Wonderful to be introduced to such a tremendous cast. Loved Will Sharpe who made Rodney a standout but equally compelling were Takehiro Hira, Yosuke Kubozuka and Aoi Okuyama. Great to see new people on screen. It's not often I can see the perfection of direction but everything about this show was superb. Hays off to Julian Farino. I'll be watching him. Stellar.
270 Reviews
Must See. Really!
fromkin-23-29037017 January 2020
After watching one-and-a-half episodes of the execrable series "The Witcher," I'd begun to doubt the reliability of IMDB ratings. Then, I decided to try "Giri/Haji," suspicious of its 7.9 rating. Also, I'd seen Joe Barton's series "Cuffs," and while enjoyable, it was pretty weak beer.
"Giri/Haji" was an absolute revelation, right from the start through the eighth and final episode. The writing and direction, art direction, cinematography and effects, were just superb. And the acting! I was not familiar with any of the Japanese actors, but they were great. So were the British actors, many of them familiar to fans of UK films and TV, including Kelly Macdonald (first seen in Trainspotting), Charlie Creed-Miles (from Peaky Blinders), Tony Way (from Ricky Gervais' "After Life"), and new-to-me Will Sharpe.
Part family drama, part police procedural, part Yakuza film, the movie flips between London and Tokyo during a Japanese gang war. Strange as it may seem, the various filmic elements hold together beautifully, whether changes in screen dimension to denote time shifts; brief uses of anime; and a lovely ballet sequence.
It is bloody, violent, tender, exciting, and contemplative. Something for everyone. I fully recommend this series.
"Giri/Haji" was an absolute revelation, right from the start through the eighth and final episode. The writing and direction, art direction, cinematography and effects, were just superb. And the acting! I was not familiar with any of the Japanese actors, but they were great. So were the British actors, many of them familiar to fans of UK films and TV, including Kelly Macdonald (first seen in Trainspotting), Charlie Creed-Miles (from Peaky Blinders), Tony Way (from Ricky Gervais' "After Life"), and new-to-me Will Sharpe.
Part family drama, part police procedural, part Yakuza film, the movie flips between London and Tokyo during a Japanese gang war. Strange as it may seem, the various filmic elements hold together beautifully, whether changes in screen dimension to denote time shifts; brief uses of anime; and a lovely ballet sequence.
It is bloody, violent, tender, exciting, and contemplative. Something for everyone. I fully recommend this series.
Just Perfect!
collierandy28 October 2019
I rarely feel strong enough about a film or series to write a review, however this show was so perfect I just had to rate it.
The acting, the direction, the production, the music, the script, everything was perfect. I was gripped from the beginning and each episode didn't disappoint. There were so many great, subtle touches too and innovative camerawork.
Almost impossible to pick out any single actor, they were all excellent but Will Sharpe was incredible.
I genuinely can't ever think I'll watch a better show....
Solid 10
Manirakiza2913 January 2020
What a breath of fresh air in a world where tv is so uniform and unoriginal that you can predict the next move a mile away.
I'm also grateful that we got to discover a bit of Japan and its culture beyond the usual Hollywood cliches.
Well worth my time and highly recommended.
I'm also grateful that we got to discover a bit of Japan and its culture beyond the usual Hollywood cliches.
Well worth my time and highly recommended.
Much more than a detective/crime/gangster series
PeteThePrimate26 October 2019
Binged watched this week but no spoilers here. This really benefits from having 8 episodes rather than the BBC's usual 6 and allows for greater character development and backstories. There are side plots and stories galore, bloody violence, humour, tears, sadness & retribution but everything comes together with a few twists and turns in a final episode that has one of the most unexpected & touching rooftop moments. The cast are fantastic as is the script and cinematography. Loved it.
Another brilliant international show got cancelled after one season, why?!
mapika2 January 2021
Unbelievable! This is a perfect fusion of Asien ( Japanese) and European (British) cinema with an
intelligent script, great animation parts, complex character development and outstanding actors! If you want to criticize something, there could be less brutality, but
on the other hand it's a crime drama about the Yakuza. So it fits again.
