Our take
This is an thrilling BBC/Netflix show and a Yakuza drama that takes place between Tokyo and London. About half of the dialogue is in Japanese and the other half is in English.
Yakuza families are no longer at peace when a boss’s nephew is assassinated in London. Trying to bring the culprit in without interference from the British police, a Tokyo detective is sent to the UK to try to find him.
There is an undeniable appeal to seeing the world of yakuza unfold, but the show’s title, which translates to Duty/Shame is a reference to the detective’s own personal conflict: the suspected murderer he’s looking for is his brother. Ouu.
The story
Family duty sends a lawman to London to look for his mob-assassin brother as a yakuza war threatens to engulf Tokyo. Trust is even tougher to find.
Elsewhere
"Violently stylish, and also plain violent, Giri/Haji is a filial drama crossed with a sprawling, sexy police thriller."
— Doreen St. Felix
The details
Who picked it
Bilal Zouheir is the founder of A Good Movie to Watch. He is based in the US and a member of the Nevada Film Critics Society. He grew up in Morocco, where he learned English from watching movies. Bilal's work with A Good Movie to Watch is focused on offering an alternative to streaming algorithms, which are often used as commercial tools by streaming services.
This is a must-see, one of the most original crime dramas I’ve seen for several years. Apart from having to suspend disbelief of all London characters, regardless of job, seemingly living in the centre of Zone 1 (!), this is a fantastic series
Best series to come across, especially the musical thematic in the last episode and the sequence towards the end of episode four. Must watch!!