Gannibal

This was absolute cinema, straight up fire from start to finish. One of the best gore crime thrillers i have ever watched. From presentation to execution to direction, everything was top notch. I have seen many gore thrillers but this one was incredibly rich in storytelling, lore and impact right up there with one of my favorite zombie dramas Kingdom.

There were plenty of goosebumps worthy moments. One of my favorites was the episode that narrated Gin Goto's story through flashbacks.

It's a shame that a drama like this doesn't get the attention it truly deserves.. I really hope it reaches a wider audience because it's one that deserves to be seen by more people..

Overall, season 2 takes everything to the next level.. With wild action, powerful performances and a raw intensity.. It has very dark and disturbing elements with bold scenes that only make it more intriguing to watch.

What a wonderful series!

Stumbled upon this series just by luck and boy was I impressed!

1. Story has just the right pace. There is enough buildup for the main story but something or other keeps happening so we feel involved all the time.

2. It's very Beautifully shot. Camera work is exceptional. Specially in episode 3. The director and the cameraman have done exceptional work.

3. All the characters are developed reasonably well. The lead is just perfect for this role. And his personality is built in a very believable manner. No one acts cringy or cliché.

4. The myths or urban legend around which the story is revolving is also dealt in a different way. Not like typical Hollywood series.

I would totally recommend this.

In the 5 episodes that I've seen I can't find a fault.

The plot has a familiar theme we've seen in the Hollywood movies and TV shows for a long time, but it's very well integrated into a aging rural society in japan which is the highest selling point here. I've seen a video from a japanese youtuber showing his experience of moving to a remote town in japan. At first those outsiders were welcomed, but soon after they found out that they had to follow so many of town's own rules, and they were being monitored. If they broke one of the rules, somebody in town would correct them. They couldn't bear those things any more, and eventually moved out of the town after living for a couple of years. This is a real thing happened and happening right now. So it's very interesting to see this show after hearing about what's really happening in japan. I've seen a fair share of Jdramas, and never seen a Jdrama like this. It's very unusual Jdrama and a great one at that. The only downside - though it's critical - is SFX. The CGI is really bad. It's below average especially with animals. It's probably related to budget, but still I can't understand why they adapted such a disappointing quality of CGI which distracts a lot from viewing experience. Other than that, being thirst for a new episode every week.

Beginning with a wonderfully executed opening scene of a police officer in hysteria, the show captures you with a sense of morbid intrigue and somehow just builds upon itself with each new episode. However, this isn't a fast paced show that throws high speed curve balls at you to catch you off guard. Instead, it works at a pace that more reflects the perfect stillness of its isolated forest setting, with a slow moving sinister undertone beneath its canopy. You follow the trail of a new, young, and impetuous police officer who's transferred with his wife and daughter to a small town precinct as its only law enforcing officer. While presiding over the unassuming sleepy territory, he never quite settles down as he attempts to uncover the disappearance of his predecessor (the very same hysterical officer from the opening scene). The detective mystery unravels one layer at a time but not so quickly that the viewer quite figures out what's happening too soon. The end of each episode creates a brooding desire to guess what will happen in each new following episode as the story builds suspense and the towns nefarious secret begins to show its face.

The directing is top notch at times, as in the opening scene. And the cinematography is artful-at times. However, the show isn't perfectly polished and ends up breaking you from its hypnosis at points, usually caused by low budget computer effects, or unbelievable gun play. As an American watching a Japanese show with gun fighting and usage, the gun physics was laughable. A shotgun with no recoil from shooting what appears to be slugs was boggling to me. But you can't blame a culture that doesn't glorify gun violence to pay much attention to that type of detail. Nonetheless, the show tends to stick to its lane of masterful storytelling over pretending to be a fast action shoot em up, thankfully. It's not long after each noticeable deviation before Gannibal entrances you back in with its storyline and gloomy style.

This show is well worth the watch, definitely refreshing despite its dark overtones.

The story is unique but then the pacing of the series makes it dull sometimes. At one point I thought the climax was coming but then the buildup stopped all of a sudden, leaving me with confusion and immense disappointment.

The most unacceptable part is the ending. I thought the entire backstory would be revealed at last, but then the series suddenly ended with half of the truth remain concealed. I guess it was done on purpose to leave it for Season 2? Not sure if I would give it another shot if there is another season though.

Acting of the cast is impeccable though. Yagira Yuya was the reason I watched this series and he never disappoints me. Baisho Mitsuko-san, the actress who played Goto Gin, the grandmother, gave me chills down my spine.

The score serves the series really well in heightening tensions and suspense too.

Overall is fine but I really hate it when a series is not ended properly because some people behind it want to make a sequel.