Orangevine
This mystery drama simply doesn't work. Watch it by heavily using 'skip' button to squeeze some entertainment out of it.
The most fascinating thing about this drama is that one could almost see a drama it was aiming to be. On paper, everything seems to be built for success. There is female main character who is devoid of empathy, yet, drawn towards violent crimes. Her self-righteous 'hard-boiled' colleague mistrusts her while the sensitive police consultant and profiler, on the contrary, offers her his support and understanding. As the protagonist dispassionately digs deep into the human motivations behind the act of murder the viewers are offered a philosophical discussion on whether or not there is really any kind of divide between those who kill and those who do not.
Unfortunately, the drama does not work.
One could only guess at the motivations of the main character and her colleague as the performances of their respective actors are just too bad. Another actress could have given the main character a sympathetic side and could have made it easier to forgive how the mental condition is used as a cheap gimmick and a 'moe' point. Those who watched Dexter or South Korean Stranger would be baffled by this portrayal. The supportive cast is decent but has almost no screen time.
The story itself stretches suspension of disbelief beyond its limits. Starting from the first episode the audience is supposed to take for granted some outrageously unrealistic things. Coupled with the conflicts that are either stated but never shown or lost due to the abysmal performances, this makes the drama unwatchable.
Personally, I found two grains of brilliance in the wreckage of this show. Firstly, Hayashi Kento gives his all to play the sensitive police consultant. There are at least two scenes that his acting manages to make poignant despite all of the other stuff working against it. Secondly, the question about the difference between murderers and those who do not kill is very worthy of exploration (and apparently, Dostoevsky thought so too as he had written two renowned novels about it). Hayashi Kento is a perfect actor for the tortured character who ponders this question.
Watching this drama makes one to wistfully wish for a show worthy of Kento's performance and the philosophical question raised.
The most fascinating thing about this drama is that one could almost see a drama it was aiming to be. On paper, everything seems to be built for success. There is female main character who is devoid of empathy, yet, drawn towards violent crimes. Her self-righteous 'hard-boiled' colleague mistrusts her while the sensitive police consultant and profiler, on the contrary, offers her his support and understanding. As the protagonist dispassionately digs deep into the human motivations behind the act of murder the viewers are offered a philosophical discussion on whether or not there is really any kind of divide between those who kill and those who do not.
Unfortunately, the drama does not work.
One could only guess at the motivations of the main character and her colleague as the performances of their respective actors are just too bad. Another actress could have given the main character a sympathetic side and could have made it easier to forgive how the mental condition is used as a cheap gimmick and a 'moe' point. Those who watched Dexter or South Korean Stranger would be baffled by this portrayal. The supportive cast is decent but has almost no screen time.
The story itself stretches suspension of disbelief beyond its limits. Starting from the first episode the audience is supposed to take for granted some outrageously unrealistic things. Coupled with the conflicts that are either stated but never shown or lost due to the abysmal performances, this makes the drama unwatchable.
Personally, I found two grains of brilliance in the wreckage of this show. Firstly, Hayashi Kento gives his all to play the sensitive police consultant. There are at least two scenes that his acting manages to make poignant despite all of the other stuff working against it. Secondly, the question about the difference between murderers and those who do not kill is very worthy of exploration (and apparently, Dostoevsky thought so too as he had written two renowned novels about it). Hayashi Kento is a perfect actor for the tortured character who ponders this question.
Watching this drama makes one to wistfully wish for a show worthy of Kento's performance and the philosophical question raised.
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