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mayoraaseiRatings: 6.6-9.6%
The name is a bit of a mouthful, in both Japanese and romaji: ON 異常犯罪捜査官・藤堂比奈子, meaning "unusual crime detective Toudou Hinako".
Another entry in Japan's ample catalogue of police dramas, ON comes with a bit of a twist - the main character, Toudou Hinako, is a detective, but under the cover of her righteous profession is a darkness she's torn between hiding and unveiling. She is "emotionally cold", so whereas most people would react with some degree of horror or sadness to a murder, she has only an intellectual fascination. She is drawn to them because she wonders what it takes to become a murderer - and what it would take for herself to cross that line, to "flip the switch" - and hence the title, "ON".
This is not actually as unusual a premise as the series tries to make it out to be. The police drama genre has no shortage of borderline sociopaths, such as the enduring creation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. What does make it unique is the gender of its lead - in both a genre that is traditionally led by men, and in a character trope that is traditionally assigned to men (at least in main or major characters).
Starring as Toudou Hinako is Haru, in infinitely better make-up than last season's Sekai Ichi Muzukashii Koi. She gives Toudou an innocence that saved the character from being painfully bland. Toudou is fascinating, if only in a metaphysical way. Unlike, say, Sherlock or Kimura's character Tsukumo Ryuusuke in Mr Brain, Toudou is amazingly socially appropriate in spite of her supposed lack of empathy. Perhaps sadly reflective of gender roles in Japan, the highly intellectual Toudou has studied the behaviours of those around her and emulate them in order to "fit in" - as opposed to Tsukumo or even Nakai Masahiro's autistic Ataru, who are allowed to be their unconventional selves and still be considered "great". Apart from her lack of empathy, Toudou does not have the usual characteristics of this trope of being disinhibited and overbearingly egotistic, and if you didn't see her face off with crazy murderers with that excited glint in her eye, you would think that she's just a reserved and smart girl.
The series also takes a slightly aberrant route that does not focus on crime-solving as much as it does on Toudou's quest to define herself and her own motivations. From that end, it's an introspective series that isn't often seen in this drama, and it poses some interesting discussions about the creation of serial killers, and the effect of personal choice versus environmental selection pressures. It was also interesting to see Toudou's perspective turning from "I approach murderers because I want to find out if they can drive me to finally kill, as I am destined to" into "I approach murderers because I want to prove to myself that I will make the right choice and not kill them".
Opposite her is Hayashi Kento, whom I've never watched before but puts up a thought-provoking portrayal of a conflicted, well-meaning forensic psychologist. Many of the deeper philosophical reflections come from him, one of the more interesting and always topical observations being a (rather off-hand) "weapons do kill people" - that the possession of a weapon both enables and psychologically reinforces the intent to kill, and may be what causes people to take that step across the line.
The other major character is Yokoyama Yuu's short-fused policeman, who likes to beat up murderers ever since his own sister was murdered 5 years ago. I've previously enjoyed Yokoyama's portrayals of some odd-balls in various dramas, but he's really quite forced and awkward here. This was especially poignant in a scene in the final episode where he meets with Hayashi Kento's psychologist, as he struts his Johnny's Junior stage walk while Hayashi lowers his head and looks exactly like the self-effacing psychologist he is meant to be.
Rounding out the main cast is Kaname Jun in a surprisingly bland turn as a fellow policeman that likes Toudou but never gets noticed. The older colleagues provide a parental role to Toudou that helps lead her out of her moral quagmire, but in themselves are quite forgettable. Apart from home, crime scenes and work, there are odd intrusions of scenes in a maid cafe, which often come off as cringe-inducing than cute or funny.
For a series that focuses more on the psychology than crime-solving, its crime scenes is more bloody and confrontational than most other Japanese series I've seen, not for the weak in stomach and definitely not to be watched during dinner. The plot is rather simple but between the philosophical musings and the atmospheric music and camera angles, it's surprisingly easy to digest. Worth a watch when there is nothing else to see.
