Nazotoki wa Dinner Ato de Review
I know, I'm pretty much four years late to this party, but you'll have to forgive me. I have a little catching up to do drama wise, but I had to watch this one. It had my favorite Arashi member in it, so it was at the top of my list. Let's begin, shall we?
Synposis: Based on a highly successful novel by Higashigawa Tokuya, selling over 1.4 million copies after its publication in September of 2009, the intriguing yet familiar mystery takes place inside a seemingly unsuitable place for mysteries: Socialite Reiko's stately mansion. Reiko is the only daughter to the CEO of a major enterprise, "Hosho Group," known worldwide. Hiding her true identity behind her day time job as a rookie police officer, Reiko comes home to her butler and driver, Kageyama whenever she is faced with a complex case, being a perfectionist, Kageyama is flawless when it comes to serving meals full course from hors d'oeuvre to dessert. He sharply points out the lack of reasoning on Reiko's side, keeping the comment one fine line away from being offensive.
The cutting remarks by Kageyama and appearances by unique characters, as well as the play on words and light tempo of witty conversations...and most of all, being referred to as the "Armchair detective" who solves mysteries without encountering the suspects together create a daring mystery solving roller-coaster ride.
Sounds interesting, doesn't it? Going into this show, I was expecting a clever heiress, a sharp-tongued butler and complicated mysteries that the two would solve together. What the viewer receives is far from that.
Important Characters:
Hosho Reiko - rich heiress who's always gotten her way. Smart and clever on the job, turns into an idiot when Kageyama is there
Kageyama - clever butler who actually offends Reiko a lot. Pretty much is only there to solve the crimes
Kasamatsuri - possibly the dumbest hunk of bricks I've ever laid eyes on. Occassionally right....once in a blue moon
Breaking it down: The show begins with the previous butler, Karasawa, passing the "butler bowtie" from himself to Kageyama, essentially beginning Kageyama's reign as Reiko's butler. Reiko, who we are introduced to at the scene of a murder, is shown to be a competite woman who knows and points out her boss, Kasamatsuri's, blunders and idiot conclusions at the scene of the crime. Unfortunately, the show only goes down hill from here.
Although Reiko is shown to be a competite woman at her job, she sheds this coat upon arriving home and dresses in ther "rich girl, heiress persona," which is not only a downgrade but a bore to watch. During her evening dinners each night after a new crime, she explains to Kageyama, her butler, the crime that occured and all of the evidence that was surmised during that day's investigation. Although Kageyama has proven himself to be a competite butler, serving meals in a timely manner and watching Reiko, just as his predessecor had, he still insults Reiko's intelligence and ability to notice the smallest details. Upon linking these details together, the true culprit is revealed!
Hurray? Not quite.
Although the premise was interesting to watch, the show is anything but. The viewer gets glimpses of a smart, intelligent Reiko, but, for two-third of the show, we must put of with this idiot heiress who cannot put two and two together. For instance, in one crime where the deceased was reading every night, instead of using the nearest piece of paper for a crime, she would call for her butler to bring her a bookmark. Yes, this could be common to individuals who grew up having someone wait on them hand and foot, but, remember, Reiko is a member of the working class, a detective no less. A woman, such as herself, should be able to figure out how to mark the page of her book without her butler. You could also attribute this to her childish nature, but childishness should not be a safety net for pure, unadulterated stupidity.
From being an avid reader, or just an avid television and movie watcher, we tend to look for a change in the main characters throughout the course of a show. We want to see our characters change, for better or worse, and for all of their problems to come to a close by the end of the last episode.
Throughout the course of Nazotoki, I was waiting for Reiko to make some sort of change. To become a stronger individual who didn't need Kageyama's deduction skills to solve cases, to become a little smarter, anything. We did get a glimpse of that in the ninth episode, but that spark flew away in the tenth. Even watching Nazotoki's special and movie, Reiko never changes. She remains the same static, airheaded heiress we see at the beginning of the show.
The same can be said for all of Nazotoki's main three characters. Reiko, Kageyama, and Kasamatsuri remain the same, static characters throughout the course of the series and remain that way to the bitter end. Is it jarring? Not particularly. Is it frustrating? 10/10 would agree.
There are also several plot points that Nazotoki fails to address, even with a two hour long special and a two hour long movie:
1. Why does Kageyama have amazing deduction skill? (and don't say its because he wanted to be a baseball player or a detective. I mean how did he get these skills)
2. If Hosho Group is such a powerful company, why does no one notice Reiko has the same last name as this conglomorate?
3. Why does no one notice Hosho-kun is Hosho Reiko actually? All she does is put her hair in a pony tail and put on glasses and I'm supposed to believe she's another person?
4. Along the same lines, why doesn't Kasamatsuri ever notice Reiko is the same person as Ho Sho Rei?
5. Was it even told what secret Reiko's father couldn't know? Because I don't remember it being told
All of these are equally frustrating and never fully discussed to their potential.
Score: 2.5/5
Final Thoughts: If you like a show with a rinse, wash, repeat sort of feel (except for the movie because it managed to, somehow, tell a story even when it was throwing new characters in our face the entire time), I'd recommend this show in a heartbeat to you. If you want something with more depth and substance to its plot, I'd look in another direction.