Hanzawa Naoki marks my somewhat introduction into Japanese dramas. To be honest, I rarely ever watch Japanese dramas. As I mentioned to a dramalist friend, even though they are better written than K-dramas and feature genres that I like, I still can't quite watch J-dramas consistently. The retro pacing makes it hard to instantly fall in love with a J-drama and if I'm not in the mood to invest myself in a plot, it means I gloss over master pieces like olive oil. Now, Hanzawa Naoki though is the best written thing (closely tied with Legal High) that I have watched in a while. I think it's my irritation with K-dramas that led me slap bang into this masterpiece and boy was this a thrilling journey. This is the tale of Hanzawa. A banker embroiled in banking politics (really). The story is told in two parts with Hanzawa constantly in difficult situations. He must outsmart, outplay and outlast. Indeed, I do hate to steal the survivor logo but that is what his life entails. It is a well written tale full of engaging characters and it's been a long time since I have liked both the protagonist and antagonist (Normally, I like the antagonist). I really liked the antagonist (Owada) in the second part. He happens to be smart, flawed yet quite charming. Kagawa Teruyuki who played his role also did a phenomenal job. The climax of this story gave me chills. CHILLS I tell you. It was powerful, raw, well acted brilliantness that actually stunned me to silence. However, despite the well written moments, there are feel good moments that are not for the cynic. I happen to be one of those cynics and the feel good moments induced some mega cringing. The declarations of friendship and super hero-esque moments weren't for me. Although, for the most part, the drama manages to create an anti-hero vibe especially in regards to Hanzawa's character. He is merciless in exacting revenge which is exactly my cup of tea. I like them devilish and certain. I'm all over the place with this review but I get tongue tied sometimes trying to describe stories like this. There's so much to tell yet it's difficult to focus on one thing. Overall, a strong recommendation with minimal flaws.