Far less remembered than the Nuremberg trials, the Tokyo Trials were nonetheless a turning point in Asian history. This series brilliantly brings out the factors at play during the trial, not least the Colonial history of the Allies.
All characters are thoughtfully portrayed and excellently played, but it's Irrfan Khan as justice Pal who provides the philosophical backbone to the story. He's a last minute addition from India because the Allies wanted some (token) Asians, but ironically India was then still a British colony. The proud Philippine judge, the questioning Dutchman, the British judge who still has a case of colonial hangover: these traits are portrayed through nuance rather than caricature.
Asia still lives in the aftermath of the wounds that the war opened. While the trials drew a line under one traumatic incident, what has followed in the 80 years since almost directly follows those events.
I'm thankful for the show being made and for exploring dissenting opinions. In a time where infantile soaps like Stranger Things are the norm on Netflix, this series was a delight, and it should be to anyone interested in history in general, and Asian history in particular.
