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You may have read about the Nation-shaking "submarine" murder of journalist Kim Wall in front page stories the NYTimes ran. With ties to Denmark, and being semi-fluent in Danish, I was able to follow the story unfold in real time through Danish news outlets every day. The slow mounting evidence of her gruesome fate was unbelievably grotesque. This series is a formidable retelling of how her murder was investigated and the dogged attempt by so many dedicated professionals to leave no stone unturned so that a "guilty beyond a reasonable doubt" verdict could convict the one of the vilest monsters of a human being in Danish history. Every actor is flawless; and you may recognize two of the stars, Soren M and Pilou A. From their acclaimed work in the classic Danish drama, Borgen. If you like Scandi Noir, this series is must see television. Not quite a spoiler, but a warning: There is a scene where Kim's emotionally devastated parents embrace that will haunt you.

Don't know why exactly but I love this crazy series. It's just so wholesome, offbeat and every episode has a heart warming ending. Even the manga inspired corniness of it's premise is charming. No matter which way the wind blows, a parade of hilariously quirky themes, details and recurring friends and foes that run through both seasons, kept me paying attention. It's even educational in many ways. I learned a lot about Japanese city life. The lead realtor Nagase Saichi and his ever-smiling mentor Tsukishita are an odd couple: An adorable pair of young realtors on a quest to succeed in business while doing the right thing, or at least trying to-even if it means losing a commission. The transformation of Nagase, the easy-on-the-eyes, slick con-artist type into Tokyo's most painfully honest realtor, is a fun watch. You just never know what painful truth he'll blurt out next. I hope there's a season 3 but recently read its such a hit series in Japan that it's getting a movie adaptation. Can love ever bloom between clueless N. And sidekick-starstruck T.?? No doubt that's a super-size maybe, but I'm definitely rooting for them. Why not? Maybe the kaze-wind gods are too.

This is a uniquely Japanese take on the emotional evolution of a stepmom and daughter relationship. It is heartfelt and charming, albeit a bit frustrating at times. Mostly because Step-mom Aikiko is just so mired in self sacrifice and stuck in detached tearless grief. Thankfully we do watch her slowly transform, but I do mean SLOWLY. It's not that she is vulnerable and fragile, it's more like she is excruciatingly tough on herself and has a painfully stubborn streak. Luckily her daughter is played by a chill young actress who conveys stepdaughter teen angst with convincing subtlety. Things do get funnier and lighten up a bit when Takeru Satoh shows up as Mugita. He's her good looking baker boss, a hard working blue collar type guy played with a lot of heat (no pun intended). We kind of know right away that he's got eyes for Aikiko, but she never seems to notice his awkward glances. It's a total 180 degrees from Satoh's usual roles playing the aloof out-of-reach type. (Rorouni Kenshin- Samurai assassin anyone? LOL) All in all, if you view patience as a virtue, and can enjoy an offbeat take on a non-nuclear Japanese family story, my verdict is give it a watch. But in the end, I felt Aikiko left us all kind of hanging. But maybe that was the point? A woman of mystery for sure.