Don't Call it Mystery (2022)

A Great Procedural

For avid mystery enjoyers, Mystery to Iu Nakare’s cases might seem rather pedestrian, but in my opinion, the simplicity of the cases humanize the main character, Totonou, and did a good job on making him not look like a “genius detective” and rather an observant person -- and I think that this is a very important factor in terms of the concept and how the story is built. Grounding the show and the characters in reality. Totonou, at the end of the day, is just a regular person; in terms of where the show is, the cases work in the context of his character.

Procedural is a tricky genre, as characters flip through the episode and thus it is easy for the supporting characters to just become a blur of faces, but putting the psychological and emotional aspect of the “mystery” is what makes this show work really well. Every of their stories are handled with care and depth; it reminds me a lot of the way Meitantei Conan handled its suspects, just with more focus on character-driven cases.

The tone of the show is also very balanced -- it’s in every aspect melancholy and serious at the same time as funny. The writing is good. Suda Masaki is a wonderful actor and I continue to love his range -- he can deliver any ‘preachy’ lines so well that it still seems so realistic.

Of course, if you prefer more on the crime aspects of mystery shows, Mystery to Iu Nakare is not the right show for you. This is a show that cares more about the why and the how. It’s a show that cares about the lives and the emotion and not just how a murder is done. Go into this show with the right expectations, and you will enjoy it very much.

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Incredible adaptation!

Amazing drama!! If you love psychology and criminology and also unique characters, you will love this drama! Totono is someone extremely special, he reminds me to a person with Asperger’s syndrome, he’s is a genius on his special interests. As a autistic person, I can see myself through him. 10/10 I can’t wait for the next season.
I also need to agree that I was satisfied with the fact that it wasn't completely similar to the manga, some people prefer when when it's very similar to the manga, but I personally like when the dramas adaptations have their own twist.
please watch it, you will love it! ❤️
actors and actresses 10/10

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ML's character steals the show!

ML's character steals the show! His way of thinking is very unique, opening my own mind into many ways of seeing things in life, that I wouldn't have. For that alone, i find the show very stimulating and mind-blowinG!

I also love the supporting characters. It feels good to watch a show when everyone is amazing, so I don't actually feel annoyed by one particular person, lol.

The storyline is very smooth, even when they jump scenes or timeline, it's not confusing at all. The timing, order and sequence are all very welldone

The 1st two episodes or so may feel a bit slow in the sense that it's not immediately action-packed. Nevertheless, it's very intriguing learning more about the ML. Once the storyline picks up, I can't wait to watch the rest.

Overall, I really enjoy the show and can't wait for S2!

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Heart-warming mystery drama with unique touch of criticism on our modern society

Mystery to Iunakare has a common trope of an aloof and eccentric genius who is able to solve even the most unsolvable puzzles, very much like Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot, the police having constantly to rely on their help. This brings along both advantages and disadvantages to the story. Kunou Totono's geniousness IS the character, with his quiet but observant nature, yet one could also wonder if the drama is meant to be a realistic police drama or just a mystery story with an unrealistic plot. When Kunou is able to solve the cases with the weirdest, most random clues, it takes away from the credibility of the story. Kunou appears to use scientific evidence and theories to help him make the deductions but the evidences and theories are at times far-fetched and rely on pop-science, and Kunou quickly jumps to conclusions and outcomes that remarkably always land correct.

Hence, the different mysteries and crimes weren't the favorite part of the drama for me. Instead, I loved the criticism it offerered to our modern society. There were many good discussions and remarks that Kunou points out from time to time almost as as a moral or lesson after the mysteries have been solved. From the social position of women to childrens' rights and to the gratitude and observance we should have for life, these arguments were stated with a direct and bold manner, something which I have never quite encountered in Japanese dramas. I really loved it. The arguments that Kunou bring up are straight from the original manga. The story also had certaind kind of understanding and humanity that only Japanese dramas can deliver. Mystery to Iunakare quickly became one of my top comfort dramas that made me relax and forget my own issues for awhile.

