MIU404

Nogi Akiko simply doesn’t disappoint. She understands her craft and knows what the modern viewer wants. She doesn't stick to the old tried and true methods, she makes new paths and uses stereotypes and clichés as shoes, not as intersections. MIU 404 was fun, suspenseful, moving, and well-paced (everything mixed wonderfully together and dosed correctly; clever and witty dialogue coming from the mouths of characters you believe). Not only was it free of the distraction of bad acting performances, on the contrary, the cast boldly supported characters who were constantly evolving. The central duo/foursome of cops had great chemistry with each other and most importantly, they were all reasonable, human, and malleable within the confines of their characters. Ayano and Hoshino were great partners and I just hope to see them together in these roles again soon. The setting, the premise, the tools, the colleagues, the victims and perpetrators, and the random bystanders all fit right in and Nogi Akiko never throws them away after using them. She knows they’re there, that the viewer knows them, and so she isn't afraid to reach for them. In so doing, she has created a clever villain for us to think about for a long time. And as if Nogi’s work wasn't done, she still created all of this in a world that is familiar to us from her previous series, Unnatural. She even has two characters cut cameos. I enjoyed it immensely. It was suspenseful, fresh, funny, and gritty. Oh, and Suda Masaki spoke in his Osaka accent. Who is this guy?! A strong 4 stars, maybe when I watch it again without my kid after me I'll bump it up to a 5 stars. (2020.09.24)