Strawberry Night Saga follows assistant inspector Reiko Himekawa (Fumi Nikaido) with the Tenth Homicide Section in Tokyo. She's only 27 so to be leading her own team is a huge stretch in the primarily male-dominated world of the Japanese police force. Himekawa is called Hime (as in princess) both fondly and not so fondly by the men around her, but at least she has a loyal team of subordinates, including Kazuo Kikuta (Kazuya Kamenashi), a newer member of the team who's not entirely sure about working for her because he's heard of her reputation. And she does have one for being reckless, but also for having solid instincts that don't always rely on proof or evidence to be right.
Her nemesis, if we can call him that, is Kensaku Katsumata (Yosuke Eguchi) who feels crooked since he seems to be on the take, but can actually be a pretty good cop when he tries hard enough. He does have some unfortunate bullying tendencies that usually crop up when he's dealing with Himekawa.
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| Himekawa and Katsumata butting heads during an investigation in episode 2. |
The first episode is 90 minutes long and deals with an underground murder-for-entertainment-purposes ring called Strawberry Night. People are filmed being brutally murdered, and it is up to Himekawa's team to track down the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
Strawberry Night Saga is a pretty intense drama, and it focuses heavily on a vengeful mindset.
Himekawa was sexually assaulted when she was a teenager and that reality has haunted her into her adulthood. She possesses a unique ability to both understand the criminal mind and to hate it. To be honest, I don't much like her. She's a rogue agent in many ways, intuitive, but distrustful. She acts outside the allowed rules to achieve an end, sort of like Katsumata, and I personally believe rules are there for a reason.
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| Kamenashi as Kikuta during an investigation in episode 3. |
This brings me to Kikuta. He is a loyal, upstanding, solid police sergeant. You can absolutely 100% trust him to have your back and to do the right thing according to the rules. He also happens to be played by Kazuya Kamenashi, one of my favorite Japanese actors. So naturally, I'm going to love him. But I think I would have loved the character even if he'd been played by someone else because Kikuta is the type of character that I love, regardless of the actor. It just was nice that Kamenashi played him. BUT, the problem remains of casting an idol actor and giving him almost NOTHING TO DO. Other than stand around looking silently competent. And he was a little active in the last episode which was nice to see. Otherwise, he was the type to observe conversations and not participate in them. Kamenashi did a wonderful job in the role, but I like hearing him speak. He's gorgeous, yes, but dialogue is also a good thing.
Kamenashi was so much better in Red Eyes with such a broader role. I haven't officially reviewed Red Eyes yet, but I did write THIS BLOG POST with some gushing enthusiasm when the series was first airing.
Do not expect a hopeful message in Strawberry Night Saga. My one and only thought while observing Himekawa is that she needs therapy . . . DESPERATELY.
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| Fumi Nikaido as Himekawa putting the pieces together regarding her yakuza love interest in episode 8. |
The woman is an undisputed mess, unable to maintain healthy relationships (she falls for a yakuza which is just insane), and her entire life is her job. She's, frankly, depressing, and I wouldn't wish her life choices on anyone. There are people and resources in place to help those who have been sexually assaulted cope and heal as best as they possibly can and hopefully become fulfilled and happy members of society down the road. Ten years after her assault, Himekawa might be fulfilled in her job, but happy she is not.
The drama ends acceptably, but it's not a "woohoo, everything's coming up roses" type of ending. And it did get somewhat ridiculous at times, especially with the whole yakuza love affair thing. She's a cop in love with a mobster. Please . . . just . . . no.
As for content, you're looking at something like Criminal Minds, with a TV14 level of violence and gore. It can get intense. There is some minor language, but nothing too severe.
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| Kikuta and Himekawa in episode 8. |
My review might sound critical, but really, as crime dramas go, Strawberry Night Saga isn't bad. It would have been much better without the yakuza thing. And possibly if Kikuta's character had more dialogue, like more than 10 lines an episode during the first half of the drama. He's there and clearly observing, just not speaking. I didn't love it, but it was worth watching since I enjoy the genre. And Kamenashi. If he weren't playing Kikuta, I'm not 100% sure that I would have finished the drama.
I'm now sensing a trend with the dramas I review. A very large portion star Kame!
If you don't believe me, here are my official reviews written as of July 2021 for other dramas starring him:
This list will continue to grow. Consider yourself forewarned!
Where can I watch Strawberry Night Saga?
First, I'm giving full credit to the fansubber,
Mia-Maw Fansubs, who did a good job. If you know all about joining soft-sub files with videos then go for it and download from her site.
