Deka wanko

Television has seen a veritable army of quirky cops, but Wanko, the titular goth-loli homicide detective with a superhuman sense of smell, might be the quirkiest of them all. It's the kind of over-the-top role that could quickly become annoying, but Mikako Tabe manages to make it kind of adorable. That's basically the show in the nutshell -- if it never reaches for the stars it at least manages to be charming and entertaining without being overbearing.

It helps that, unlike most Japanese comedies, Deka Wanko is actually funny. Oh sure, it has its fair share of stupid puns and overreaction gags, but it also has some legitimately good character humour and fourth-wall-breaking gags (Wanko's in-show narration never fails to make me laugh). The more serious parts are also handled reasonably well, but there aren't a lot of them (even serial killers are treated pretty lightly) so there isn't the wild fluctuation in tone that usually bothers me in J-Dramas.

Of course, in the end it's all a piece of fluff. As a comedy it entertains but lacks bite (no dog pun intended), and as a drama it's pretty middling. It can also be shamelessly sentimental at times. But it's still enjoyable, and those with an appreciation for the Japanese sense of humour will probably love this show.

To be honest, the first episode of the series is its weakest, but the good news is that Deka Wanko gets stronger with each episode -- all the way through its climax. The cast is all first rate with each member giving a funny and sometimes moving performance without exception. While a few of the broader gags don't play to an American ear, overall about 90% of the jokes land, and the constant reinforcement of the running gags pays off well, too. Tabe Mikako's charming turn as the Gothic-Lotita detective with the superhuman or dog-like, if you prefer, ability to track scents is wonderfully done. The Tokyo location camera work is a huge asset and visits many wards of the city.

I agree with the other reviewer and found this series to be entertaining and enjoyable. A solid cast, headlined by the brilliant Mikako Tabe, who is proving herself to be quite a fine character actor as well as being cute as a bug. Tabe has quite a future ahead of her and I would love to see here breakout into international cinema. I plan on viewing more of her work to witness her progression as an artist. I see her as someone quite capable of of competing with some of America's top actresses. She appears focused, attuned to her emotions and capable of fine physical acting as well strong internal acting. I'm very impressed.

I found Deka Wanko to be hysterically silly and fun and sometimes touching. Well worth watching.