Drama Digest
DCU stands for Deep Crime Unit, which is tasked with searching for evidence underwater to help solve unsolved crimes. It is a newly created division of the Japanese Coast Guard and it is spearheaded by the arrogant, fervid Niina Masayoshi, who doesn’t think twice about breaking rules if it means solving the cases at hand. Alongside him is his mentee, Seno Haruki.
Haruki’s father and Masayoshi’s partner had died under mysterious circumstances fifteen years ago. He was brought up by Masayoshi and is a prodigy in deep-water diving.
Part of DCU is vice-captain Nishino Toma, who views Niina as competition and wants to replace him, Nariai Takako who is a diver, and Kuroe Mako, who heads their forensics section and is Niina’s girlfriend. Together, Masayoshi and Haruki, along with their faithful team, set earnestly about solving cases.
The Feel Good Part
The series doesn’t have any feel-good moments.
In-Depth Analysis
The series is jerky from the beginning. The cinematography is great and a lot of the budget has been invested to direct the series, but the plot meanders a lot. It could have been developed into something mind-blowing, but instead of slowly pacing them, the plot points are rushed and not given enough time to develop.
There were several storylines, but they were hastily added and not properly explained. They all add up to a bigger story in the end, but it is very messy and difficult to follow. Therefore, they become dull very quickly and the viewer loses interest.
The characters were not introduced properly and there were loopholes and logical errors. Other than Masayoshi and Haruki, the developments in the other relationships of the other characters are not elaborated on. As a result, the viewer is not particularly attached to any of the characters.
One of the troubling aspects of this series is the way an important female character dies, but the others seem hardly concerned about that. Catching the scent of an important case, the character pursues it, but it costs her life. Whenever she is mentioned later, it is fleeting and her death barely had any effect on the momentum of the plot or even the characters.
Another disappointing factor is Haruki himself. He starts in the series as an adorable and zesty character, but he becomes very unbearable and bratty in the end.
The Disappointing Factor
The whole series is a big disappointment.
Star Power
The series had a strong cast, but even they were not able to carry on with the half-baked script in their hands. Abe Hiroshi is charming as usual, and he tries his best. Yokohama Ryusei, Takahashi Mitsuomi, Ichikawa Mikako, Nakamura Anne, Tosa Yuki, and Okazaki Taiiku all try to carry the series on their shoulders wonderfully. However, the series doesn’t utilize their acting skills properly.
Overall Opinion
It is better to skip this series. The plot is too convoluted to be understood, the characters are underutilized and it is overall frustrating to watch.
