There’s nothing like settling up on the sofa with a blanket and streaming an entire crime series boxset, and Netflix might just have the best series for this.
Back in 2019, the BBC aired Giri/Haji, which translated means ‘Duty/Shame’, with Netflix have the international rights. While the show is no longer available on the BBC, British fans can still tune into the series, which has a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score, on Netflix.
The series focuses on Japanese detective, Kenzo Mori, who heads to London after the disappearance of his brother, who was involved with the Yakuza. The synopsis for the series reads: “A detective from Tokyo scours London for his missing brother, who’s been involved with the Yakuza and accused of murder.”
Giri/Haji has previously impressed us at HELLO!, and our TV and Film editor, Emmy Griffiths, recommended it for fans of Line of Duty, fitting given that the show’s own Kelly Macdonald has a starring role in the drama.
Who stars in Giri/Haji?
Kelly, who played DCI Jo Davidson in the sixth season of Line of Duty, plays Sarah Weitzmann in the drama, with her character alienated by others due to exposing police corruption. Takehiro Hira (Shogun) leads the show as Japanese detective Kenzo Mori, while his younger brother, Yuto Mori is played by Yosuke Kubozuka (Tokyo Vice).
Also featuring in the drama are Will Sharpe (The White Lotus), Aoi Okuyama (The Beautiful Game), Masahiro Motoki (Departures), Charlie Creed-Miles (Peaky Blinders), Justin Long (Weapons), Sophia Brown (The Capture), Yuko Nakamura (Worlds Apart) and Mitsuko Oka (Dead Angle).
Rounding out the cast are Katsuya (Twisted Justice), Tony Pitts (Emmerdale), Anna Sawai (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters), Tony Way (Game of Thrones), Togo Igawa (Total War: Shogun 2) and John McCrea (Cruella).
Reception
Highlighting its 100% approval rating, the Rotten Tomatoes consensus reads: “Smart, suspenseful, and superbly shot, Giri/Haji is a near-perfect crime thriller with a surprisingly sharp sense of humour.“
Viewers agreed, as one enthused: “Giri/Haji was an absolute revelation, right from the start through the eighth and final episode. The writing and direction, art direction, cinematography and effects, were just superb.”
© NetflixA second added: “The acting, the direction, the production, the music, the script, everything was perfect. I was gripped from the beginning and each episode didn’t disappoint. There were so many great, subtle touches too and innovative camerawork.”
Meanwhile, a third penned: “What a breath of fresh air in a world where tv is so uniform and unoriginal that you can predict the next move a mile away. I’m also grateful that we got to discover a bit of Japan and its culture beyond the usual Hollywood cliches. Well worth my time and highly recommended.”
In a review for the Radio Times, Patrick Cremona remarked: “As a standalone mini-series, the show has ambition, style and a sheer likeability that marks it out as a real triumph for BBC Two. The more shows like this, the better.”
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