Gedo no Uta: Dark, grimy and satisfying.

Yes, this is yet another blog post about a live-action adaptation of a splendid manga. One that also just so happens to feature Kazuya Kamenashi, a man that if you follow this blog, you'll know that I really enjoy watching on screen. Not in a gay way! Gedo no Uta, the live-action drama adaptation of Daisuke Watanabe's brilliant manga, was produced for DMM TV in 2024. Like always, I was sceptical about it when I first heard that it was finally happening, but now after having watched it, I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

Takeshi 'Kamo' Kamonome works alongside Toranobu 'Tora' Shimada as a duo of revengers or avengers for hire. Operating out of an old bookstore, the pair take on requests made by clients who take a certain book, Friedrich Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil from the shelf. Upon hearing the client's requests, including why they want revenge, the pair enact brutal revenge on the perpetrators with it often ending in death. Nanako Kaisei, a survivor of a brutal attack that saw her family murdered, comes into the bookstore and refuses to leave until they accept her request, even going so far as to aid them as an accomplice in their vigilantism. 

Helmed by veteran director, Koji Shiraishi, the drama is a very competently shot live-action adaptation with a dynamic array of shot types, techniques and lighting being used to immerse the viewer into the world of Gedo no Uta. The best work is done during the scenes of revenge. The lighting shifts with the colour switching up to a dirty, grimy hue of brown-orange. There are various artistic camera shots as well, such as the mid-range and closeup shots of Kamo holding one of the deplorable's head up by their hair as a light in the background illuminates them. Later on, there's some neat wide angles in what appears to be a construction site as Kamo sets up an elaborate and fitting punishment for some vile scammers whilst Tora watches on. Combines this with a rather fast, smooth pacing and slick editing and it's an enjoyable viewing experience. 

 The opening is very engaging, but it does have some issues. For instance, how does the family not hear the killer pounding against the window? Is it just due to the weather? Naturally, Yuki cannot speak after having her throat slit, but the parents of Nanako have to have suspected that something or someone caused it, right? 

The very first case that we see in the drama showcases just how dangerous posting pictures online can be. The slimy villain finds out the location of his victim via analysing the pictures, even using the reflections in her eyes to pinpoint exactly where her apartment was located. That's what I like about the cases seen in the drama, some of them are quite realistic or at least something that could happen.

The justice or revenge dished out by the main leads is wonderfully brutal and creative. I love that the rapist got a burning hot piece of metal forcibly inserted into his butt and then subsequently, his throat via the mouth to kill him in a manner that paralleled what he did to his victims. Poetic justice. That's how I would personally describe the revenge and how the punishment reflects the evil deeds committed by the bad guys. There's some rather satisfying sound design in the revenge too, particularly when the perpetrators of the criminal acts get struck with iron bars amongst other objects. 

I love Kazuya Kamenashi as Toranobu 'Tora' Shimada. He brought such an enthusiastic energy to the role, making Tora a fun character to see on screen. He's quite brash, loud and boisterous, always itching for a fight with a strong sense of justice. Naturally, between him and Kamo, he's the fighter of the duo and the one who gets his hands dirty in that respect when apprehending the criminal scum. One of my favourite parts in the drama is when it delves into his backstory, especially the interactions with his mother in Osaka. I found the dynamic between mother and son to be very entertaining with some hilarious moments.

Yosuke Kubozuka's Takeshi 'Kamo' Kamonome is the complete polar opposite to Kamenashi's Toru. Where Tora is bold, loud and brash, Kamo is calm, cool, composed and collected. He is the brains of the team, thinking rationally and stopping Tora from breaching the contracts. That makes for a very engaging, fun dynamic between the two main leads. He's also not afraid to get his hands dirty, especially when exacting punishment on the scumbags the duo apprehend. The most interesting part about Yosuke's role as Kamo is the fact that he allegedly wasn't even the first choice for the part with it instead having been disgraced actor, Hirofumi Arai, a man jailed for rape, who was going to play the role. Thank goodness that it Yosuke Kubozuka got it instead, not only because he hasn't been convicted of such crimes, but also because he was much better suited for the role in the first place. 

I have to applaud the casting. Each of the vile criminals was wonderfully cast. Each one had the punch able face of a crook, being the right amount of slimy and easy to hate that it made me want to see them get their due punishment. 

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Gedo no Uta and I think a lot of drama fans would too, especially if you don't mind them being a bit dark in subject matter. Doubly so if you're a fan of the main leads, like I am. There is a caveat though, be prepared for perhaps a hint of disappointment as it ends with an overtly obvious sequel baiting hook. Yes, it ends on a cliff hanger. Bring on season 2!