How come this show has a rating below 8 stars and small-minded shows with their predictable, repetetive stories and stereotypical good guy- bad guy characters like Cobra Kay already have 3 seasons and are rated with over 8,5?! I just don't get it.
How come this show has a rating below 8 stars and small-minded shows with their predictable, repetetive stories and stereotypical good guy- bad guy characters like Cobra Kay already have 3 seasons and are rated with over 8,5?! I just don't get it.
EXCEPTIONAL
CrimeTimeOG11 January 2020
Exceptional storytelling and direction in this compelling series which broke the mold and reinvented the genre with its brave and brilliant style, Everything about it was outstanding - directing, writing, casting. It had humor and wit despite the bleak subject matter and it was all done with incredible style. British drama showing the world how its done.
Quality drama, the like of which has not seen for a a while.
Sleepin_Dragon16 August 2020
Giri/Haji is truly an incredible eight part drama, it is virtually flawless.
Part one is pretty heavy going, you need to concentrate because you are placed in the middle of a scenario without most of the answers that you need, we it unfolds you will learn all you need to, and be able to put the pieces together.
Part four is the high point, a better individual episode of a drama I cannot think of, it is absolutely incredible, if you're not captivated by this show at this point, you will be from here on in.
The cinematography and production values are off the scale, I doubt a more visually amazing masterpiece has ever been made. To dwell solely on its appearance is unfair, the content and story will have you enthralled.
The acting is pretty much perfect throughout, you can't pinpoint one or even three people as standing out, everyone does. Everyone gets their moment.
It's incredible, 10/10.
Part one is pretty heavy going, you need to concentrate because you are placed in the middle of a scenario without most of the answers that you need, we it unfolds you will learn all you need to, and be able to put the pieces together.
Part four is the high point, a better individual episode of a drama I cannot think of, it is absolutely incredible, if you're not captivated by this show at this point, you will be from here on in.
The cinematography and production values are off the scale, I doubt a more visually amazing masterpiece has ever been made. To dwell solely on its appearance is unfair, the content and story will have you enthralled.
The acting is pretty much perfect throughout, you can't pinpoint one or even three people as standing out, everyone does. Everyone gets their moment.
It's incredible, 10/10.
Good, but not great, drama
grantss9 May 2020
The nephew of a powerful Yakuza boss is murdered in London. The Tokyo Police suspect that the perpetrator is a former member of a rival Yakuza clan. After a counter-hit on his former clan and fearing an escalating gang war, the suspect's brother, a police detective, is sent to London to track him down and bring him back to Japan.
Good drama series but promised to be brilliant. Started very well: the first four episodes were fantastic, full of action, an interesting plot, good back stories and interesting characters. However, the longer it went on the more implausible and contrived some of the plot development became. Some developments are quite farcical.
Furthermore, writer-creator Joe Barton tries to cram in far too many sub-plots into the series. I was only really interested in the crime-drama aspect but Barton has all sorts of other angles wound around this, stories that really don't add anything. I didn't mind when they were just there to provide some colour to proceedings but instead of staying as minor filler they become major plot streams (in terms of time consumed, rather than quality or interest/entertainment factor). Episodes 5-8 become very unfocused because of this, resulting in my interest and engagement waning.
It all comes together more-or-less okay in the end but the contrast with how it started is still quite stark.
A tighter plot, captured in about 4 or 5 episodes instead of 8, and this would have been excellent.
Good drama series but promised to be brilliant. Started very well: the first four episodes were fantastic, full of action, an interesting plot, good back stories and interesting characters. However, the longer it went on the more implausible and contrived some of the plot development became. Some developments are quite farcical.
Furthermore, writer-creator Joe Barton tries to cram in far too many sub-plots into the series. I was only really interested in the crime-drama aspect but Barton has all sorts of other angles wound around this, stories that really don't add anything. I didn't mind when they were just there to provide some colour to proceedings but instead of staying as minor filler they become major plot streams (in terms of time consumed, rather than quality or interest/entertainment factor). Episodes 5-8 become very unfocused because of this, resulting in my interest and engagement waning.
