Unnatural

Even though I'm not a fan of series involving death, corpses, etc I had nothing else to watch so I decided to give it a shot. And after reading some reviews about how heart warming it was. Well it's true, I wasn't expecting not to freak out by dead bodies and constant talk about dying but it happened. This series manages to make the grotesque less unsettling by how it portrays it, and I wish more series were like that.

I was also amazed by some story details, like "how did the writers come up with that!?" went through my mind a lot. Maybe because I don't normally watch shows like that, I found the story very intriguing and engaging.

All the actors were good, a guest actor in one of the cases is one of my favorites, and the female lead even though drop dead gorgeous was very convincing as a coroner and as emotional as needed.

A second season would be nice but part of what makes Japanese shows great is that they're only one season!

The unnatural death of a corpse sets off a series of reverses, combining suspenseful suspense with intriguing social questions. She is economically independent, internally free and honest. Isn't she what many of us girls want to be today? It is more necessary to learn how to be independent and open-minded than to learn how to dress and make up. In particular, the phrase "a good meal and a good night's sleep are better than time for despair" can almost be regarded as a panacea. Anyway, when I saw this sentence, I felt a sharp blow in my heart. Life, the time wasted in confusion, despair and loneliness, there is no need, this time is really not as good as a good meal, a good sleep, give yourself a good reward.

I went into this not expecting too much. The premise was interesting but didn't feel new. I am very glad to be fully wrong about my initial thoughts and expectation.

Unnatural was a very engaging series filled with mystery, great character chemistry, superb acting & very genuine interaction between the characters. I absolutely loved the way the characters bantered and joked with each other. It felt very real and not forced.

The mystery and crime solving kept me glued to the screen. I binged the entire 10 episode in 2 days and really wanted more.

Honestly a great series and I really wish there were more episodes.

In Japan a new department called Unnatural Death Investigation carries out autopsies on people who have died under suspicious circumstances. The main star of the series is Mikoto Misumi (Satomi Ishiihara) whose family died when she was a child in tragic circumstances. She works alongside another forensic investigator who was a suspect in his girlfriend's death many years earlier and is bitter and twisted. Alongside this dynamic we see the work of the team as they investigate strange and unusual deaths and how they struggle to find the cause. I found it an enjoyable series with interesting side characters and good acting with just a hint of gore which I was thankful for taking into account their job. I was surprised to learn how few autopsies are actually carried out in Japan and how this seems to be accepted the population.

"Unnatural" is your typical procedural, with a body per episode, some character development, and your team interacting with each other while the plot of the episode develops. However, the setting, acting, and touch make this show really enjoyable, even if not particularly original.

The show centers on UDI, the Unnatural Death Investigation unit, an organization that works to discover the truth behind unnatural deaths that occur in Japan. Japan being a country where people are not normally buried, but cremated, which means you cannot go back to those bodies to do another autopsy. The UDI has a couple of lead forensic surgeons, Mikoto Misumi and Kai Nakado, and a group that works around them.

As said above, each episode offers a case, even though there is an overall arc that offers a particular mystery related to one of the characters, and some other mysteries and plot threads that will be developed little by little. The cases are not particularly surprising or original, but they are engaging enough and offer a couple of surprises along the way. The fact that the group has only a short time before the families want to cremate the bodies adds a countdown to the proceedings that make it more nail-biting (even if we have to suffer the 'character-running-to-stop-a-body-of-being-cremated' moment here and there).

The best of the show, however, are the characters and their interactions. Satomi Ishihara is particularly good here, her acting fitting the character better than in some of her other dramas. But the package around her, with Yutaka Matsushige or Masataka Kubota, really helps. Their interactions, banter, and how they are developed is the highlight of the show, with some very touching moments. Yes, the show may try to manipulate the viewer with the music and some particular plot twists, but when you care about the characters and it does it not in an intrusive (or very intrusive) way, you won't care much.

If you want a mystery of the week, with funny characters, and some feelings thrown into the mix, you may enjoy "Unnatural". A good one.