Invisible

I like that this series combines both individual stories that are wrapped up in one episode with an overall theme that ties the entire series together.

There is one graphics-obscured throat-cutting scene that is excessively repeated throughout the series. Could have done with a lot less of that (which is why I only give it 7 stars. A director should know when too much is too much).

Other than that, the directing and acting are both good. The ending was a bit pretentious (no spoilers) but that can be forgiven by the excellent character portrayals and the overall story.

Overall, at 10 episodes it was just right and made me wish there were more 10 episode series... as quite often 16 to 36 episodes are just too many for a lot of Asian series. I find many of the stories could easily be told and be better told in 8 to 10 episodes, but stretch it out for too long. This series was just right.

The dialogue is sometimes too obvious . For example. "Why did he say it was a bomb".

That is completely unnecessary and makes it at times laughable.

The first episode has a blacklist feel to it. A show I stopped watching after the first season.

But it is a feel and invisible doesn't have the same authority While she is the better actor, it doesn't make sense she watched the first bombing.

The music in the series is a big distraction , serves no purpose. It feels very amateurish in that regard.

A lot of scenes are unoriginal , it it is there way of doing a homage it feels out of place.

I might try some other episodes . I do think there are guest directors and that might be interesting.

The rating of 3 reflects the hope of that. But the show is in need of a different direction to get a better rating. (Pun intended)

This is one of those shows best taken as enjoyable entertainment, that may sound negative but there's a lot to like and it's very entertaining without being ground breaking.

There's a good cast who deliver their parts well, pacing is good and production values are excellent. The character of invisible/kiriko is particularly well played, there's an air of detached amusement and manipulation that makes the character work. The basic premise of a detective working with a criminal mastermind with an agenda known only to her to solve crimes may sound silly but actually works well.

Overall it's a show intended to entertain, it's not trying to be anything else and it does deliver an enjoyable and entertaining ride.

I made it through two episodes before I gave up. The show is basically a string of standalone "monster of the week" episodes tied together with a gossamer thin narrative thread. Some people have compared it with The Blacklist, another show I gave up on mainly due to the fact that I can't stand James Spader.

Perhaps it was a mistake that I had just sat through Heaven and Hell: Soul Exchange, also starring Issey Takahashi, before watching this show. It too was a cop show with quite lackluster narrative and Japanese style overacting. I'm sure that Invisible too will turn into a romantic melodramedy between the two leads. Although I will never know.

This ten part Japanese series is centred on an unlikely pair. Takafumi Shimura a detective determined to bring the person who killed his junior partner three years previously to justice and Kiriko, a mysterious woman who identifies herself as 'Invisible', a near mythical underworld crime coordinator. Shimura's mission to catch his partner's killer remains an ongoing plot line through the series while individual murder mysteries occupy each episode; each involving a mysterious underworld character such as 'Trainer' and 'Doctor'.

I thought this series was rather fun, even if it wasn't quite as good as other Japanese series I've watched lately. The nature of the criminal network is hardly realistic but that isn't the point of the show; each unlikely criminal is enjoyably varied. There are some interesting twists, especially in the longer running plot lines. Once the villain is exposed this person becomes a delightfully over the top pantomime villain. The cast is solid, especially our two leads. Overall not the best Japanese crime drama I've seen but still rather fun.

These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles.