REEL JAPAN

5 Episodes 

Small Town Police Handle International Crimes With the Fate of Okinawa At Stake 

This moody historical detective miniseries pours fire and ice on a ticking clock. The fire comes in the form of Aoki Munetaka who plays a headstrong and reckless young Okinawan detective who is justifiably distrustful of authority. The ice comes in the form of Takahashi Issei who plays an intensely private detective 

The story puts them together, along with veteran policeman Tamashiro (the always excellent Kobayashi Kaoru) in a story that is ingeniously set in the final weeks (and minutes) of American rule of Okinawa. The change in government creates a situation of political and financial instability as well as raising infinite questions about authority and jurisdiction. 

Most of the action unfolds through the viewpoint of Takahashi’s character–an Okinawan native who left years ago for the “mainland” (of Japan) and is expecting a child with his young wife he left there. He receives endless bullying and teasing about his abandonment of his people and Takahashi’s performance brings out his sensitivity and sincerity. 

As the clock counts down on Okinawa’s fate, a complex heist story unfolds just as a cold case of brutal murders needs reopening. The production detours into wartime flashbacks; most of the characters are haunted by the war that ravaged their island. The series suffers not so much from its low budget as from poor writing. The middle episodes (2 and 3) are muddy and almost incoherent whereas episodes 1, 4, and 5 stick their landings. Patient viewers will be rewarded by a satisfying ending.

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