be honest, the only reason I'm not giving this drama a 10/10 is because at times it was a bit too melodramatic for me. Some shots (for example zooming in a character’s face twice from two different angels) just felt like they were trying to add unnecessary suspense and drama. It was especially unnecessary because the story, music and acting managed to build said suspense on their own.

I would definitely recommend watching this drama! You should just be aware that it's very sad and does not have a happy ending.

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A suspenseful and thrilling drama, with some minor bumps along the way

I love revenge dramas. They're one of my favorite dramas. This is a hell of a drama, that's for sure.

Watching this drama was like watching a car jump off a cliff in slow motion. You have this gut wrenching feeling in your stomach knowing that something bad is going to happen.

I love the humanity and the nuance of human nature behind this drama. Can you really forgive someone if they have atoned? Who decides who deserves to be forgiven and who isn't? How can you really tell if someone has changed?

I have to give props to the main lead - for a stoic character like this, the actor was able to be compelling enough for me to pay attention and stay attached. I was rooting for him to destroy everyone and everything and accomplish his goal. The moments where he doubts whether he should stay on this path or switch to a happier one really broke me inside.

Story wise, I'm very conflicted. There were some bumps along the way but for a script to involve this many characters and make it fairly cohesive without feeling messy is extremely commendable.

The one negative (?) thing I have to say is the second lead's acting was soooo..... dramatic. I don't know if this was a character thing or a actor thing but he was the stereotypical noble (questionable) screaming protagonist.

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Good overall, but I expected more. The first few episodes are great, because the story is completely unpredictable, and the viewer is thrown into this crazy story with twists and turns. Unfortunately, once the novelty wears off, it started to feel repetitive and I just wanted the second-half to be over. Maou is very plot-driven, and the majority of the entertainment as a viewer comes from the plot-twists, fast-pace and excitement. However, as soon as that starts to wear off, there's not much left. This is why I much prefer character-driven dramas rather than plot-driven. A good example of a character-driven drama is Juhan Shuttai. Aside from the villain, the characters in Maou are dull and uninteresting, all with very boring motives. The villain is great, and the ending is very satisfying and poetic however, so it's definitely still worth a watch. The acting is good for the most part, however Toma Ikuta is nothing special, and is out-acted by his peers in almost every scene, particularly Satoshi Ohno who is great. I don't like the term "overrated" because everyone has different opinions and tastes. If you like action, plot-twists and thrills this is for you. If you prefer character dramas and more interactions between characters and how they grow as people, then you'll find this boring. In my opinion, the best action thrillers manage to combine the two perfectly. However, Maou only has the "action" and not enough "character". Once you've seen it once, you've seen it all, so it did not hold up very well on rewatch. Still, I recommend it to watch once.

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Okay normally I am not very fond of writing a review, but this one made me to write.
First of all English is not first language so there might be mistakes in my vocabulary so I do apologize

STORY: The story was very amzing. The plot is The lawyer's brother dies and he decides to take revenge on the police officer. The story had twists and it made me want to watch more.

ACTING: I must say I loved the acting of everyone. Ohno Satohi an Ikuta Toma are best actors in my opinion.

MUSIC: "Truth" By Arashi is a wonderful music. I loved it

REWATCH VALUE: I would love to watch this again

OVERALL: This drama is amazing in terms of revenge kinda dramas. The acting, the plotline is something you should look forwards to.

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To be honest, at first I watch this series just because Ikuta Toma, but slowly I'm drowned into the story.

The theme choose is quite dark, which more or less show the negative effect of the wrong parenthood and so the parent’s ego. By the time you think that you are brought to the solution of the problem, you realize that you have been brought to an even greater secret. Another time, when you think you already know all the secrets and problems, the plot suddenly twisted and you will question your own judgment of good and bad.

The casts play their roles very well, especially Ohno Satoshi where he can play two very different personalities and expressions very well. Ikuta Toma plays well playing someone who has regrets about his past and is still haunted by it.

Last but not least … really, I hate the ending … T_T

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Brilliant, even the OTT parts - Ituka Toma always taking off running somewhere at 80m.p.h - agonised looks of remorse etc - the glint in the eye as wicked Naruse carries off another dastardly deed - are endearing. It's an old revenge plot but in a fresh form, with a nice occult theme tied in, and the twists and turns keep you wanting to know what comes next. Plus two very handsome leads. What's not to like? Having watched both, I think this is better than Lucifer - it's more compact, the right length to carry the story, whereas Lucifer slows down and continues for too long. leading to loss of interest.

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The best revenge drama for me

I just finished this drama and I really
don't have words to describe my
feeling for this drama since I'm so
emotional right now let me try my best
cuz well that's my job. This drama is a
remake a Korean one named LUCIFER
but since it had 20 episodes and this
one had 11 and this one had two hot
guys I decided to watch this one ? ( I
like hearing Japanese more than Korean
maybe that's why but whatever) .

