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

HERO 2 Review

Title: Hero 2

Genre: Legal, Crime

Episodes: 11

Broadcast period: 2014-Jul to 2014-Sep

Cast: Kimura Takuya, Kitagawa Keiko, Sugimoto Tetta, Hamada Gaku and Masana Bokuzo.

Kuryu Kohei (Kimura Takuya) has returned to the Josai branch after once again being transferred. This time the office has gotten new prosecutors and new paralegals except two familiar faces. As always Kohei does his usual by causing turmoil in the office, be it his clothes or his way of investigating every case in detail.

This time around his paralegal and partner is Asagi Chika (Kitagawa Keiko) a fierce yet honest woman, who does not like to waste time or beat around the bush. She is very firm and likes to keep prosecutors on track, as she believes that is what she is supposed to do. That is until she meets Kuryu who helps her understand what it is like to work at the office and what her real duty is…

Finishing the (current) last of Kuryu Kohei’s story, the second season is better than all others I have watched. Not acting wise or not cast wise, but the overall story is better now if you ask me, and kind of has a better idea of what it’s like being in the office as a prosecutor - also in court. The thing that struck me both in the first season and the movie, which is also mentioned in season 2, is that the prosecutors are seen as bad in Japan: way different here where I live where the defense lawyers are seen as the bad guys.

Kimura as always does his job as Kuryu flawlessly and having Keiko on the cast makes it even better. The rest are quite brilliant as well, which I have no objections to.

All in all a great second season, and great cast.

☆☆☆☆ / 4 out of 5 stars

♥♥♥½ / 3½ out of 5 hearts