The Silent Service

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.

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.

"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.

Confusing and frequently slow made watching the series difficult to finish. 8 episodes took me maybe 12-15 different viewing times due to the pacing.

AFAIK, it was originally a manga series with an anime version and now this. Don't know anything about Japanese manga, anime, etc, but this series appears to be close translation of a successful comic book source with JV screenwriters without any military consultants, a decent budget, making visuals a priority over substance, character interaction, and logical plot development.

Who would really enjoy this movie? Maybe 10-12 year old boys if they skip most of the political stuff. Americans were obviously not the target audience given the preponderance of stupid and simple Americans.

5 stars for some interesting story ideas, special effects, and many nice visuals. If you demand realism, skip this movie.

Those who have criticised this drama clearly missed the point.

This is an intelligent and thoughtful drama which addresses the current balance of power in the world. That the American projection of influence is not necessarily in the interest of its allies, especially Japan, and including perhaps South Korea and Taiwan.

I found it refreshing to have an alternative view, and would encourage those fans of American military might to consider how others view this.

I was totally involved in the arguments and the standard of acting, especially from the Japanese characters was excellent. It does suffer a little in that the American characters are a little two dimensional.

It is a slow burn, but well worth the watch!