Unubore Deka – The Conceited Detective – Mid Season Thoughts

It’s actually been a while since I’ve updated this blog and nearly more than a half year since I’ve watched a drama – which I will blame on school and work – but now I actually had time to sit down and watch some Summer 2010 dramas and this was one of the two I picked, Unubore Deka. So, let’s see how this compares to Nagase’s drama from exactly one year ago!

Unubore Deka is another Nagase comedy and if you know your Nagase comedies after Tiger and Dragon, you’ll know that its an episodic clusterfuck of weird faces, fast paced puns, and unethical situations. In this drama, though, Nagase plays the character of Unubore, a detective who wants to find his destined woman – the person he’s going to spend the rest of his life with. He’s already bought the apartment, got the ring, and has the marriage papers already signed. Problem is he tends to fall head over heels over the female criminals he catches and he’s so full of him self, he believes that if he gives them an ultimatum between going to jail or marrying him, they’ll pick marriage and be his wife. Unfortunately, it never seems to work in his favor.

Not only that, he’s still madly in love with his ex-girlfriend who’s now currently married to his new partner and can’t seem to get over the fact that she left him two years ago.

Toma has no other purpose other than being an idiot in this drama

Unubore is funny. There’s no mistake in that. With Nagase’s funny faces, his friends own trials and tribulations in love, and his family and co-workers random meddling and unhelpful actions, Unubore is a pretty funny drama. The show breaks the fourth wall several times and pokes fun at itself all at the same time with a ‘drama’ running within the show of the same name (which is actually based off of a book series written by Unubore’s father), the characters wacky, and the situations can get ridiculous at times —

— the problem with the show lies in the fact that it gets old. Unubore as a character gets old. He gets old because its the same thing over and over again. He see’s a girl, he falls in love with the girl, he finds out she’s a criminal, he investigates, he flirts with her, he gets the confession, he presents the ultimatum, they turn him down, he breaks down crying. Yes, he is trying to find his soul mate, but there’s no big change in it. But, it probably could be because the female criminals are flat, which could be an issue since they’re so 2D. There’s no depth other than they exist to act weird and be boner material for Unubore.

And while Unubore is described to be ‘conceited’ (as that what unubore means), it seems more like he’s desperate. He isn’t wooing the girls but rather pleading with them to marry him because he is their answer out of going to jail. It’s funny the first few times, but then it gets dry because all the situations are the same.

Of course Unubore has a developing backstory between Nagase and Nakashima Mika’s characters, but even then, their backstory isn’t really enthralling. I watch the two interact and wonder why Unubore bothers and continues to deal with her if she’s married to his partner? Is it a love story or is it a case of a scorned man unable to go on? It ends up being an odd love triangle, uncomfortable to watch at times, especially towards the last few episodes where Saeki and Rie’s marriage becomes rocky because of Unubore’s inability to let her go. Maybe I’m different, but I just don’t like love stories where one eventually is forced out because the main character must get his girl.

Like father, like son

While I may not like the backstory, or central plot, of Unubore, its still mindless fun to watch. It’s still fun watching Nagase make weird faces or listening to the I Am I bar members go on about their love lives and bromance. Its funny to see him and his father bicker or Saeki randomly scribble on the white board while the rest of the detectives try to make some sense of what he’s ranting about. Its hilarious to watch Honjo run around a cheesy, over dramatic, version of Unubore while the real man himself grumbles in annoyance and embarrassment. It’s genuinely a funny show, just cliche and redundant.

I think Nagase’s dramas always try to rely on physical humor. He is always doing something or making a face, which is funny and ridiculous, but can only do so much to keep the ball rolling — and if you’re not a fan of physical humor his dramas always fly past your head. Unubore is definitely better than Karei Naru Spy in the humor department, but lacks in the backstory. If you were to combine the two together, maybe we’ll get another Tiger and Dragon – a good mix of humor and drama that satisfies viewer – than an unbalanced show that trips up somewhere along the way.

Or maybe its about time Nagase star in another serious drama? I can’t be the only one who loved Utahime.

There’s two episodes left, maybe the show will pull a fast one and give an awesome ending. Let’s wait and see!

Hopefully it won't go up in flames like Karei Naru Spy