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In both shows the protagonists constantly wrestle with suicidal thoughts and delve into existential discussions with people around them from time to time.
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Sympathetic look on a man who lived his whole life in suffering only for it to accumulate to him committing irreversible, unforgivable crime that put them in a death row/about to be given death sentence.
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Both talk about similar things: freedom of press/speech, cover-up by government/govenrment-affiliated institutions, the pressure experienced by low-level bureaucrats when they had no choice but to follow bigwigs' orders, struggle of whistleblowers, etc. KokoBoku approaches its topics in black comedy style while Shinbun Kisha is more cut-and-dry thriller.
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About private detective, has similar noir vibes and jazz music, investigating simple yet sometimes weird af cases.
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Another black comedy from the same writer about quirky, earnest, yet also flawed characters that teeter between being a genius or a dimwit, cooking up a revenge plan against a bigger 'evil'.
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Mostly about character exploration of a woman with mysterious past and shaddy motivation who's suspected/convicted for murder, chronicling her past and relationships and what made her who she is now.
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Mostly about character exploration of a woman with mysterious past and shaddy motivation who's suspected/convicted for murder, and a man who believed in the innocent of the woman.
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Both dramas revolve around re-investigation of a possible false accusation case of a death row convict. Chase is more about finding out the true killer while 60 Gohan shades more light on Japan legal system.
About how ex-convicts re-integrate to society. Plage is mainly from the ex-convicts POV while Zenkamono is from probation officer POV.
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About struggling comedians. Konto ga Hajimaru is a relatively upbeat ensemble drama although still realistic while Spark is more gloomy and moody.
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Strong female friendship found in unlikely time/place that lead them to do crime for each other. Twisty with similar social messages.
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If you want more dark mystery dramas with deep female friendships born in time of desperation as its emotional axis.