The name is a bit of a mouthful, in both Japanese and romaji: ON 異常犯罪捜査官・藤堂比奈子, meaning "unusual crime detective Toudou Hinako".
Another entry in Japan's ample catalogue of police dramas, ON comes with a bit of a twist - the main character, Toudou Hinako, is a detective, but under the cover of her righteous profession is a darkness she's torn between hiding and unveiling. She is "emotionally cold", so whereas most people would react with some degree of horror or sadness to a murder, she has only an intellectual fascination. She is drawn to them because she wonders what it takes to become a murderer - and what it would take for herself to cross that line, to "flip the switch" - and hence the title, "ON".
This is not actually as unusual a premise as the series tries to make it out to be. The police drama genre has no shortage of borderline sociopaths, such as the enduring creation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. What does make it unique is the gender of its lead - in both a genre that is traditionally led by men, and in a character trope that is traditionally assigned to men (at least in main or major characters).
Starring as Toudou Hinako is Haru, in infinitely better make-up than last season's Sekai Ichi Muzukashii Koi. She gives Toudou an innocence that saved the character from being painfully bland. Toudou is fascinating, if only in a metaphysical way. Unlike, say, Sherlock or Kimura's character Tsukumo Ryuusuke in Mr Brain, Toudou is amazingly socially appropriate in spite of her supposed lack of empathy. Perhaps sadly reflective of gender roles in Japan, the highly intellectual Toudou has studied the behaviours of those around her and emulate them in order to "fit in" - as opposed to Tsukumo or even Nakai Masahiro's autistic Ataru, who are allowed to be their unconventional selves and still be considered "great". Apart from her lack of empathy, Toudou does not have the usual characteristics of this trope of being disinhibited and overbearingly egotistic, and if you didn't see her face off with crazy murderers with that excited glint in her eye, you would think that she's just a reserved and smart girl.
The series also takes a slightly aberrant route that does not focus on crime-solving as much as it does on Toudou's quest to define herself and her own motivations. From that end, it's an introspective series that isn't often seen in this drama, and it poses some interesting discussions about the creation of serial killers, and the effect of personal choice versus environmental selection pressures. It was also interesting to see Toudou's perspective turning from "I approach murderers because I want to find out if they can drive me to finally kill, as I am destined to" into "I approach murderers because I want to prove to myself that I will make the right choice and not kill them".
Opposite her is Hayashi Kento, whom I've never watched before but puts up a thought-provoking portrayal of a conflicted, well-meaning forensic psychologist. Many of the deeper philosophical reflections come from him, one of the more interesting and always topical observations being a (rather off-hand) "weapons do kill people" - that the possession of a weapon both enables and psychologically reinforces the intent to kill, and may be what causes people to take that step across the line.
The other major character is Yokoyama Yuu's short-fused policeman, who likes to beat up murderers ever since his own sister was murdered 5 years ago. I've previously enjoyed Yokoyama's portrayals of some odd-balls in various dramas, but he's really quite forced and awkward here. This was especially poignant in a scene in the final episode where he meets with Hayashi Kento's psychologist, as he struts his Johnny's Junior stage walk while Hayashi lowers his head and looks exactly like the self-effacing psychologist he is meant to be.
Rounding out the main cast is Kaname Jun in a surprisingly bland turn as a fellow policeman that likes Toudou but never gets noticed. The older colleagues provide a parental role to Toudou that helps lead her out of her moral quagmire, but in themselves are quite forgettable. Apart from home, crime scenes and work, there are odd intrusions of scenes in a maid cafe, which often come off as cringe-inducing than cute or funny.
For a series that focuses more on the psychology than crime-solving, its crime scenes is more bloody and confrontational than most other Japanese series I've seen, not for the weak in stomach and definitely not to be watched during dinner. The plot is rather simple but between the philosophical musings and the atmospheric music and camera angles, it's surprisingly easy to digest. Worth a watch when there is nothing else to see.
