The Family Game

I haven't seen a show this deranged in a long time. I sat there riveted and just stared. Sometimes I had to roll my eyes. Seriously, they all did a great job, but mostly the three guys – Sakurai Shō, Kamiki Ryūnosuke (he hasn't become one of my most frequently watched actors for nothing) and Uragami Seishū. Still, Sakurai Shō reigns supreme. It's pretty much changed my opinion of him and his acting abilities. It can give you chills, it can amuse you, and it can move you all at the same time. And yet it somehow manages to do so without clichés, everything is driven by violence, falsehood, and one nutcase. It's essentially a stark probe into contemporary Japanese society, and a very successful one at that. So much so that it hurts. The scene where all the pretense cracks is absolutely epic. The director reined in the actors and the writer also did a very good job. If you're in the mood for something grittier, but also very human, where one broken devilish man wants to fix the world... give it a try. It's the kind of work that keeps you thinking after you turn it off. A weaker 5 stars. SPOILER (There's also the teacher Tago, wasn't there a glimpse of his former self in the last episode? His last glimpse? Who was actually there all along? Yoshimoto, Tago? Or someone in between? Or both of them, both of them struggling against each other, with evil gaining the upper hand? When you think about it, it almost gives you chills. And that's awfully nice.) (2014-07-01)