The Silent Service

Forget the 1 star jingoistic reviews of this Japanese production. Yes, it moves slowly and deliberately. Yes, the details about uniforms etc may not be as exact as some viewers may demand. But for me the story is the thing.

The big bonus is Takao Osawa, the smiling buddha general of the Kingdom series of movies. His calm but decisive nature provides the bedrock of this series.

And yes, it could have been more disciplined in its editing but that's nothing new for streaming movies and TV shows these days. A little bit of patience pays off here big time. Stick with it. The rewards, while not spectacular, are worth it.

Based on an antique manga, this drivel from Amazon is a big waste of time.

Given the budget they had a great opportunity to produce something on the scale of "Hunt for Red October" meets "Tora Tora Tora". Instead what we have is daytime soap with enough dull dialogue to put an elephant to sleep. Besides protagonist and the antagonist are shown as superhuman all knowing people who get all the right coincidences as they need.

The action scene, if you call them that; are a snooze fest and demonstrate a clear lack of military knowledge and tactical understanding on part of the director.

Overall I'd give zero rating if I could.

This is one of the most absurd shows I've ever watched. The depiction of Naval warfare, specifically subsurface warfare, is entirely inept. The characterizations are all one-dimensional with absolutely no depth. Behaviors and motivations are driven by the laziest of possible writing styles:characters doing things because the story has to happen. And then there's the plot, which is so mind bogglingly absurd that it sits squarely in "Sharknado" territory. While this show keeps much of the source Manga's story elements intact, it injects massive piles of bizarre and unnecessary nonsense, purely for extra drama.

One of the biggest problems with this show is that it attempts to maintain a lot of Japanese manga and anime tropes that simply do not work in live-action. The second major problem is the technical representation of sub operations and naval warfare is just silly. The events in this show depend on the entire US Navy being completely incompetent and essentially acting like the silliest Japanese depictions of American military stereotypes. The number of times the "Sea Bat" submarine would have been sunk, through the insane incompetence (in real life) of its own commanding officer, is too lengthy to list. It's the equivalent of watching a badly choreographed slow-motion fight scene where enemies stand around waiting for their turn to get beat-up by the protagonist, all while they miss every opportunity to land a hit. Meanwhile, said protagonist is clearly a completely inept fighter. It's really, truly, stupid, and all of this is surrounded by overblown melodramatic music. You get the sense that the show runners think they're doing something brilliant, but in reality it's cringe inducing in its ridiculousness.

And then there's the acting: I suspect the actors were smarter than the writers and directors, because the entire cast seems simultaneously bored or embarrassed by the scripts and dialogue. This goes for both Japanese and non-Japanese cast members. The writers give the actors absolutely nothing to work with beyond paper-thin cliched dialogue. You're left with no reason to care about a single character... and the actors seem to know this. It's really, really painful to watch as the actors try and scratch out something of a performance for characters that have no depth or rational motivations.

By the time the show wraps, you're left annoyed that you wasted time watching this nonsense. It fails on every level: as a manga adaptation, as a military themed thriller, as a drama, the entire thing is just a hot mess that's absolutely not worth watching.

While a lot of reviews mention accuracy of props and cgi showing ships looking the same, you need to remember that this is a drama and a great 'what-if' scenario.

What's gripping is how a single submariner is attempting to make an upset in global power.

You will wonder if this is a mad attempt or an objective to meet a particular outcome.

The strategy is always one step ahead played with some great finesse.

It's a drama, so it's going to be slow but not boring.

Unlike most of the other so called good junk out there where they dive into each persons character and history just to drag out the 40 mins, this just touches lightly and is relevant to the situation.

There was no overacting and extra melodrama, or overtalked gender issues or communal suppression etc which was a relief!

Many serials I've used the forward button to skip this and finally it's 10 mins.

However this didn't let hit the forward button, which speaks for itself.

If you read novels or books then watch this.

Great plot not predictable you will keep wondering what's the next move and how will he succeed in his final objective.

"The Silent Service" (2023) emerges as a bold critique of global power dynamics, cleverly subverting audience expectations by transforming its narrative from a straightforward military drama into a powerful commentary on international relations and justice.

The series' most daring move is its gradual revelation that the United States takes on the role of Ahab - not in pursuit of justice, but consumed by the need to maintain dominance. Unlike Melville's tale, here the hunter becomes the true monster, with the pursuit of the Kaieda serving as a mirror reflecting the darker aspects of superpower politics.

What sets "The Silent Service" apart is its unflinching examination of how military might shapes international justice. The series bravely portrays how a superpower can act as a global bully, where:

• Military superiority is confused with moral authority
• International law becomes flexible for the powerful
• Smaller nations must navigate carefully around superpower interests
• "Justice" often means whatever serves the strongest party

The submarine warfare elements serve a deeper purpose than mere military thrills. Each tactical maneuver and strategic decision becomes a metaphor for how nations must navigate the treacherous waters of international politics, where the strong make the rules and the rest must show extraordinary skill and courage to maintain their autonomy.

The series explores several provocative ideas:

• How military supremacy can corrupt notions of justice
• The thin line between maintaining order and enforcing hegemony
• The courage required to stand against overwhelming force
• The moral complexity of defying superpower authority

The underwater setting becomes particularly poignant - in the depths, where sunlight barely reaches, traditional notions of right and wrong become as murky as the waters themselves. The pressure of depth mirrors the pressure of standing against a global superpower.

"The Silent Service" demonstrates remarkable courage in challenging prevalent narratives about global power dynamics. While other military dramas might glorify superpower dominance, this series dares to question the relationship between might and right, making it not just entertainment but a vital commentary on contemporary international relations.