"Furuhata Ninzaburô" seems to do an action-packed suspense episode once a season and every single time knocks it out of the park. Season one had "The Killing Fax", an unusually stylish and entertaining kidnapping story. Season two brought us "Red or Blue", a really intense thriller about a bomber targeting an amusement park. Now, season three brings us a two-parter named "The Most Dangerous Game" and if the first part is anything to go by, it might just be the most exciting episode of all.
The story has the look and feel of a proper action movie with three storylines converging towards an explosive climax. The first storyline involves a group named SAZ who murder a traitor only to realize that a bag full of McGuffins they desperately need was left on the subway. Unable to retrieve it from the lost and found themselves, they orchestrate an elaborate fake hijacking. The second storyline follows a nervous SAZ member who is tasked with impersonating a police inspector and infiltrating the Subway Control Room to make sure everything goes according to plan. But what he didn't count on was the presence of a real police inspector, none other than Furuhata himself there to enter a complaint. Furuhata realizes something is off immediately and the mind games between himself and the nervous fake cop begin. The third storyline follows our favourite bumbling cop Shintaro investigating the murder of the aforementioned traitor. He rushes through the investigation excited for a dinner date with his boss only to learn that he's stuck at the Subway Control Room with none other than Shintaro's rival Saionji. Annoyed, Shintaro makes his way on the train which is supposed to be hijacked towards the Control Room intent on getting his dinner. In his pocket is the identikit of the killer who also happens to be in the control room.
This is a complex story beautifully told by Kôki Mitani who manages to juggle all three storylines with equal care while ensuring the pace constantly builds. Will Furuhata figure out the train hijacking is fake? Will Shintaro arrive in time? Will the fake policeman give himself up? By the end of the episode, the suspense is unbearable. Another person who deserves kudos is Keita Kôno whose work really surprised me here. Usually, he's a rather pedestrian director, but here he displays a kind of cinematic flair I haven't seen from him before. He keeps the story moving at a good clip as the tension rises and rises. Last but not least, is the excellent guest cast. Especially good are Yosuke Saito as the fidgety fake cop and Hajime Yamazaki as SAZ's skeletal-faced hitman, an incredibly creepy presence of few words.
Roll on part two!
The story has the look and feel of a proper action movie with three storylines converging towards an explosive climax. The first storyline involves a group named SAZ who murder a traitor only to realize that a bag full of McGuffins they desperately need was left on the subway. Unable to retrieve it from the lost and found themselves, they orchestrate an elaborate fake hijacking. The second storyline follows a nervous SAZ member who is tasked with impersonating a police inspector and infiltrating the Subway Control Room to make sure everything goes according to plan. But what he didn't count on was the presence of a real police inspector, none other than Furuhata himself there to enter a complaint. Furuhata realizes something is off immediately and the mind games between himself and the nervous fake cop begin. The third storyline follows our favourite bumbling cop Shintaro investigating the murder of the aforementioned traitor. He rushes through the investigation excited for a dinner date with his boss only to learn that he's stuck at the Subway Control Room with none other than Shintaro's rival Saionji. Annoyed, Shintaro makes his way on the train which is supposed to be hijacked towards the Control Room intent on getting his dinner. In his pocket is the identikit of the killer who also happens to be in the control room.
This is a complex story beautifully told by Kôki Mitani who manages to juggle all three storylines with equal care while ensuring the pace constantly builds. Will Furuhata figure out the train hijacking is fake? Will Shintaro arrive in time? Will the fake policeman give himself up? By the end of the episode, the suspense is unbearable. Another person who deserves kudos is Keita Kôno whose work really surprised me here. Usually, he's a rather pedestrian director, but here he displays a kind of cinematic flair I haven't seen from him before. He keeps the story moving at a good clip as the tension rises and rises. Last but not least, is the excellent guest cast. Especially good are Yosuke Saito as the fidgety fake cop and Hajime Yamazaki as SAZ's skeletal-faced hitman, an incredibly creepy presence of few words.
Roll on part two!
