Currently watching: River’s Edge Okawabata Tanteisha

This new series could be described as a less anarchic Mahoro Ekimae Bangaichi. It’s got a similar run-down look, there’s a weird mystery to be solved each week, and it’s got some decent music in the soundtrack.

But while Mahoro Ekimae Bangaichi has a slacker, don't-care attitude, River’s Edge is moer arty and is shot better. The lighting and photography are great and it also has a slower pace (perhaps to give the viewer time to appreciate how nice it looks).

Like a lot of things this season, it stars Odagiri Joe as the detective who works at the agency that’s run by the nameless “Director” (played by Ishibashi Renji) and Megumi, the secretary, (Koizumi Maya). Episode one had them trying to trace a restaurant owner from the 1960s, hopefully this series will avoid the usual crime cases. There was also something about the detective having precognitive dreams. We’ll see how that develops during the rest of the series.

I enjoyed it a lot. It’s late-night slot meant the program was able to avoid the flat style and same old faces that prime time dramas suffer from. It’s stylish, engaging and, since I’m a fan of Odagiri Joe, it’s got everything I need.