It all comes together more-or-less okay in the end but the contrast with how it started is still quite stark.
A tighter plot, captured in about 4 or 5 episodes instead of 8, and this would have been excellent.
Unusual Drama - It's Good!
keikoyoshikawa11 January 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Well paced. Interesting characters. Even more interesting situations. A few clichéd moments here and there, but overall an excellent series.
Two things stood out. One are the gunfight scenes which were very well done - chaotic, scared, full of adrenaline. That's what it's like in real-life. The other are the complications in the lives of the main characters, which I thought helped to better define them rather than distract from the story.
A few lines of dialogue stood out: "We're not bad people. We just do bad things," one character said to another. The other replied, "Really, what's the difference." And that's the gist of the story - the things we do for love, for family, for honor, but really for our own selfish reasons.
One complaint though: Poor Roy - he gets shot and doesn't even know what's going on. But not really, though.
Two things stood out. One are the gunfight scenes which were very well done - chaotic, scared, full of adrenaline. That's what it's like in real-life. The other are the complications in the lives of the main characters, which I thought helped to better define them rather than distract from the story.
A few lines of dialogue stood out: "We're not bad people. We just do bad things," one character said to another. The other replied, "Really, what's the difference." And that's the gist of the story - the things we do for love, for family, for honor, but really for our own selfish reasons.
One complaint though: Poor Roy - he gets shot and doesn't even know what's going on. But not really, though.
A series of two halves. First half good, second half not so much.
eddsnake10 November 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Having something of a fascination with Japan I was looking forward to Giri/Haji from the moment the BBC began its trailers, a month or so before the series' first episode aired.
Sadly after a strong start it falls away episode by episode, with a far-fetched storyline and a lack of likeable characters.
The scenes filmed in Japan with the Japanese cast are far more enjoyable than those filmed in London, as other than Kelly McDonald most of the British cast is annoying, poorly acted or both. Jamie Draven's attempt at a London accent is particularly jarring (is it that difficult for a Mancunian to learn?!) and Charlie Creed-Miles is an amalgam of all the 'Lock Stock and Two smoking barrels' cockney gangsters we've overdosed on since the late '90s, but even less convincing.
A few reviewers have praised Will Sharpe's performance and he does indeed do a memorable turn as half Japanese/half English rentboy Rodney. Why I should actually care about the fate of a cocaine-addicted hedonist that is such a self-centred b*stard that even the love of his life kills himself, is never made clear though.
Kenzo's daughter Taki also gets plenty of screen time, but is a much less engaging character than any of the other Japanese players. The young actress playing her seems to have two emotions, boredom or joy, and very little in between.
Less of Rodney, Taki and entirely superfluous characters like black hitwoman Donna or Taki's girlfriend (BBC PC box-ticking seems the only reason either of them were included) and more of Kenzo's portly detective partner or long-suffering wife Rei would have made the whole thing more focussed and engaging. As others have said it feels like the creators have tried to cram in too much and the series is much less cohesive for it.
Re-make it and set it entirely in Japan with the Japanese cast and it would go from a 7 out of 10 to an 8 or 9 for me, but then I doubt the BBC would have been interested in making it?
A missed opportunity.
Sadly after a strong start it falls away episode by episode, with a far-fetched storyline and a lack of likeable characters.
The scenes filmed in Japan with the Japanese cast are far more enjoyable than those filmed in London, as other than Kelly McDonald most of the British cast is annoying, poorly acted or both. Jamie Draven's attempt at a London accent is particularly jarring (is it that difficult for a Mancunian to learn?!) and Charlie Creed-Miles is an amalgam of all the 'Lock Stock and Two smoking barrels' cockney gangsters we've overdosed on since the late '90s, but even less convincing.
A few reviewers have praised Will Sharpe's performance and he does indeed do a memorable turn as half Japanese/half English rentboy Rodney. Why I should actually care about the fate of a cocaine-addicted hedonist that is such a self-centred b*stard that even the love of his life kills himself, is never made clear though.
Kenzo's daughter Taki also gets plenty of screen time, but is a much less engaging character than any of the other Japanese players. The young actress playing her seems to have two emotions, boredom or joy, and very little in between.
