This is a classic procedural J-drama with the great cast, the amazing central arc, and the killing OST.


The viewers who grew up watching American procedurals may not realise how much effort it actually takes to make a decent detective drama. Charismatic cast with great chemistry, cases that must be entertaining and coherent despite the time and budget constraints, tense central arc with dramatic finale and sinister foreshadowing are all the ingredients of a great case-of-the-week detective show and they are not that easy to come by. The right balance between the gritty realism and the thrilling adventure must also be maintained.

It is no wonder then that there aren't that many great case-of-the-week detective J-dramas. The most popular ones are mostly comedies or deal with 'closed room' Agatha Christie style mysteries where an improbable puzzle is more important than realism or emotional believability. That makes Joker all the more important as the rare classic procedural. It has all of the necessary ingredients and, I'd say, a charming uniquely Japanese idealism.

The suspense, the amazing main musical theme, and the really endearing main character are the strongest points in my opinion.

The viewers need to beware the really small budget production and the classic structure (it is no Sherlock, obviously). I'd also not recommend this to the fans of Nishikido Ryo as there are several shows where he has more interesting roles.