Before I get into it, there’s an SP that precedes this drama, and it would have helped some if I watched it beforehand but whateva whateva. I wasn’t planning on watching Strawberry Night at all (it’s no Gonzo, or SPEC) but there’s no harm in watching another cop drama! It’s kind of like a grittier and glossier version of BOSS… kinda. Anyway–
Mother-Daughter Problems
We find out later in the episode that Himekawa was sexually assaulted long ago, and that’s cause for a lot of her mother’s concern (for her to get married, as if that’s the key to happiness). I’m sure it was explained in much more detail in the SP, but it wasn’t brought up too many times in this episode. What was brought up way too many times for my liking was the actual scene itself. Just… nope (Chuck Testa). Her dad appears to be complacent. Meltdown status?
Everybody Hates Himekawa (and Each Other)
Casual misogyny not even ten minutes into the first episode! These guys must think they’re so clever, calling her princess all the time…
I don’t understand any of the animosity towards her, but again, that might have been something I missed in the SP. However, that doesn’t excuse Hashizume telling her not to screw up with her “half-hearted woman’s intuition”. And then everyone just kind of watches him as he stalks off. #ICANNOT Even the chief of forensics is an asshole! I feel like we haven’t touched the surface when it comes to this stuff — not at all.
Aside from her subordinates, I get the feeling that no one really likes each other. She can’t stand Kusaka, and he probably doesn’t like her too much either. Imaizumi is stern, but I don’t believe he dislikes Himekawa — they have a working relationship. Nori keeps to himself and suffers from panic attacks, and I’m guessing it’s because he might have “failed” to save someone from being murdered or summat. Kikuta (more Nishijima Hidetoshi, really) makes my heart skip a beat, insert meaningful gazes at Himekawa here. Tamo is super precious and probably the most easy-going of anyone there. Yuda is the token comic relief of the group.
(Can you tell I’m trying to use their names often so I can keep track of the characters? LOL)
Red
Red bag, red moon, red light, red rose… symbolism? What symbolism?
IT’S GRISLY
So! many! feelings! when I saw Kiritani Kenta. But he appeared in a flashback, and that could only mean Terribly Bad Things. I knew it was going to be bad. I didn’t know that he was going to be shot, point blank, in the face. I just wasn’t expecting it, much like how I wasn’t expecting for them to replay Himekawa’s rape either. That wasn’t as graphic as Otsuka being shot at though, thank goodness.
But the train falling on the girl? NUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTS
The Case
Yes, the actual procedural! This didn’t really get going until the second half of the episode (when I started caring, oops), and even then it felt very disjointed and rushed. The scenes were all over the place. I still wasn’t very invested in the story until I finally found out what they were actually investigating when they were speaking to a victim from a related ten-year-old case. I don’t know if I just wasn’t focused or if it was just bad storytelling, but either way — things started to make sense at that point. The parts with Miharu and Tokuyama (the perp… who I’d never really focused on TBH) were a little sad, but because of his selfishness he inadvertently killed/injured many. One of the best and powerful and heartbreaking parts of the episode came from that bit of exposition, though… uuyasdfyuagfuygsdfyasdfugh MY HEART. :(
Then I zoned out until the last minute/thirty-seconds of the episode (blah blah righteous speech directed at criminal “u r the worst kind of person!!!!”) and it was over. Plonk!
Second case (episodes two & three) was much better than the first, might have had to do with the fact that it was spread out over two episodes and it was less disjointed that way. Kind of a crutch? Good dramas can tell the story in a single episode without any gaps, but this strategy is definitely working to pull in the viewers for at least two weeks worth of episodes. And it only makes me want to watch more!