Ichikei no Karasu (2021)

Iruma Michios -- A very uniquely done courtroom/law drama

I started this drama as it was coming to its end, and I loved how simple yet deep it is in its dialogues and execution. For example, when Iruma Michio told Nagaoka Makoto it was up to him to decide how he accepts the truth about his father and his death in episode one, probably one of the most explosive episodes along with all the other episodes the only thing I could think was how powerful that one sentence was -- brilliant drama, and this was just me watching the first episode. At the time, I could only imagine how much better the drama would get, and it did. It not only tackled the law and the injustices it commits but also touches on how the elite view the law and the twisted perceptions they impose on it to benefit themselves. I wish the world were full of Iruma Michios.

As I watched this drama, I was reminded of Frederick Douglass's quote when he said. "Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob, and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe." A very uniquely done courtroom/law drama presenting the heart of the law while applying the rule of law with a brilliant cast in the marvelous Takenouchi Yutaka as the very humanistic judge Iruma Michio aiming to render the "correct" judgment, not just the politically acceptable one.

When they say it is not power that corrupts but fear, they are absolutely right -- fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it, and fear of the courage of power and what is different corrupts those who are subject to it. So, in that sense, it's not that Iruma is different, but in how he interrupts the law as it was meant to be in that justice cannot be for one side alone but must be for both sides and parties regardless of one's station in life.

Such a simplistic drama, yet it manages to raise such piercing questions in how the higher-ups in the legal system and the general public view and interpret law and justice. And to that end, I am a complete sucker for dramas with bold messages, and Ichikei no Karasu's was clear that true freedom requires the rule of law and justice and a judicial system in which the denial of rights to others does not secure the rights of some. And that judges should not just interpret the letter of the law but understand it and apply it fairly and justly.

Undoubtedly the drama and Iruma Michios wouldn't have been as good with the support of its wondrous cast in Judge Komazawa Yoshio, who makes it possible for Iruma and the rest of his team to be who they are - true to themselves and the judgments they consciously render; Nakamura Baijaku as Chief Secretary Kawazoe Hiroshi, and law clerks aIshikura Bunta, Sakurai Yuki (Sakurai Yuki), Ichinose Itoko (Mizutani Kaho), and prosecutors Ide Iori (Yamazaki Ikusaburo) and Ichinose Itoko (Masu Takeshi). I love how principled this drama was to the end. Highly recommend it.

"Until justice is blind to color until education is unaware of race, and until opportunity is unconcerned with the color of men's skins (statues), emancipation will be a proclamation but not a fact" ~ Lyndon B. Johnson.

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People who have different ideology and way of thinking are everywhere to be found in the work place or anywhere in the world but it becomes a hard thing when you encounter people like these in a job of a judge where you're supposed to make such big decisions based on evidences and YOUR ideology and you have make those decision with someone who has the total opposite ideology as yours.

I always find dramas like this interesting when one main character of ours works according only to their brain and the other only listens to the heart. I wanted that throughout this drama, not only the female protagonist changes but both of them start to understand each other and use a mixture of both ideologies cuz a job like a judge needs both heart and brain but that did not happened. I know saying a drama is not great becuase it did not followed the route I wanted it to is not really right but this is just my opinion so I'm saying it honestly.

I wanted the drama to go more deeper but it was like the usual investigation drama that tells you to follow ideologies all the time cuz the real world doesn't do that so it's drama's job to put all the idealism in it. Is that a bad thing ? Not at all but I don't agree with it. I like idealism but I like my dramas to be at least a little realistic. You have this formula of this ideal hero who's always right with no flaws but I think that's a flaw in its own atleast to me and we see him bickering with kuroki's character throughout the drama. Is it fun ? For sure at first but it gets boring after some episodes.


There's a new case for them to judge each episode. It follows the typical crime , investigation drama but it's interesting and entertaining enough for you to watch one episode weekly. Judges do all the investigation cuz apparantly police is lazy and useless lol Every episode has a bizarre question that has been asked by the male main character's nephew and in the end of the episode we get the heart-touching answer of it by the female main character.

If we talk about the acting then I have nothing but praises. Everybody did their job flawlessly as expected from the critically acclaimed cast!

I definitely won't rewatch it cuz I was already bored Sometimes in the first watch but that's just me plus I rarely rewatch stuff.


So overall, it's not really a bad drama cuz it was entertaining and fun but it was nothing groundbreaking or special. Do I recommend it ?

Hell yeah if you wanna be just entertained trying to solve investigations with judges but if you want something special out of ordinary drama that'd touch your soul, this one isn't for you.

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