Drama Review: Influence

5

Rating

★★★★

Episodes

5

Drama Digest

The story starts with Yuri going to an author and asking her to write a novel about the three murders she and her other two friends committed.

Yuri and Satoko have been childhood friends, but Yuri’s parents refuse to let her meet Satoko. Now they were just high-school classmates. Yuri was aware that Satoko had been sexually abused by her grandfather, but she couldn’t do anything about it.

She meets Maho at high school. Maho is an outcast in her school because of her wealth, but when she meets Yuri, they both click somehow and become friends. They live in the same apartment complex. One day, Maho gets attacked by a man with a knife. To protect her, Yuri stabs the man. The following day, their classmate, Satoko, gets arrested by the police.

The Feel-Good Part

The whole drama is mind-blowing. This is something you might have never seen. Even for a crime show, they outdid themselves. Everything—the story, plot, suspense, acting, everything—is outstanding. Moreover, the message the story is conveying is excellent, and this show has done a striking job at portraying it. This is a mind-altering drama, and you will be a different person before and after watching this show. The storyline is well-paced, and five episodes are the perfect number of episodes this show requires to open the eyes of the audience.

The Disappointing Factor

None. The show is perfect, and it doesn’t have a single disappointing factor.

In-Depth Analysis

Influence is a thriller drama with three girls Yuri, Satoko, and Maho who commit a string of murders to save each other. Yuri and Satoko had known each other since they were little, but Yuri’s mom and dad forbade her from meeting Satoko. Currently, they are merely classmates in high school. Even though Yuri was aware that Satoko’s grandfather had sexually assaulted her, she was powerless to stop it. In high school, she encounters Maho. Due to her affluence, Maho is an outcast in her school; nevertheless, when she meets Yuri, they instantly bond and then become friends. They both reside in the same apartment building. Maho was the victim of a knife attack one day. Yuri stabs the man to defend her. Their classmate, Satoko, is taken into custody by the authorities the next day.

But the show is not just about these murders. The story sticks to its title and shows how even a single thing from their childhood has influenced them and how these murders influence them. How great an impact do these things have on a person’s mind and what type of things they are ready to do to cope with them or what type of things they do because of them All three main leads have been through a lot in their childhood, and that childhood has shaped them into the people they are now.

The storyline is brilliant, and the plot stays suspenseful till the very end. Everything about the film—the plot, performances, and suspense—is excellent. Additionally, the plot’s moral is wonderful, and this show did a remarkable job of depicting it.

Star Power

Hashimoto Kanna, Aoi Wakana, and Yoshikawa Ai are excellent actors, and they did an impeccable job in their roles. All three of them were in their element. We cannot call the relationship they had in the show friendship, but the relationship they shared was depicted in a very precise way. We see them and we understand that they are not friends, but they do whatever they can to save each other.

Overall Opinion

Overall, the show is outstanding. Everyone should give this show a try. At least one time. The plot twist comes out of the blue, and the suspense is awesome. The show is very impactful and influential.