The BBC and Netflix crime drama has been praised by critics as “unbeatable” and “unlike anything else on TV” — and it has a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes
Devotees of British crime dramas will be thrilled to discover yet another outstanding thriller available to stream – and chances are it’s completely flown under your radar.
The series has earned extraordinary acclaim from critics and audiences in equal measure, placing it firmly alongside the likes of Line of Duty and Broadchurch, both widely regarded as the pinnacle of British crime television.
This underappreciated gem originally aired on BBC Two in October 2019, before reaching a broader global audience via Netflix in January 2020.
A joint venture between Netflix and the BBC, this crime drama has proven remarkably compelling for viewers across the world, and the widespread admiration it has received speaks volumes.
Giri/Haji, Japanese for ‘Duty/Shame’, is a bilingual production available on Netflix, written and created by Joe Barton, the talent behind Black Doves and The Lazarus Project, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Boasting an exceptional international cast that includes Takehiro Hira, Kelly Macdonald, Will Sharpe, Ysuke Kubozuka, Justin Long, Masahiro Motoki, Anna Sawai and Charlie Creed-Miles, this unmissable series spans both London and Tokyo, weaving dialogue in English and Japanese throughout.
The official synopsis reads: “Translating to Duty/Shame and set in both Tokyo and London, “Giri/Haji” is a thriller about a Tokyo detective named Kenzo Mori, scouring the London underworld to find his allegedly deceased brother, Yuto.
“Yuto was accused of brutally murdering the nephew of a yakuza member, which could lead to the onset of a gang war. Kenzo’s investigation into the disappearance lures him into dangerous elements of the corrupt underworld of London’s criminal circuit.”
Viewers were devastated when BBC Two and Netflix axed the series in September 2020, though not before it had made a significant impression on audiences worldwide.
Achieving a flawless 100% rating on review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, Giri/Haji has garnered widespread critical acclaim.
One critic said: “There is simply nothing else like this anywhere on television,” while another, sharing this view, noted: “If you love gangster thrillers, Giri/Haji is unbeatable.”
A third commentator added: “It’s complex but often deadpan funny, and then deeply serious about family matters. Visually startling (created by Joe Barton who also wrote for the series Humans), it’s like no thriller made in the past decade.”
Meanwhile, one critic posted: “[It] cross-pollinates genres – mixing cop show, yakuza thriller, love story, anime and hokey family melodrama, all spiked with bits of offbeat comedy. Giri/Haji is unlike anything else on TV.”
Another viewer said: “The resulting tangle is highly stylised (slipping into black and white, animation and at one point what I can only describe as slow-motion interpretative ballet) and unlike anything else I’ve watched on the BBC.”
Viewers were equally captivated by the British-Japanese collaboration, with one admirer saying: “This is by far one of the greatest shows I have ever seen. It’s artful, creative and existential in all the best ways possible. The fact it isn’t more widely known is a sad indictment on the current state of television.”
Another fan said: “Gripping from the first moment. Intelligent script, stunning cast, brilliantly crafted. Blends thrills and humour.”
Meanwhile, a third fan, describing the crime drama as ‘outstanding’, added: “Just an amazing show with both visual and verbal attributes that are mesmerizing and the duality of the show goes beyond the parallel locations but is intertwined to the depth of the characters. There are some scenes that just surpass anything that I have seen on TV in recent times if not ever. Just outstanding…”
Lamenting the programme’s cancellation, one disappointed viewer said: “This is a very classy, well acted, intelligent and witty show full of drama, action and twists. Things like this don’t come along that often, an absolute gem, please can we have another series?”
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