Furthermore, what would the drama be without Suda Masaki who amazingly brought Kunou to life with the warmness, quirkiness and soul level deepness that Kunou has in the original manga. Unlike Sherlock, Poirot and company, Kunou doesn't come off as arrogant or know-it-all. He welcomes life with open arms, observing it with a inquisitive mind and always stays humble and down-to-earth, making remarks and opinions that usually hit the nail on the head. He always stays respectful and accepting of others and even creates this special bond with the wrongdoers, trying to understand their motives without necessarily accecpting their actions. Kunou's wonder and celebration of life is beautiful and his patient and compassionate nature that allows him to to try and understand others is something that made me really fall in love with the characther. I hope, as the story progresses, we get to learn more about Kunou himself and his past. Points to the female lead who had an interesting character development!

The mysteries alone were not very interesting and a bit lacking at times. However, the story wraps up surprisingly at the end, tying together some loose ends. The production quality is not at par with many of the modern-day dramas which unfortunately takes away from the magic of the story. OST didn't really stick with me, and the well-known classical pieces being even distracting at times, however the song "カメレオン" by King Gnu was lovely.

Despite the weaknesses, the positives of the drama really shone through, and all in all, I give the drama 8.5 stars and it goes straight to my favorites! I'm looking forward to the movie! :)

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Despite heavy/manipulative way to handle the life lessons...Still enjoyed some of the cases & hero

I enjoyed certain episodes more than others, it felt very episodic and lacked a strong common thread. There was some elements coming back over the course of the story, but I wish those would have been more developped. Still, I had some "favorite cases" of the week: namely the arson case and the Raika case. I also enjoyed the hero Totono and his relationship with the world and others. I was pretty interested by Garo, and by Seiko (the female inspector) but it felt rather flat overall. I wish they mined much more the (b)romance between Totono and Garo. There was a lot of unexploited potential there.

Even if that was heavily handed I appreciated some of the societal critics brought up by the series. It remained overal relatively superficial but at least there was an attempt at it. I wish they would have gone much deeper on some topics (for example regarding the women discrimination at the police station which was overall fairly lightly handled) but some were insightful.

I was pretty satisfied by the acting. I feel the main lead made a proper job portraying his unconventional character. There was no obvious bad performances, most were okay. I really enjoyed some of the guest actors, there were a few familiar faces, which is always nice.

The production value was quite standard, no outstanding but sufficient for conveying the story. The editing choices, with a lot of flashbacks, made the script feel a bit redundant. The scenario (and therefore the filmmaking) had a tendency to overexplain things, to make sure the viewer understood what happened and how the mystery was resolved. To that effect, the music was really heavyly handed...it lacked subtlety and felt almost childish somewhat...Each time the central character told a life lesson, there was a (pretty) melancholic music popping up in the background, which felt a bit manipulative to me...

I would recommend this to people looking for a mystery formulaic series. If you enjoy drama with kind of "case of the week" stories, you will likely enjoy this. I also think there are a lot of "reflective"/"life lessons" moments that could resonate with the viewer. For me, those were too heavily handed to appreciate all of them and I wish the various episodes had a stronger common thread allowing me to be more investing in the overall story. The show has a relatively open ending, so I will definitely watch the Special Episode...And then maybe the movie to round it up.

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My thumb never hit the fast-forward button.

It's true. I binged-watched this series, and my thumb never hit the fast-forward button. How's that possible? Almost 12 hours, and I watched every single episode the way they wanted me to: fully engrossed, and worried I'd miss something if I blinked. This series is really good, as in, 'WHOAH, DON'T MISS THIS ONE, IT'S SO GOOD'. I don't even want to think how much coffee the writers had to swill to come up with such evilly twisty who-done-it plot lines.