Less of Rodney, Taki and entirely superfluous characters like black hitwoman Donna or Taki's girlfriend (BBC PC box-ticking seems the only reason either of them were included) and more of Kenzo's portly detective partner or long-suffering wife Rei would have made the whole thing more focussed and engaging. As others have said it feels like the creators have tried to cram in too much and the series is much less cohesive for it.
Re-make it and set it entirely in Japan with the Japanese cast and it would go from a 7 out of 10 to an 8 or 9 for me, but then I doubt the BBC would have been interested in making it?
A missed opportunity.
Starts strong and immediately turns to hot garbage
mcantelon30 July 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I saw all the glowing reviews of this series and thought "cool... I'll give this a watch". The first episode was great: well-shot, stylish, and engaging. After that, however, it pretty much immediately fell apart.The characters started doing things that they have no obvious motivation for. Implausible things started happening regularly (people running into each other at just the right time, etc.). For example the Japanese cop protagonist, who becomes friends (for no obvious reason) with an unstable gay drug addict prostitute, has no issue letting his underage daughter hang out with said prostitute. When his underage daughter, while hanging out with the prostitute, ends up becoming romantically involved with the prostitute's drug dealer the cop 1) doesn't have a problem with the relationship and 2) allows his underage daughter to spend the night with this adult that he's never met. Additionally this show seems to portray this relationship of an underage girl with an adult drug dealer as normal, even positive. Would a show portray a relationship between an underage girl and an adult drug dealer positively if the relationship was heterosexual? Seems unlikely. Beyond the implausibility in the writing there's also a lot of cheesiness and tropes. Given the promise of the first episode it's a shame how bad the rest turned out.
Will watch it again
hihaho-0049113 December 2019
The first episode starts with the kind of stylized art violence that is unreal enough to let me carry on watching. Resonates with "the matrix" (gun scene) or similar.
The daughter, Taki, is so beautiful, that presumably the stage direction in her shots is: "Close up of Taki's face, takes half the screen, dialogue (optional), something else pertinent to the plot and artfully arranged in the other half of the shot, pause on Taki's face for 8 seconds, cut. Repeat".
Sometimes it suffers a bit from acting as if some characters are "wise" or might suddenly say "the answer" (to life and everything I suppose) - a lot of things "happen", and then the characters are generally busy seeking meaning, and we happen to be there, so we are along for the ride. But they are as muddled as anyone in the world, more so maybe. If you stop looking for meaning, just fall in love with the characters, and appreciate the series of heists, showdowns, coincidences and cinematography, it is more enjoyable, and watchable.
For me, the brother Yuto is a bit irritating to watch in episode 1 - maybe because he has so many "soft focus" "in the past" scenes, which make him look and act like a model for photos that come free/ready installed in new photo frames than a real person. The other characters are all engaging, and only he is the odd man out in this episode. Also, this is the odd-episode-out too - yuto improves.
There is some unevenness in what is possible/impossible in this created universe, especially around fight scenes and show downs - sometimes the characters are unbeatable/unstoppable in their gunfighting skills, callous professional heisting and doing the job of the gangster/police/yakuza. Other times, "those pesky kids" (not those pesky kids, but some of the non-yakuza characters) seem to be able to get the upper hand over the gansters by hitting with a frypan or a pair of scissors, against automatic weapons and uneven numbers, and get away with it. That breaks the magic really. But at least there is a lot of magic:
The series has its own style and its own humour. The between-the-scenes boards and narator are cool/witty/self deprecating. In terms of characters, Rodney and the Cockney gangster could each have a show of thier own really, their dialogue is so sharp and watchable.
And even apart from those two shining stars, there is quirkiness and humour in this show, that means I feel I can watch it again. Look out for hidden personal messages to some of the characters in the billboard/adverts and airport departure boards, and even painted onto the road where the "Stop/go slow" should be.
Stop, go slow, and watch it again.
The daughter, Taki, is so beautiful, that presumably the stage direction in her shots is: "Close up of Taki's face, takes half the screen, dialogue (optional), something else pertinent to the plot and artfully arranged in the other half of the shot, pause on Taki's face for 8 seconds, cut. Repeat".