Now to me this drama is not at all
Maou becuase I don't know what that
means but I think the name LUCIFER
totally suits the story as our main
character is totally like him. Now for
those who don't know Lucifer, he is
mythological character who was known
to be a very beautiful, hardworking, god's
and everyone's favourite angel.

Everyone loves him and so one day he
got over-confident and thought that he is
equal to god. God didn't liked his
over-confidence and as a punishment
he sent Lucifer to live in earth for few
months and come back but when
Lucifer started living in our human world,
a lot of bad things happened to him
which bad him turned into evil.

The most favourite angel Lucifer became
a Satan within few months. He never
went back to heaven as he had turned
into a devil. Honestly speaking I never
hated Satan even though he is known to
be a devil. Satan only punishes those
people who have had done something
evil.

He has never ruined an innocent people's
life. That is I never hated Lucifer too and
that is why I never hated ryo ( the
protagonist of our series ) who is just
like Lucifer and I also never hated naoto
( the other protagonist of our story ) . Of
course that is totally how I think. Now
you might be wondering how I got the
info of Lucifer and Satan well Click Here
to know the full story.

Now let me explain how Ryo naruse is a
best example of another Lucifer. Ryo
was a very kind hearted person. Totally
like an angel until his younger brother
died or should I say was killed by his
rich classmate naoto. Naoto never got
his crime's punishment becuase he
was rich and his dad proves him
innocent due to connections and all but
ryo wanted justice for his brother .

He wanted justice for himself, for his
family. He ruined his life by killing his
brother and soon his mother died to
sorrow. His life got ruined and now it
was his turn to ruin naoto's life. The
whole drama is about the revenge of
him and honestly speaking I have
watched a bunch of revenge dramas
and yet this one is a very unique.

I am not very fond of revenge on a
whole but this drama showed revenge in
a very different and realistic way unlike
other dramas of the same genre and I
really really liked it. If it was another
revenge drama the main hero would've
killed people from his own hands or
something but this is not at all the case
here.

Ryo is so smart that he never kills his
enemies from his own hands, he makes
some else kill them by making those
types of coincidences or make it a
natural death or accident. He even
saves the people who he "accidentally"
made killers as you know he is a lawyer
but that is not all the reasons why I love
this drama.

The drama showed us the feeling ryo
totally well. Even though he killed many
people for his own satisfaction and
revenge he never got satisfied, he
always felt bad for the people who died.
He calls himself a devil but to me he is
an angel, ok calling him an angel would
be too much because we can't forget
the fact that he is a murderer and that is
why I like to call him Lucifer or Satan.

Now let's come to naoto, our second
protagonist. He suffers from PTSD or in
simple language past truama. He killed
someone ( accidentally) in his past and
still suffers from the guilt and he should
there is no doubt in that. I don't wanna
spoil the drama but let me tell you that I
loved him too even though he is a
murderer and well so is ryo. His life too
is not at all good just like ryo. Ryo and
naoki shares a lot in common. Both of
them claims themselves as a devil but in
reality they both are Lucifer.

Their relationship is one of the unique
ones I have ever seen. They both are
enemies but the love they both develope
for each other reaching the end is so....I
won't call them enemies. They hate and
love each other at the same time. They
are frenemies for sure?

I am not gonna spoil the ending but I am
really satisfied with it. Really this drama
is my favourite revenge till now. I can't
say about the future but this one is
gonna stay in fav list forever and that's
for sure. The way the drama portrayed

the feeling of both of our protagonists
is just awesome and damn like this what
I want from dramas. To show the good
side of the villian. That no one is a devil.
But of course if you have done a sin you
will have to pay for it cuz karma is a real
thing in the drama.

Ryo and naoki made me very confused
as I loved both of them and who should I
support but the end made it very clear?

Oh also the female lead in this drama
totally me. Poor her and poor me?

Also I love how Japanese people make
dramas and their cinematography the
most becuase the cinematography is
totally based on the genre of the drama.
If the drama is happy then the scenes
are filled with colourful things, cherry
blossoms and all. If the drama is sad
then the atmosphere is very dark and it
just feels like the genre suits the story
very well.

In conclusion watch this drama if you
love revenge, psychology and mystery
kind of dramas. Cuz this one balances
all of them very well and you will surely
be not bored. The drama has a little
romance but not that much. Also
prepare for tissues before handed ?

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Фильм драматургически очень сильный, актеры играют великолепно. Дуэль Томы и Оно украсит любую картину. Второстепенные персонажи как на подбор, ни одного фальшивого момента.
Отличные съемки и саундтрек, а какая заставка... В общем и целом, все продуманно до мелочей.
А уж от Томы глаз не отвести.
На протяжении сериала чаша симпатий склонялось ту в одну то в другую сторону, мотивы адвоката понятно, да еще как. Но человек меняется и герой Икуты совсем не тот "монстр", каким запомнил его Рё, каким выпестывал в своей душе все долгие годы подготовки к мести. К концу больно за обоих. Воистину, собираясь мстить - рой две могилы, для него и для себя.

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