I have adored Kunou Totono since episode one. I was highly impressed with the way he was able to think outside of his own mental box and see situations from another perspective. Not getting completely clouded and sidetracked by our own experiences and feelings is a rare ability most people do not possess and it’s not as highly valued in society as we might think. It’s great when you can understand your family, friends, neighbors, but what if we also can understand the logic and reasoning of a murderer? Arsonist? Kidnapper? That’s when people start to give you weird looks. With that, I truly appreciate how the drama made sure Kunou Totono’s ability was an asset people valued, not a weird characteristic that made people avoid him.

The character had almost amazon comedic timing. The number of times I laughed at his unexpected reactions and lines, completely flipping any given situation upside down.

On the side note, the drama has an “eccentric male lead” tag, but for me Kunou Totono was autistic. On one hand I wish the show was clear about it, on the other hand I know how giving specific labels brings a lot of criticism concerning the portrayal of autism.

The performances were great. As the title of the review says, Kunou Totono stole the show and Suda Masaki’s acting had a lot to do with that. To make a character so unique and yet so relatable is a skill. His character never felt empty and it was clear that even though he might have not shown a lot of emotions, he was feeling deeply - all thanks to the subtle changes in the facial expressions. My favorite bits though? His “surprised pikachu” face.

While the cases were fun to watch, they were not exactly that complex or unpredictable. The writing was not vague about the clue - you’ll see what’s coming before they actually show it on screen. Similarly, the special commentary was both interesting and disappointing. The abuse was a subject that kept coming back, but I never felt like they went deep enough into it to make it more meaningful.
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If I had to state what the biggest flaw of the show was for me, I’d have to say: the satisfying ending. It’s not a “I wish the second season happens, I want more”, but rather a “Second season needs to happen, I need more answers”.

I also found the commentary about women in the working environment (in this case police) rather confusing. What exactly did they try to tell me? With how on the nose many “messages” were, the lack of clearness in this bothers me quite a lot. I didn’t really like Furomitsu Seiko as a character either, and I feel like the writer struggled a bit with finding her a fitting place among other characters.

Overall, extremely enjoyable, with interesting directing and editing and a lead that is impossible not to love.