Though I was put off by the main character in the beginning of the first episode, I grew to love the reluctant-sleuth Kuno Totono. Like Sherlock, he's got astounding observation skills and a mind made for matching clues to motive and means. Unlike Sherlock, he's not instinctively compelled to follow the trails all the way to the bad guy. He's more like the kid that unravels a sweater by absently pulling on a loose thread of yarn. He didn't start with the intention of deconstruction, but once the sweater began to not look like a sweater, he got interested in how it was made. This brilliant kid is an outlier; he's all alone in the world; and at the story's onset, he seems determined to remain so, for reasons that become somewhat clearer as the story progresses. That detached mindset suffers a subtle erosion as the episodes pass, and that is the major part of MtI's hook: the more you watch the kid fight it, the more you want this kid's protective bubble to be sandpapered down. So, does he change a little bit? Can't tell you, that probably falls under Spoilers, Sweetie. I can say this though: you know how your throat hurts when you really want to ugly-cry but you're too old to ugly-cry over a tv show, so you suffer with wet eyes and a sore throat? Well, they might have got me there. Okay, I broke my ankle, and I'm wearing a cast and I'm pretty much super glued to the couch, so maybe I'm a little softer than usual, but, I'll admit it: for ten minutes during one delicately rendered emotional moment, they absolutely got me. That script and those marvellous actors (I'm looking at you, Masaki Suda) managed to bring me to the borderline of the ugly-cry.

Grumble alert: hey producers, if you're going to push the writers to position the series for a second season, be forthcoming with details of the when and where.

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Suspend all disbelief while watching this.

I'm serious, don't try to apply logic to Lopez because there is none.

Kuno Totono is not a "mystery-solving college student". Kuno Totono is a magic 8-ball, therapist and Sherlock Holmes all in one.

He falls into cases somehow and solves them with little to no effort because our fluffy bunny is a magic savant.

all jokes aside, it was a good watch. Aside from the improbable happenings, and almost ridiculousness of the plot, I liked the characters and the mysteries that weren't really mysteries.

I liked the female rookie detective who believed in the good in people and had to reconcile with the reality of the world and her proximity to evil by virtue of her job after her first real brush with a monster.

I liked the younger male detective who mostly served as a comedic factor but the actor's timing was great.

I liked the older detective. while he didn't get wrapped up in the Totono of it all, he still didn't disregard his words and skill which showed that he cared more about the purpose of his job than himself.

I liked Garo. he seems to be a bit off the deep end with the sister obsession but he was the first person to make Totono feel somewhat normal/ordinary and they're both different sides of the same coin.

I wish they had delved more into the ML as there seemed to be a lot of trauma and pain hidden behind the curls and doe eyes. He somehow sees everybody's pains and secrets yet nobody sees his. the only person to ever come close or try was Garo

This was a character driven drama-you stick around because you care about them and want to know where their story is going.

You stick around because you want to see Totono grow and expand his world beyond his apartment/kitchen. You stick around because you want to see Garo get resolution for his sister and find his way back. You stick around because you want to see the female detective find her footing and voice.

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Adorable and Intriguing

I went into this drama with zero expectations and WOW I was just blown away by all of it.

The first thing to talk about is of course, the main lead. He's eccentric and intelligent and just so lovable. Following the ML and seeing him randomly roped into mysteries was super fun and it never felt convenient. I loved his interactions with every single side character. The way the ML perceives the world is so interesting too; there are a lot of memorable quotes in this show.

Speaking of side characters, the drama also did a really good job of giving every single side character, even if they only appeared in a two-episode case, backstory that actually makes you feel for them. The acting is fantastic for every single one of them. I was really impressed with how fleshed out the subplots were and how they ended up tying together.

The plot is just super smart. This is one of those dramas that gives you pieces of the puzzle out of order, and everything becomes clear once you keep watching and start piecing it all together.

Such a great watch and I can't wait to watch the movie and see a season 2.

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Conosciuto anche come Mystery to Iunakare, questo drama giapponese del 2022 è un parziale adattamento del manga Mystery to Iunakare di Tamura Yumi. Sono 12 episodi da poco meno di un’ora, di cui gli ultimi due sono due extra che si collocano all’interno della serie principale.

La prima cosa da sapere, prima di visionare il titolo, è che il mistero principale non viene completamente chiarito: la scena finale ci dà a intendere che c’è un ulteriore strato di cipolla da pelare, per così dire. Apparentemente, il film Don't Call It Mystery: The Movie, etichettato come sequel e che si presume sarà disponibile nell’autunno 2023, non verterà su queste indagini. Il sunto disponibile non ne fa menzione e, soprattutto, su Mydramalist la lista degli attori, forse ancora parziale, per il momento non vede Nagayama Eita nel cast.

