Soshite, Dare mo Inaku Natta Review
Every so often a drama comes along where I see the cast, see the plot summary, and I can't help but follow along every episode to see what happens next until the thrilling conclusion. This drama season, I believed it would be Hope: Kitai Zero no Shinnyu Shain, and Soshite, Dare mo Inaku Natta was the farthest thing from my mind. Despite my initial hesitation, Soshite became my favorite drama I've watched in a long time. But what made me change my mind about this drama? Let's begin, shall we?
Also, as a side note, I will be including spoilers in this review. Read at your own discression.
Synopsis: Todo Shinishi is handsome and smart. He is loved by family, friends, and his girlfriend. Everything in his life seems to go well, but, one day, someone with the same name is arrested. After that, his perfect life changes as an imposter takes over.
When I was first looking over dramas my favorite actors and idols were staring in, the summary didn't catch my attention in the slightest. I've seen other stolen identity stories, namely the American film 'Identity Thief,' and I wasn't impressed with the concept. I stuck it out, hoping the drama would take an interesting turn and keep me hooked.
Important Characters:
Todo Shinichi - I'm the real one! Not him!
Kuramoto Sanae - Can't decide to believe in her fiance or not
Osanai Tamotsu - Am I on your side? Or am I just a dick?
Todo Makiko - she'd do anything for her son
Kusaka Eiji - sweet angelic man who makes alcoholic drinks
Miss Erase - the computer program Shinichi spent years creating
Breaking it Down: From the very beginning I'm going to be upfront and honest. What originally caught my attention about this drama was a couple of screenshots that possibly spoiled who the villain of the entire show was. I did a few double takes, washed my eyes out, and came back to my eyes not having decieved me. Since I'm, at heart, a person who doesn't believe anything until there is evidence, I dove into this drama headfirst without thinking twice.
The story Soshite tells in gripping and possibly the worst fear of some individuals out there: what happens when your identity is stolen and the governenment doesn't believe you Although Shinichi's friends and family know of the truth, without proper documentation, his own liscense and passport deemed unusable considering the culprit was arrest, he is forced to sit back and watch as the fake takes over his identity.
From there, his life slowly unwinds into a mess. When Shinichi discovers the identity of the man who took over his life, the fake Shinichi's real idenity is wiped from the web using Miss Erase. Just as Shinichi discovers a way to identity who deleted the data, that evidence disappears as well. Each step he takes in the direction to regain his old life instead turns to disaster. His allies begin to dwindle as they take their own lives, out of heartbreak of not being trusted, and another killed in self-defense. Each death pushing him into hiding for a murder he did not commit.
Without an identity, without a home, one would believe that Shinichi would give into the despair of never returning to his former life. He surrounds himself with people he believes he can trust. Even when his belief in others, namely his friends and coworkers, are crushed by devastating phone call after call, he holds onto the few he can still see the good in.
Its one of the qualities that I particularly like about our hero, especially in reguards to his fiance. Each time someone steps forward, tries to convince him that Sanae is no good and using him, he focuses on the small details in their words instead, the ones trying to change his heart. It becomes more evident the two have nothing but love for the other when we see their first meeting which inevidently lead to their current relationship.
But even with all of this trust for each other, Shinichi and Sanae are still human. When Sanae stumbles upon Shinichi standing in front of his dead friend, shirt covered in blood, she can't help doubt his words that it wasn't him. In his darkest moment, Shinichi can't help but doubt that Sanae has always remained faithful to them. There are doubts and errors made along the way which makes their love story a believable, beautiful thing, especially when Sanae is there to greet him outside the police station at the end of it all.
The whole cast of Soshite is this way. Each character has their own motivations and wishes that push them towards their own goals. In regards to Osanai, even when his wishes are hidden until the very end, he both looks to uncover this mystery happening to his friend while pushing his own agenda of the personal number system. For the lawyer, Saijo, he meddles with the identity theft case to, in loose terms, protect his clients. And even simple motives are allowed, such as the fak Shinichi just wanting to get paid. But the ones with no will, no drive, are often the most dangerous of all in this show.
Which brings me to my favorite character from the entire show: Kusaka Eiji. From the very beginning, it's as if Eiji has no will of his own. He follows the orders of those around him so easily you can't help but root for him and Shinichi to survive this hell. It makes his betrayal shocking at the end. What was a man with no will becomes a villainous plot to ruin the existence of one human being. And for what? Stealing away the mother at such a young age.
Even having known that Eiji was the villain at the end of it all, I can appreciate the slow burn of revealing his mother is Makiko: the voice changer in her room, him selling his personal number at a young age, her only being Shinichi's step mother. It makes the detail of Makiko hiding a photo of her and a young boy, believed to be Shinichi during the course of the drama, that more shocking when Shinichi himself doesn't know the boy. Every small detail in the drama is carefully crafted to lead the viewer to the final conclusion.
Score: 5/5
Final Thoughts: Soshite, Dare mo Inaku Natta is the type of drama that only comes around once every so often. It tells a gripping tale of lost identity and human beings pushing for their own goals. Small lines that you think are trivial are important in the grand scheme of things. Eventually, the answers fall before you, but everything always runs deeper than it seems, even family ties.