Alice Hirose in "Kanzen Muzai~Completely Innocent"

As you all know, I am a huge fan of actress Alice Hirose and try to see everything she stars in, and at episode 3 of her latest crime mystery drama “Kanzen Muzai”, think this might be some of her finest acting yet!
Lawyer Chisa Matsuoka (Hirose) is a Criminal Defense attorney who holds the unenviable job of defending purported criminals in court, a job not looked fondly upon the public when she successfully frees suspected murderers in court, but this is her job, and she does it as best she can.

Matsuoka is assigned to a case in her old hometown where a convict who has been imprisoned for years declares he is innocent and wants a retrial.  The convict Satoshi Hirayama (Yukiya Kitamura) is in jail for the kidnapping of three young girls and murdering one of them 21 years ago. At the time, Hirayama confessed to the crimes, but now says he was coerced by the police into it, and that he is innocent.

We can see from her reaction when told about the case that there is something about it that haunts her, and we will learn she has greater personal ties to the case than one would guess…

She arrives at her hometown where she is met with her colleague Hiroki Kuma (Shunsuke Kazama) who knows her well and is on hand top help and assist in the case. In her first interview with the convicted felon Satoshi Hirayama (Yukiya Kitamura) , he seems stand-offish and aloof and she wonders if he even truly wants the case to be re-examined.

 But as someone dedicated to her job, Chisa goes through the initial investigating anyway, going back over the old case files, interviewing past witnesses, and revisiting the location of the murder.

 Word soon gets back to a Victims Counselor named Yoshio Arimori (Eiji Okuda) and a woman named Toshie Ikemura (Naomi Zaizen) that the convict Hirayama is trying to appeal his sentence and get out, news that greatly disturbs both of them.

21 years ago, Arimori was the lead detective on the abduction case and the one, along with fellow detetive Imai (Takumi Ooto) who eventually nabbed and got the confession out of Hirayama that sent him to prison, but now their methods of getting it will be under scrutiny.

The woman Ikemura is the mother of the 8 year old girl Akiho who was kidnapped and murdered, and is still grieving for her loss after all these years. The idea of the murderer trying to get free is outrageous to her, firmly believing in his guilt and saying he should show repentance instead of trying to get out of jail.

Back with Matsuoka, she is finding that there is little evidence to suggest a retrial and once more goes to interview Hirayama for more information. But she is once again rebuffed by the man who presumes she’s just some hotshot city woman who doesn’t really care about his case or what happens to him.

 

Matsuoka finally has had enough of his aloof attitude and, confronting him at last, reveals her connection to the case: Chisa was one of the three girls that got abducted all those years ago! 

Thankfully, she was one who managed to escape at the last minute from the abductor, however she still bears the scars of the traumatic event, fighting nightmares of the past, anxiety, and a flinching phobia of being approached to this day.

She levels with him by telling him that if he IS the murderer, then she gives no DAMN if he is to be executed, and good riddance. HOWEVER, if he truly is innocent, she cannot ABIDE the VERY IDEA of the actual guilty person still walking around FREE. “So let me ask you again for the last time, Hirayama-san," she firmly asks at last.”Are you innocent?” 

And finally, seeing her resolve, Hirayama breaks down. After years of everyone , his lawyers and friends, all telling him they believed him even as they secretly suspected him, here is a woman whom he knows will TRULY get the the bottom of things. He pleads his innocence to her, and puts his fate into her hands…

Chisa Matsuoka will fight with her life to defend Hirayama and bring the ACTUAL perpetrator of the crimes to justice, but she’ll have her work cut out for her…not only is she seen as freeing a guilty man by all involved, but there are people working in the shadows to make sure that what is buried never come to light!

HOLY TOLEDO, what a GUT-WRENCHING first few episodes! And while I’m (as always) apprehensive about the show’s story resorting to the usual cliche twists and bored tropes with corrupt higher ups, etc, I’m hoping that the drama’s lean 5 episode structure  leads to a more straight-forward murder mystery caper….

It's been SO GOOD so far, crossing fingers that they don't blow it!!!

PS: I've said it before but MAN these WOWOW dramas are always shot with these sickeningly greenish blue filters making everything look so drab and cold! Always feel like I need to watch something bright afterwards!

Posted by zdorama @ zdoramaagain.blogspot.com

Sleepless Nights with Bakarhythm's "Non-REM no Mado"

Bakarhythm in Non-REM no Mado

 As someone who absolutely LOVES the works of off-kilter madman BAKARHYTHM and his wonderfully imaginative stories, set-ups and scenarios, when I found out he has a series of thought-provoking shorts called “Non-REM no Mado”, I knew I just HAD to check it out!

Starting off as a sort of “Twilight Zone” feeling show, the series slowly became more of a take on societal niceties, fun observations and funny gags, becoming more Jerry Seinfeld than Rod Serling!

At first, Non REM no Mado started off slow and seemed more like throwaway ideas left over from his dramas, (at least in my opinion) but by the third installment, it really seemed to pick up and become wildly fun to watch! Some I even now regard as full blown faves!

Hosted by Bakarhythm in his always stoic persona (think the dude in the white room purgatory in Brush Up Life and you get the idea), along with an abstractly dismembered Yuki Saito as his companion, they introduce each segment and talk about it afterwards, making for nice ‘bookends” to each chapter!

 

Just got finished wrapping 'em all up and thought I'd break the series down for anyone interested in checking it out! The synopses of the chapters and the guests appearing in them (of which there are MANY!) follow: 

Spring 2022 Special

"Our Love"

Kazama stars as a two-timing guy who wakes up one morning to find that his cheating heart has split him into two separate beings! Now free to date each woman exclusively, his life should be a breeze…or is it just inviting MORE problems?

