Just watched: SPEC Shou

And so the adventures of Toma Saya (Played by Toda Erika) and Sebumi Takeru (Kase Ryo) continue as they hunt down criminals who use paranormal powers for evil. This TV special was transmitted a week or so before the cinema release of the final part of the SPEC story on April 7th.

First thing to mention is that this makes no sense if you haven't seen the TV series. Former characters are brought back with no introduction at all, and from the very beginning the humour is eccentric. I can imagine this being completely baffling to any newcomer. It's almost as if the director and writer went through each scene and asked themselves how they could make it a bit stranger.

As for the story, it's okay as long as you don't think about it too closely. It involves a killer who is targeting people with special powers (or "SPEC holders" as the programme calls them). At least we get some kind of an explanation about the final episode of the TV series, and we learn about Toma's special power.

It was an entertaining ninety minutes, and I'm glad it had a proper story with a beginning, a middle and an end (although I didn't really understand it), and wasn't just a big advert for the forthcoming film.

But I suppose it is just an advert for the film. But at least it's an advert with a beginning, a middle and an end.

Keizoku vs Keizoku 2: REMATCH!

* spoilers *

Now that I’ve seen both series through to their conclusion, I thought I’d compare the two again to see how they match up. (For my review of Keizoku 2: SPEC on its own merits, you can read it on Yam Mag.)

The TV series of Keizoku ends on a bleak note, with Shibata apparently lying dead in the arms of fellow detective Mayama. This, by itself, is a sad but somehow satisfying ending to a series that had previously not been afraid to kill regular cast members, and so had a real sense of danger about it.

And to be honest, if it had ended there it would’ve been fine. But it was followed by two somewhat enigmatic specials (one for TV, one for cinema) which didn’t really add to the story. Indeed, after the movie’s lengthy dreamlike sequence at the end, and the line from Mayama to Shibata “You’ve been asleep too long”, I prefer to think that the last two stories never happened at all, and that Shibata is still in a hospital bed in a coma.

The last episode of Keizoku 2 began with a very clever way of catching someone with the power to stop time, but ended with a final showdown that didn't make much sense. By then, however, I was happy to see it through to its conclusion, and the final shot of Toma standing triumphant was enigmatic and yet made a perfect end to the story.

Trying to pick between the two is hard since they don’t have a great deal in common. Keizoku started with normal explanations for the crimes before ending on a supernatural note, while Keizoku 2 took the supernatural to be real from the outset and worked from there. Both Toda Erika and Nakatani Miki are great as the lead roles in the two series. If it were a case of comparing the two TV series, then I think the original Keizoku just wins, but the two specials just confuse things which brings it down a bit. In the end, they're about even.

Having said that, perhaps Keizoku 2 will have its own specials. We shall see.

Currently watching: Keizoku 2: SPEC

You know, if I had to recommend a Japanese drama series for the beginner, this would definitely be one I’d consider. It’s got all the usual clichés, so that once you’ve watched this show, you’ve seen at least four others. And I mean that in a good way.

Distant male lead? Check. Eccentric genius? Check. Teenage villain? Check. Comedy violence? Check. Forgotten department of the police where officers do their duty despite the indifference of their bosses? Check. And the list goes on.

Luckily, Keizoku 2 throws them all together with quite a lot of style and wit. Toda Erika, as the slobbish Toma Saya, steals every scene she’s in, and Sebumi Takeru (played by Kase Ryo) is slowly coming out of his shell such that there’s a chance that the two may grow to like each other.

Now that we’re up to episode five, the story has long since dropped the original Keizoku’s rational explanations for irrational crimes. It seems to start from the idea that the existence of psychic phenomena is genuine, and then work from there. Episode five also ends on a bit of a sad note, and seems to be setting up the story for the rest of the season. I’m enjoying it so far, but I must admit I don’t have much hope for a good ending. Once you have magic powers in a story, almost anything – any twist or coincidence – is possible.

Maybe the list of clichés isn’t finished yet... Previously unknown alliance between opposing characters? Sudden realisation that character X has the same powers they’re trying to defeat? We shall see.

Keizoku vs. Keizoku 2: FIGHT!

Before the recent drama Keizoku 2: SPEC was broadcast, I read a few comments by people who were doubtful that it could possibly do the first series any justice. I decided to investigate and found to my surprise that the first series came out some eleven years ago!

Both series are set in the same police department: a section that handles “unsolvable” cases. These tend to have a vaguely supernatural air to them, while the solution is usually ingenious but non-paranormal. The officers investigating are a socially inadequate genius female detective, and her cynical male colleague. So far, so similar, and the only regular cast member in both series is the head of the department, played by Ryu Raita.











The stylistic differences are quite marked. The original is played a lot straighter. In Keizoku, the female detective (Nakatani Miki) is socially inept, but she tries to do the right thing. In the sequel, the detective (Toda Erika) also has problems dealing with people, but this time cares little for the consequences of her rudeness. The second series has a broader sense of humour, with a fair amount of physical comedy which the first series lacks.

The other main difference is that the sequel keeps dropping hints about geniune psychic abilities, with the opening episode involving two scenes in which a criminal is shot by his own bullets. This is, of course, impossible and it remains to be seen if there’s an explanation by the end.

Episode two of Keizoku 2 had a brief appearance from another member of the original cast, which makes me hope that they’ll bring back Nakatani Miki, at least for one case. I hope so. Having the two detectives working side by side would be like one of those episodes when all the actors who played Doctor Who come back for one adventure.

So far, both are enjoyable but the first series definitely has the better stories and more believable characters. Mind you, I've not finished watching either series and there's still time for Keizoku 2: SPEC to improve.