Hello everybody! Welcome to Sunday Drama, where I discuss an episode from a drama. I cannot necessarily say Japanese drama since my next show will be American Horror Story: 1984. For now, we are discussing the Japanese drama Detective v Detectives. We are on episode 2, where we are turning up the intrigue. Before we get into episode 2, allow me to refresh your memory.
Justice
Rena Sasaki is a detective that investigates corrupt detectives for Suma Private Investigations in the Anti-detective Department. She joined the company via Suma Research, the PI school. Her aim is to learn about being a detective. It was a detective that led to the death of her little sister Sakura. Sakura’s stalker hired a detective to find her so that he can kill her. He threw her and then himself into a furnace, killing them both.
Rena works hard to catch corrupt detectives and try to learn about the circumstances that led to Sakura’s death. Suma throws a monkey wrench in Rena’s work when he hires Khotoa Minemori. Khotoa is the same age that Sakura would be if she lived. She’s extremely timid, not cut out for the dangerous detective work.
One of the leading detectives in the city is Aribu. He is out to kill Rena, primarily because she is messing with his business. He also seems to know about her sister. Is he the detective responsible for her death?
In A Car…In A River
Aribu visits the Suma agency to deliver a gift to Rena. Rena’s in Chinatown taking pictures of passersby. Khotoa accepts the gift on Rena’s behalf. She runs around the office, asking what she should do with it. Everyone ignores her. She checks the gift for bugs and finds nothing.
Rena calls her and Khota tells Rena about the gift. Rena tells her to come to Chinatown. Khotoa grabs the gift and heads to Chinatown. When she arrives, Khotoa gives Rena the gift. Rena tells her that there’s probably a GPS tracker inside. She instructs Khotoa to run as fast as she can for the train. Rena takes the car and the GPS to the docks. While there, a bulldozer pushes the car into the river, with Rena in it. Rena manages to escape. Upon arriving back to the apartment, she falls asleep. Aribu is frustrated because Rena is still alive.
Aribu’s desire to kill Rena feels bigger than business disruption. It may have to do with Sakura’s death. Or, it may be as cut and dry as her impact on his business. But, Aribu has the trust of the police. Hell, he pretty much has them wrapped around his little finger. Does Rena pose that much of a threat?
The Big Discovery
While all of that is happening, there is a kidnapping. The mayor’s daughter is taken right out of her driveway. They captured surveillance of the kidnapping, but the police did not see the culprit’s face. They also found the stolen car abandoned in another location. Aribu Investigations is hired to lead the recovery efforts. Of all the charlatans to hire, the police hire Aribu.
Back in the office, Rena receives a phone call from an unexpected person. It is the DNA analyst that worked on her sister’s case. When they meet, the analyst tells Rena that her sister’s killer is still alive, and likely the little girl’s abductor.
We also learn that Khotoa was Sakura’s classmate. This brings more questions. Why did Khotoa really join Suma? What is her relationship with Sakura?
Overall
I really like the pacing of this show. It’s slow enough to give us the details we need to follow the story, but it’s moving fast enough to keep us on the edge of our seats. Everyone is keeping secrets, and some people are flat out lying. It’s going to be interesting to see what Rena finds out next.
Wrapping It Up
Well, that’s it for Detective v Detectives. Next week, we will discuss episodes 3 and 4. We will also watch more Dr. Stone, Demon Slayer, and To The Abandoned Sacred Beasts. I will see you later!
Couch Cruisin' 