Sometimes it suffers a bit from acting as if some characters are "wise" or might suddenly say "the answer" (to life and everything I suppose) - a lot of things "happen", and then the characters are generally busy seeking meaning, and we happen to be there, so we are along for the ride. But they are as muddled as anyone in the world, more so maybe. If you stop looking for meaning, just fall in love with the characters, and appreciate the series of heists, showdowns, coincidences and cinematography, it is more enjoyable, and watchable.
For me, the brother Yuto is a bit irritating to watch in episode 1 - maybe because he has so many "soft focus" "in the past" scenes, which make him look and act like a model for photos that come free/ready installed in new photo frames than a real person. The other characters are all engaging, and only he is the odd man out in this episode. Also, this is the odd-episode-out too - yuto improves.
There is some unevenness in what is possible/impossible in this created universe, especially around fight scenes and show downs - sometimes the characters are unbeatable/unstoppable in their gunfighting skills, callous professional heisting and doing the job of the gangster/police/yakuza. Other times, "those pesky kids" (not those pesky kids, but some of the non-yakuza characters) seem to be able to get the upper hand over the gansters by hitting with a frypan or a pair of scissors, against automatic weapons and uneven numbers, and get away with it. That breaks the magic really. But at least there is a lot of magic:
The series has its own style and its own humour. The between-the-scenes boards and narator are cool/witty/self deprecating. In terms of characters, Rodney and the Cockney gangster could each have a show of thier own really, their dialogue is so sharp and watchable.
And even apart from those two shining stars, there is quirkiness and humour in this show, that means I feel I can watch it again. Look out for hidden personal messages to some of the characters in the billboard/adverts and airport departure boards, and even painted onto the road where the "Stop/go slow" should be.
Stop, go slow, and watch it again.
Outstanding
Rachemum-1695922 October 2019
Superb!
wentworthstreet24 December 2019
This is simply one of the best TV series I have ever seen. Head spinningly original story telling backed up by brilliant direction and fantastic performances by all concerned, with a special mention for Will Sharpe who plays Rodney.
Brutal violence, complicated family dynamics, a love story - it has all these elements and so much more, including moments of highly amusing black comedy.
I would still like to know more about the snake and the nappy scene will live long in the memory.
A huge thank you to all concerned for making such a high quality, totally addictive and unmissable drama.
Brutal violence, complicated family dynamics, a love story - it has all these elements and so much more, including moments of highly amusing black comedy.
I would still like to know more about the snake and the nappy scene will live long in the memory.
A huge thank you to all concerned for making such a high quality, totally addictive and unmissable drama.
Truly extraordinary and impossible to adequately describe
mirabai-by31 January 2020
I will watch this compelling and complex series again. The story telling, character development, different cultures represented (Japanese, British) and stylized presentation are riveting. The overt plot includes two brothers, one a detective, the other a member of the yakuza; it the title, Duty/Shame belies a much deeper psychological portrayal of love, betrayal, acceptance, grief. Truly, a unique viewing experience. I would say that in watching this, stay with it. The story is many layered and unfolds slowly. The acting is exceptional throughout.
Starts out OK,
bogus-bogus-one7 November 2019
Watch 1st three episodes
crashingsarvesh30 September 2020
This started of really well. First 2 episodes were mind-blowing and refreshing. The animation part was awesome ,flashbacks were done great too. But after 4th episode it just became something else. Lost all its charm due to unnecessary subplots.
Poor screenplay with a lot of loose ends
fundodosaco91119 March 2020
Wow
jacobscottmchaney17 January 2020
Well developed characters and acting, but unnecessarily too long
g_s_j26 September 2020
Well cast, clever and funny
jane-jones319 October 2019
Absolutely a must see
nvargas-9491120 January 2020
Thank you to cast and crew for an amazing performance/work in creating a series that has you wanting more. This is the first show in a long time where I constantly ecstatic for the next episode to start. I look forward to future epsiode as they continue the storyline and we see what has come all characters.
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