Hello Harinezumi (2017)

I generally love most Japanese detective comedies, but some are better than others. I was looking forward to Hello Harinezumi based on the cast and director/writer, and it did not disappoint!

STORY
I never read the manga, so I'm not sure how many story arcs were based on it, but the script was tight and had that perfect blend of (light) black humor, pop culture wit (and tons of riffing off old detective shows), parody and physical comedy to go along with sympathetic characters, intrigue, and heartwarming moments...which to me is a perfect sum of why this genre is such a pleasure to watch! I tend to be a poor judge of how much Japanese humor translates, but I think even people who don't catch all the cultural references (some are a bit subtle) would find the characters and situations entertaining.

The cases were diverse and unique, no matter how standard they were, thanks to the great characters and acting. The stories had heart, and were a really fun range, from family situations to a 50-year-old cold case, to matchmaking, to treasure hunting, to starring in a slapdash "hero show" play for kids. You won't see street fights or too many dead bodies (there are some, however!), but each case has just enough mystery to be compelling in itself, beyond the already compelling character and relational arcs. While it's episodic, as usual there is a definite progression that makes the whole season feel very satisfying and complete, even if you don't know all the characters' backgrounds and there's no unifying thread. Still, you can't help but want more when you get the end! And happily, it seems like there's going to be a season 2, which is a huge detective show triumph! Really hope it happens.

CAST/ACTING
As for the actors, you can't go wrong with Eita and Morita Go, who are both hilarious in their roles as quirky partners who both characterize the agency's motto—to be "compassionate and meddlesome." They had great relational and chemistry with Yamaguchi Tomoko as their boss, who I wasn't familiar with and was surprised to find out how few roles she's taken over the past decades. While her character is the typical smart, tough-yet-caring, independent middle aged single female boss (and I must say, I always love those characters), her zanyness is refreshing (she's always nursing some new drink, treats her employees like bros). She has major flair, and Yamaguchi pulls off her character perfectly.

Fukuda Kyoko's character...not so much. She almost always had on one of two botoxy kawaii-puzzled expressions, and her general over-selfconscious aren't-I-pretty aura made it hard for  me to warm up to her somewhat generic and distracting character. I've liked her in a few roles that forced her to be a little more complex (e.g. Second Love), but she tends to not have much range, and in that sense I think this was a casting error even if her character is a stock one. The contrast is just too stark, especially when someone with flair like Aoi Yu comes onto the scene and her interaction with Eita's character is just oh so interesting-fun that you wish she was a main character! However, eventually Ranko-chan becomes more useful to the team even if she's more of a foil, and I stopped being annoyed as the other characters somehow made her seem cooler. Nearly all the supporting and guest actors did fabulous jobs, and I felt each episode got better and better.

OST/REWATCH
I loved the music, which was one of my favorite detective show jazz soundtracks next to Take Five...thanks to RADWIMPS (eclectic band that is great with soundtracks)...and make sure you watch the end credits each time...especially in the last episode. Too fun. Even though I rarely rewatch dramas—and especially not anything mystery-related—I'll probably rewatch this one sometime in the future as it's such a feel-good drama. It definitely will go on my list of favorites!

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I wanted to watch this show for the longest time, partly because of the synopsis and partly because of the amazing cast; however, because I've left this show on the back burner far too long, I completely forgot who the cast was! After realizing two of the main characters looked ridiculously familiar, I researched and found out it was Eita and Morita Go! Which renewed my faith in the entire show by episode 3; they are two of my favorite actors, so it made me happy!

This show had enough suspense, comedy, action, romance, sadness, scares, and plot twists to keep me on the edge of my seat for days! I have never fallen in love with a detective drama as quickly as I have this one. There was one episode that made me sob, one that had me terrified, and every episode made me laugh out loud! There was a lot of feeling packed into each episode; lots and lots of different feelings packed into every episode. I'm not one for romance dramas, I believe I've actually only ever seen one or two from start to finish, but this show does romance very well, very tasteful!

I hope this show gets a second season, it really deserves it. The music is fantastic; the script is wonderfully written for a manga to live action adaptation; the casting is perfection. Nothing felt too rushed or confusing; each piece of an episode fit in well with the whole series. If you want to follow Eita or Morita Go or any other actor/actress from this series, this is a good place to start, but do not let the cast be the only reason you watch this drama! Each person fulfills their role(s) perfectly well; the relationship between each character is close and reliable.

This is definitely not a show to be missed! I would absolutely suggest watching this show if you like detective dramas, manga adaptations, comedies, and Japan, too!

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