Saretagawa no Blue (2021)

A Predictable and Disappointing Waste of Potential

I don't usually write reviews with spoilers but this is more of a rant than a review, so here we go.

I went into this drama with a lot of optimism. And, I'll be honest, I waited with bated breath for the release of each new episode. The result: a complete waste of time. Several parts of the show were quite predictable, with two notable exceptions: the portrayal of villainy and the delivery on setup and payoff. One was fantastic, the other was abysmal. And in the end, the show suffered for it.

Though there were a few nuances to the downfall of this drama, my main gripes come down to two crucial points. Firstly, the show did an unreasonably good job at making antagonists who you really hate. I mean like deep, infernal, blood boiling hate to the point of nausea when one even appears on screen. Excellent (or perhaps just effective) acting by the villains backed up by malicious intent in the narrative produced characters I'm sure everyone who's laid eyes on has collectively despised. This contrasted with admittedly bland but overall good protagonists created an epic imbalance of good vs. evil just begging to be unleashed.

And there's your problem. The conflict is never properly resolved. There is no payoff for the enormous setup. The reason the excellent characterization actually plays against the show is because the characters are never put to good use, beyond meaningless drama and a lackluster, repetitive series of reveals with practically no consequences. The very LEAST I could have hoped for, even amidst a show devoid of general catharsis, was some romantic development amongst the main characters. Spoiler alert: that doesn't happen. Nor does any sort of high-stakes dramatic showdown or series of revenge-filled moments to ease the palpable tension built to that point. To fully and completely spoil the ending: they get a lawyer and divorce, the good guy goes back to being single and his ex-wife goes off to manipulate another sucker. Hooray.

Now, listen. I'm sure you want to point out the fact that not all shows have to end in rainbows and unicorns, and that's certainly true. Dark endings have their appeal in several cases (e.g. Rogue One). What sets this show apart is it's complete reliance on the tension of the villainy displayed versus the efforts of our heroes; a reliance to push the story, to maintain engagement, to keep us all watching to the end. And then it's never delivered. You have to deliver. This is no longer a gritty story which ends gritty, it's a story which threatens you with Chekhov's gun but never fires it. And maybe I'm being a little harsh, discrediting a whole show for one major flaw, but what is a show really supposed to do? It's supposed to be fun. To pass the time. To provide an escape from your life into a new one. And for however overly neat and tidy the world of fiction can be, I'd rather spend my time there than hopping from one disappointing reality to another. I do not recommend this show.

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