Having something of a fascination with Japan I was looking forward to Giri/Haji from the moment the BBC began its trailers, a month or so before the series' first episode aired.
Sadly after a strong start it falls away episode by episode, with a far-fetched storyline and a lack of likeable characters.
The scenes filmed in Japan with the Japanese cast are far more enjoyable than those filmed in London, as other than Kelly McDonald most of the British cast is annoying, poorly acted or both. Jamie Draven's attempt at a London accent is particularly jarring (is it that difficult for a Mancunian to learn?!) and Charlie Creed-Miles is an amalgam of all the 'Lock Stock and Two smoking barrels' cockney gangsters we've overdosed on since the late '90s, but even less convincing.
A few reviewers have praised Will Sharpe's performance and he does indeed do a memorable turn as half Japanese/half English rentboy Rodney. Why I should actually care about the fate of a cocaine-addicted hedonist that is such a self-centred b*stard that even the love of his life kills himself, is never made clear though.
Kenzo's daughter Taki also gets plenty of screen time, but is a much less engaging character than any of the other Japanese players. The young actress playing her seems to have two emotions, boredom or joy, and very little in between.
Less of Rodney, Taki and entirely superfluous characters like black hitwoman Donna or Taki's girlfriend (BBC PC box-ticking seems the only reason either of them were included) and more of Kenzo's portly detective partner or long-suffering wife Rei would have made the whole thing more focussed and engaging. As others have said it feels like the creators have tried to cram in too much and the series is much less cohesive for it.
Re-make it and set it entirely in Japan with the Japanese cast and it would go from a 7 out of 10 to an 8 or 9 for me, but then I doubt the BBC would have been interested in making it?
A missed opportunity.
Sadly after a strong start it falls away episode by episode, with a far-fetched storyline and a lack of likeable characters.
The scenes filmed in Japan with the Japanese cast are far more enjoyable than those filmed in London, as other than Kelly McDonald most of the British cast is annoying, poorly acted or both. Jamie Draven's attempt at a London accent is particularly jarring (is it that difficult for a Mancunian to learn?!) and Charlie Creed-Miles is an amalgam of all the 'Lock Stock and Two smoking barrels' cockney gangsters we've overdosed on since the late '90s, but even less convincing.
A few reviewers have praised Will Sharpe's performance and he does indeed do a memorable turn as half Japanese/half English rentboy Rodney. Why I should actually care about the fate of a cocaine-addicted hedonist that is such a self-centred b*stard that even the love of his life kills himself, is never made clear though.
Kenzo's daughter Taki also gets plenty of screen time, but is a much less engaging character than any of the other Japanese players. The young actress playing her seems to have two emotions, boredom or joy, and very little in between.
Less of Rodney, Taki and entirely superfluous characters like black hitwoman Donna or Taki's girlfriend (BBC PC box-ticking seems the only reason either of them were included) and more of Kenzo's portly detective partner or long-suffering wife Rei would have made the whole thing more focussed and engaging. As others have said it feels like the creators have tried to cram in too much and the series is much less cohesive for it.
Re-make it and set it entirely in Japan with the Japanese cast and it would go from a 7 out of 10 to an 8 or 9 for me, but then I doubt the BBC would have been interested in making it?
A missed opportunity.