In my post about the Keigo Higashino novel "The Name Of The Game Is A Kidnapping" and its 2003 and 2024 adaptations, I had remarked that with the 2003 version with Naohito Fujiki, Yukie Nakama and Ryo Ishibashi, while mostly true to the source material (with a few alterations and additions), they tacked on an extended "happy ending" for everyone involved, a move I felt didn't sit right but did leave the audiences satisfied!
The 2024 version started off well by avoiding a lot of changes the 2003 version made, seeming to adhere to the novel as best as they could, and I stated in my last post that I felt we were going to get the "true" adaptation at last! Kazuya Kamenashi was excellent as Sakuma, Ai Mikami great as Juri and Atsuro Watabe properlyintimidating as Katsuragi. Things looked good!
Well, I just finished watching the new series, and not only did they ALSO tack on a new ending, my GOSH, it had to be the most over-the-top, overly dramatic conclusions ever! Seriously, I had the surprised Pikachu face as I watched this new ending, thinking, "Everyone agrees that the Keigo Higashino novel is perfect...so WHY do they always feel they need to ADD to the ending???"
Is it because in Japan, the novel is so well known that they feel the need to surprise the fans who have already read the book? Is the original "twist" not enough? Surely fans of the source material must have been as disappointed as I was with this newfangled wrap up...
Too bad, as I was REALLY digging the 2024 version up to that point!
