Iryu Sosa 4 Review

Title: Iryu Sosa Season 4

AKA: CSI: Crime Scene Talks Season 4

Genre: Police, Mystery, Crime

Episodes: 9

Broadcast period: 2017-Jul to 2017-Sep

Cast: Kamikawa Takaya, Kuriyama Chiaki, Toda Keiko, Nagai Masaru and Miyazaki Karen.

This is the fourth season of the drama series.

During a cruise trip in Kyoto, Itomura Satoshi (Kamikawa Takaya) is, together with the passengers and crew of the ship, hijacked by gunmen, right leaving the harbour. While threatening to blow up the ship, the gunmen blow up one of them, leaving small burnt pieces of paper behind. Using his smarts, he tries to alert the police, who have occupied the harbor, of possible on-shore accomplices. His signal is spotted by Kanzaki Rio (Kuriyama Chiaki), a detective of the Special Crime Management and Control Office (Tokutai), a team that specializes in crimes that are seen as either too wired or hard to solve. Soon enough the cruise is saved, but the hijackers are nowhere to be found. But Itomura believes otherwise, and the Tokutai are introduced to the unique man, only interested in the burnt pieces of paper, left by the hijackers….

Sorry about the summary - it’s been a while.

After four seasons, you kind of get used to the flow and storylines of this drama. It is a nice break from serious and heavy dramas, and you can enjoy it without much prior knowledge. Though I haven’t watched the special that is in between season 3 and season 4, I felt that I didn’t need it. I could follow the story, and I again, didn’t need any backstory. Season 4 is also different, in the sense that we are in a different city and with different characters (except Itomura of course), so it is very refreshing. I also feel like this season has turned up the storytelling - the individual episode stories are really well-written and good.

All in all, a good drama with good acting - and good storytelling.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

Iryu Sosa 3 Review

Title: Iryu Sosa Season 3

AKA: CSI: Crime Scene Talks Season 3

Genre: Police, Mystery, Crime

Episodes: 9

Broadcast period:

Cast: Kamikawa Takaya, Saito Yuki, Nishimura Masahiko, Masana Bokuzo, Mashima Hidekazu and Namioka Kazuki.

This is the third season of the drama series.

The drama continues where the last season left off, and the team has been allowed to focus on big cases due to their success of solving them in the past. Even though the team is still intact, the MPD First Investigation Division sends over Morita Sosuke (Nishimura Masahiko), a serious and loyal veteran detective, who is the complete opposite of Itomura Satoshi (Kamikawa Takaya). Though the team is used to Itomura and his sudden weird antics, the headstrong Morita refuses to let Itomura trample on the ranks and structure of the Japanese Police Force. Being gentle by nature, and quite frankly uninterested in anything but the victims, Itomura doesn’t rebuff or comment on Moritas obejctions, which infuriates Morita even more.

As Morita gets more and more used to the team, his initial goal of reporting about the division becomes less and less important, and Itomuras unreasonable personality becomes a common thing…

Compared to season 2, this one seems a bit darker. Even though its better than season 1, it has some element -which I can’t put my finger on - but it gives you a different feel. I don’t know if it’s because of the colors, or if its different locations that are dark, but I felt I bit sadder watching this. The humor is also dark, which, I believe, contributes to the theme. The stories are amazing, I think my favorite of all 3 seasons. They are sad, heartbreaking, and most of all relatable.  

I didn’t like the main story though. It kind of felt repeated, and I am sick of people against Itomura, it’s boring. Same old song, even if it gradually becomes better, you just want to watch a team, not this typical story…

Anyways, cool season, with amazing side stories, but typical and recognizable main story.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

Iryu Sosa 2 Review

Title: Iryu Sosa 2

AKA: Iryu Sosa Season 2/ CSI: Crime Scene Talks Season 2

Genre: Police, Mystery, Crime

Episodes: 8

Broadcast period: 2012-Jul to 2012-Sept

Cast: Kamikawa Takaya, Saito Yuki, Yashima Norito, Tanaka Tetsushi, Okada Yoshinori, Masana Bokuzo and Mashima Hidekazu.

This is the second season of the drama series.

After speaking up and undermining the ranks of the force, as he usually does, during an investigation at the First Investigation Division, Itomura Satoshi (Kamikawa Takaya) is demoted to work in a smaller station, in the outskirts of the city. This Investigation Team is led by Mizusawa Kyoko (Saito Yuki), and has few members, as well as small sections, such as traffic and guarding. Here Itomura isn’t tasked with the personal items, but he prefers to look at them, and investigate based on them. Though his team find him weird and occasionally annoying, they let him focus on the items left by the victims and have him investigate. This creates teamwork, as Itomura focuses on the families left behind, and his colleague focus on the crime…

Compared to season 1, this one I like way better. Not that it is much different: the premise and lead actor is the same. But I liked the supporting cast more in this one. Even if the characters didn’t support the lead, I felt that there was more teamwork in this season, compared to the first one. The characters are really likeable, and the side stories are good. Also, the guest stars were good actors, so an upgrade there…

This season has a bit more humor as well, and honestly, it is much more relatable, though I have to say, I am very surprised of how Itomura manages to find all those thigs out - but that is TV for you.

All in all, a good season, but better than the first one.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts

Iryu Sosa Review

Title: Iryu Sosa

AKA: CSI: Crime Scene Talks Season 1 / Iryu Sosa Season 1

Genre: Police, Mystery, Crime

Episodes: 11

Broadcast period: 2011-Apr to 2011-Jun

Cast: Kamikawa Takaya, Kanjiya Shihori, Sano Shiro and Osugi Ren.

Itomura Satoshi (Kamikawa Takaya) is the chief of the Scientific Criminal Investigation Unit, know as the Unit of Personal Effects by other cops. Ridiculed as a “timewaster”, he spends most of his time focusing on the personal effects of the victims, as he believes they can explain the behavior and thoughts, of the victims. Though undervalued, Itomura doesn’t care about the opinions of the others, and isn’t interested in the crimes - his focus is the victims and their families. He spends most time relaying the last moments to the families. Oda Miyuki (Kanjiya Shiori) is the only female detective in the First Investigation Division. Even though she is underestimated and discriminated due to her gender, she refuses to back down. But finds herself working with Itomura - who has been known to be a “promotion stopper” - even though she does not want to.

This drama focuses on the police force, but also on each crime/victim and their story…

This drama is one of those I found by accident while checking out the subtitle index update, and I kind of remember it from some time back, while watching the medical drama Iryu, as they share common name. Compared to other police dramas, this one is very different, as it focuses on the victims, and to be honest it feels incredibly weird. Instead of “rooting” for the capture of the criminals, I was shown the stories of the victims. Its very anti-climactic, but sort of refreshing, as you usually forget that the victims had fuller lives before being a victim. So that I really liked. I gotta say, the guest stars were bad at acting, I didn’t like that they seemed to “feel sad” or cry on cue… It ruins the set-up mood. Besides that, the other characters were to one track minded, which annoyed me a lot. I mean, it makes the Japanese police seem very bad.

Anyways, a decent watch, with good short stories.

☆☆☆ / 3 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥ / 3 out of 5 hearts