Shunsuke Kazama

"Cancellation Game"

A man trying to cancel a subscription contract online find out just how difficult companies make it for someone to end their service, with hard-to follow instructions, hidden buttons and forms, til one is about to lose their minds! 

For those who have actually tried to cancel a subscription, you know that this is a scenario that is far too close to the mark to be funny!

Toru Nomaguchi

"Customize"

A young barista learning the ropes at a Starbucks-like cafe finds that there is a skill in learning and memorizing those agonizingly long customized orders of extra cream, low fat milk, two sugars, etc, and find there’s a status and art in it!

Mayu Matsuoka

Fall 2022 Special

"The Man from the Future"

Average guy discovers that he’s time-slipped back 3 years into the past, unfortunately, having lived a completely unremarkable life unaware of any real social events or advancements in science or technology around him, finds he has no way of using this power to his benefit!

Masataka Kubota

"Banned Terms"

Fumino as a Charismatic Newscaster who finds that in his current world of cancel-culture, easily offended parties and outrage baiters, it is becoming harder and harder to do her daily report without using words or phrases that might “set somebody off”. 

With Cancel Culture becoming a bigger and bigger thing nowadays, this is a very timely one!

Fumino Kimura

Yuno Ohara

 "I Want To Know The Password"

A game of cat-and-mouse between a housewife and her husband when, believing he is cheating on her, engages in a battle of wits with him as she tries to get into his phone, laptop, etc, for proof. But the savvy hubby is always one step ahead….

PS: MAN, Tae was so damn pretty in this chapter!

Tae Kimura

New Year’s Special 2023

"The Shelter Man"

Hilarious short of a schleppy guy who finds a fugitive at his doorstep, begging for cover from the police. Normally he would call the authorities right away, but she’s an absolute babe so he invites her in, with hopes of somehow getting it on with her. But will his sense of appearing gentlemanly to his beautiful guest dash his chances?

Disco Hoshino

Riho Yoshioka

"Proxy Society"

In a futuristic world where you can hire a proxy to stand -in for you at any event that makes you uncomfortable, Ryuta Sato is at the top of his game. His latest job is to stand in for a guy who wants to propose to his girlfriend for hand in marriage. But when the girlfriend sends in her OWN proxy, things can get a bit muddled!!

Ryuta Sato

"Making Friends as an Adult"

A short but sweet story of a woman who finds that as she approaches middle age, it gets harder and harder to make friends to do things with. When work and home connections fail, she must dabble in latest methods and fads in search of true friendship!

Also featuring Yu Kashii, whom I haven’t seen in forever!

Haruka Kinami

Yu Kashii

Summer 2023 Special

"Dilemma At Dusk"

A supermarket quandary we’ve all been in, where the line you choose to pay for your goods goes slowly while the other goes fast… and when you move to the faster lane, IT slows down and the line you left picks up. What is a customer to do! Yukiyoshi Ozawa as the frazzled customer and Kana Kita as the cashier. Really liked this one!!!

Yukiyoshi Ozawa

Kana Kita

 

"Can You Be My Oshi/Death?"

Kaho as a bored OL whose only happiness is supporting her Oshi in a local idol boy band. When her stan suddenly quits, she seeks a new idol to support, and eventually finds one...a clerk at the local convenience store she shops at!!

Kaho 

"For Those Who (Don't) Want To Get Ahead in Life"

Seto stars as a succesful entrepreneur who, after being chided by an attractive contemporary of his (Miori Takimoto) for being too “high falutin’”, attends a class which teaches one to lower self-goals and become a more “Down to earth” unachiever!

Koji Seto

Miori Takimoto

Winter 2023 Special

"Nozaki's-San's Dream"

A high-school girl (Mori) dreams of becoming a famous model, actress and singer when she graduates. In her eyes, she’s always had star quality and has never doubted success would be on the way. But while being complimented by a gushing classmate (Karin Ono), she senses that her peers may not have seen her in the same light! 

This chapter is PURE BAKARHYTHM, the dialog so zany, fast and quirky, it could have come straight out of Brush up Life, especially with the karaoke flashback scene! 

Nana Mori

Karin Ono

"Love Chart"

A middle aged Dad faces the nerve wracking ordeal of parenthood when his young daughter falls in love with a boy in school for the first time! Using her school journal as a guide, he tries to work out what’s happening in class while he’s at work!

Kenichi Takito

Yuno Nagao

"Death Game"

A down on his luck guy with nothing to lose (Okayama) enters a “Squid Game” like scenario where the winner wins millions-but to lose costs you your life! But unlike life or death dramas like Liar Game or Da Capo Shimasenka, THIS game is run by a couple who, though intimidating looking, appear to be novices to the whole death-game dealing thing and fumble right along with the would be contestants! HAHAHA, this one was freaking HILARIOUS!!!

Amane Okayama

Takumi Saito

Misako Renbutsu

That's it so far- Five Specials in the span of two years.... pretty good output! I’ve talked to friends about Bakarhythm’s awesome SUTEKINA SEN-TAXI series, and how we WISH he would make new seasons every year, and though he won’t be doing that any time soon (I would wager that Yutaka Takenouchi would be waaaay to busy to commit to THAT), it seems like we may count on more Non REM no Mado specials in the future!

PS: Also really love how Bakarythm continually uses actors and actresses from his previous series, Kaho, Haruka Kinami, etc,  even cute Yuno Nagao (who played young Ando Sakura in Brush Up Life) among others!

Will be waiting for MORE of this FUN series!!!