I really underestimated Uchino Masaaki. I wouldn’t say he was “competent” in JIN, but he did what was required of him and I enjoyed what he did as Sakamoto Ryoma. In Gonzo, I didn’t know what to expect (and didn’t know much about the story because of the lackluster summaries I read), but I was floored. Grossly underestimated! Kuroki is a guy with a lot of personal demons, and it’s both heartbreaking and riveting to watch him try to keep it together while maintaining this levelheaded facade.
I felt like this cast didn’t have any glaring weaknesses, and the only bad guy was the criminal. Usually you have some sort of diabolical rival and maybe I was supposed to dislike Sakuma, but I loved him from the moment I saw him in the first episode.
The last two episodes were characteristic of your typical, really good drama. Which is fine, but they were nowhere close to the caliber of the first eight. This was only mildly disappointing, but not enough for me to completely discredit how wonderful Gonzo had been overall. There isn’t much I can say about the ending without spoiling it, but if you’re looking to watch a great detective drama, Gonzo is it.