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    Almael
    Member
    Boss

    http://i1370.photobucket.com/albums/ag254/jashiman/JDorama/Boss/th_Boss1-01-009c_zpsed46up3j.png" />http://i1370.photobucket.com/albums/ag254/jashiman/JDorama/Boss/th_Boss1-04-003c_zpsdqgoczcd.png" />http://i1370.photobucket.com/albums/ag254/jashiman/JDorama/Boss/th_Boss1-05-093c_zpsjumryil2.png" />

    Eriko cool; Police work: maskot Peepo! ; the thief

    http://i1370.photobucket.com/albums/ag254/jashiman/JDorama/Boss/th_Boss1-08-008c_zpswi42gbck.png" />

    dream couple

    http://i1370.photobucket.com/albums/ag254/jashiman/JDorama/Boss/th_Boss1-09-003_zpse5blpi1f.png" />

    unacustomed to earthquake: is she really Japanese?

    http://i1370.photobucket.com/albums/ag254/jashiman/JDorama/Boss/th_Boss1-03-098c_zps8whyy65h.png" />http://i1370.photobucket.com/albums/ag254/jashiman/JDorama/Boss/th_Boss1-09-004c_zpsretxsoc3.png" />

    Reiko ; Katagiri

    http://i1370.photobucket.com/albums/ag254/jashiman/JDorama/Boss/th_Boss1-09-040c_zps3dwu1x7c.png" />http://i1370.photobucket.com/albums/ag254/jashiman/JDorama/Boss/th_Boss1-03-085c_zpsetnjrgin.png" />

    Kimoto Mami power up; Yamamura-san

    http://i1370.photobucket.com/albums/ag254/jashiman/JDorama/Boss/th_Boss1-09-045_zpsybeq6jaq.png" />http://i1370.photobucket.com/albums/ag254/jashiman/JDorama/Boss/th_Boss1-01-007c_zpsjsae3ipv.png" />

    Iwai-san takes a good sniff; Hanagata Ippei

    Type: detective drama

    Genre: crime, detective, action

    Year: 2009

    Synopsis:

    Osawa Eriko is recalled to head the newly found Special Crimes Countermeasure Unit. Officially, it’s a quick response investigate unit meant to deal with high priority or difficult or modern crime. It is to provide assistance to Criminal Investigation Division 1. However, the truth is a complex layered matter of interest from various groups within the “organization.”

    The unit has been raised by Nodate Shinjiro who also selected the colorful team:

    Eriko, 40, Division 1/4 outcast inspector, highly intelligent, an expert in profiling, a beauty, a single among single, self-declared busty, heavy drinker, and messy (exhibitionist) sleeper.

    Katagiri Takuma, 31, Division 1 outcast, a handsome, gloomy, hard working man, a master marksman, has shooting phobia, has no experience with women, , bloodtype B, self declared awkward.

    Kimoto Mami, 25, expert forensics, Scitific Crime Detection Research outcast, fair introvert nerd, has difficulty to follow “order”, bloodtype B.

    Hanagata Ippei, 24, rookie from a police box, healthy, willing to do anything, bloodtype O, a weirdo.

    Yamamura Keisuke, 50, Sgt., Environmental Haelth and Safety outcast, careless “Trapper”, divorced twice, has a dislike toward beautiful women, likes cabaret clubs, bloodtype AB.

    Iwai Zenji, 39, Sgt., Organized Crime Division (4) outcast, a brawler, cross-dresser, likes men, bloodtype AB.

    It basically consists of peculiar police “troublemakers”, hence, the true purpose is to isolate them. The unit’s office is located on the 6th floor in the corner of the Annex building.

    The unit solves cases due to each member’s peculiar strength and their boss’ intuition and smarts. The members more or less overcome their weaknesses for good or worse.

    Critique:

    So far this show has the best team of all police dramas. Half of the cast are better or best actors. The advantage is it makes a great show to enjoy. The disadvantage is some are not available for season 2. :/

    The women are strong in this show. Amami Yuki as Osawa Eriko is just great as usual.

    Takenouchi Yutaka as Nodate Shinjiro makes a good pair with her (and in other shows). In the show they have a 18 year old relationship kind of like Akane & Ranma, a like-despising one. Nodate says he raised the unit for his gokons (Nodate-kon).

    Kichise Michiko as Narahashi Reiko is Eriko’s rival in womanhood. It’s a good friendly, poisonous relationship. A reason for cat fights! Toda Erika as Kimoto Mami is the junior for both woman to raise. She has the best character stories in the show. We get to see her grow while going through goo and bad time. Mostly bad times if not worse of all in both seasons, though.

    Too bad the show is kind of short, there’s not that much or extensive relationship scenes to enjoy like in longer shows like NCIS. However, all necessary character stories and relationships are there so there’s is really nothing missing.

    The majority of crimes turn out to have some mystery to them that are solved in smart ways. It’s very enjoyable to watch.

    The conspiracy in the end was shocking, misleading, suspenseful. Even though I could guess roughly how it would go it kept me glued to the screen until the very end. Sorimachi Takashi (GTO) as Takakura Ryuhei, the mastermind of the Black Moon, was a surprise appearance. He’s always soo evil when playing the bad guy. Here he’s double/triple crossing everyone and escaping nearly all our heroes’ traps. He even plants a fuel-vapor (thermobaric) bomb that’s exaggerated as a nuke equivalent with no one in Japan able to disable it (except Japan’s foremost criminal bomber). This is too much of a Hollywood trope. All that needs to be done is preventing oxygen mixing or contact for a moment, e.g. sand, water, nitrogen would do. If you thought you’ve seen it all then brace for season 2!

    Miscellaneous stuff:

    The show is up to date on scientific research e.g. James Surowiecki’s work on the Wisdom of Crowds/Collective intelligence that just came out.

    The first few seconds of the ED is very reminiscent to the Japanese “Yuki no Hana”. Well, I would have identified it regardless in which language.

    Verdict: 9.7

    Cast: 10

    Cast performance: 9

    Script/Directing: 10