Giri / Haji 義理/恥 (Duty / Shame)
Pupule rating: 3.0 (out of 4)
BBC (Netflix)
I've shamed my share of shows and movies that came up short on character development. Ruthlessly at times. With Giri / Haji, that aspect is priority No. 1, without question. From the lead, a compromised Japanese detective, to his wayward Yakuza brother, to his rebellious 16-year-old daughter, to his love interest in London, GH has plenty to offer. Plenty of drama.
In the end, after a out-of-nowhere artistic dance scene of at least 3 minutes, the swordplay and amputated fingers add up to a rather unsatisfying climax. Giri / Haji is watchable and entertaining. No other show I know of has a cast primarily of Japanese actors in England for an entire season.
If this never makes it to a second season, so be it. It was never dull, that's for sure.
Fair warning: Adult content, including an unnecessary sex scene that most parents won't want their children to view. Some decisions in this series were head-scratching variety, no question. The simple move would have been to lean into one or two characters and build everything, say 90 percent of the story, around them. The cinematography and patience in pacing would have worked well with a heavy Yakuza plotline. Or more about Kenzo's apparently rocky relationship with his wife — something that isn't clear until the final two episodes, weirdly enough — and his love interest, a female detective in London.
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