Ad ogni modo, i curiosi possono aspettare la pubblicazione in Italia del manga, che potrebbe arrivare presto. Incrociamo le dita. Rimanere in sospeso non è mai una bella cosa.

Protagonista assoluto del drama è Totono Kuno, interpretato da un brillante Suda Masaki, uno studente universitario di psicologia con una gran testa di capelli ricci, che sono un po’ il suo cruccio, e con una gran passione per il curry. Kuno ha una memoria prodigiosa, è intelligentissimo e ha capacità di osservazione fuori dal comune. L’insieme di queste qualità è perfetto per la risoluzione di misteri, ma lo rende anche un po’ distante dai suoi simili, in difficoltà nel relazionarsi con possibili amicizie o situazioni romantiche. La cosa sembra peggiorare ulteriormente quando vicino a casa sua viene scoperto il cadavere di un compagno, e tutti gli indizi sembrano puntare su di lui, ma… niente paura! I poliziotti non hanno idea di chi si siano messi in guardina, e il nostro ci metterà poco a scagionarsi e a risolvere brillantemente il mistero, elargendo, per buona misura, numerose perle di saggezza agli investigatori.

Da lì, sarà spesso chiamato in aiuto per risolvere circostanze ingarbugliate, quando non saranno proprio queste situazioni a venirlo a cercare, ovunque si trovi, perfino in ospedale! In realtà sembra che il povero Kuno abbia una calamita che attira invariabilmente matti, assassini e personaggi particolari, per cui si trova sempre in mezzo a situazioni misteriose e spesso pericolose, riuscendo sempre a trovare il bandolo della matassa.

La personalità di Totono Kuno ti prende a poco a poco. E’ un solitario anche perché può risultare molto respingente: col suo fare dimesso e in tono ingannevolmente piatto spara bordate ad alzo zero senza risparmiare nulla e nessuno. Le vicende presentate sono molto tristi e deprimenti, parlano di situazioni familiari insostenibili, di malattie, assassinii, serial killer. Come se non bastasse, il nostro sputa addosso al malcapitato di turno e quindi, per interposta persona, allo spettatore, un concentrato di amarissime verità. La cosa può diventare irritante e stucchevole, i primi episodi sono forse i più densi di queste situazioni, e devo dire che mi hanno disturbato un po’. Sarà la mia coda di paglia?

Alla fine, comunque, non si può fare a meno di lasciarsi stregare dall’involontario detective, di cui si intuisce un doloroso passato, al pari di quello di altri personaggi che ci vengono presentati. I vari casi che vengono risolti si rivelano pian piano per essere, in qualche modo, collegati in un affresco comune, e questa è una gran bella cosa. Meno piacevole è, invece, che le vicende procedano a volte “aiutate” da scempiaggini poco credibili o da casualità spicciole, coincidenze che solo in Dramaland possiamo vedere. In una occasione pare ci sia addirittura un accadimento paranormale e, a mio gusto personale, in una storia di questo tipo ci sta un po’ come i proverbiali cavoli a merenda.

La sceneggiatura è però per lo più abbastanza intelligente, ricca di colpi di scena, e non tutti prevedibili, con continue sorprese e molti rovesciamenti di fronte. Mai, come qui, si deve fare il verso a Labyrinth: tutto non è sempre come sembra. In tutta sincerità, bisogna però dire che la trama procede con molti cliché. Per esempio il genio un po’ strambo e magari dal triste passato, l’abbiamo già visto in tutte le salse, le persone che incontra che vengono in qualche modo “salvate” o che tramite lui imparano a guardare le cose sotto altri punti di vista, o a non mentire a se stesse, non sono propriamente nuove, e così via. La polizia, per quanto presente, non sembra essere particolarmente efficace e pare esistere solo per dare un’aura di ufficialità a certe situazioni che sarebbero altrimenti molto più incredibili di come sono presentate.

Ma si perdona quasi tutto perché questa serie ha un gioiello magico che le permette di superare ogni difficoltà: Suda Masaki. E’ la sua brillante interpretazione a reggere buona parte del drama, e a reggerla bene. Triste, perplesso, stupito, meravigliato, felice (normalmente, per essere riuscito finalmente a mangiare il suo curry, visto che viene sempre interrotto), senza dimenticare spietato, quando recapita i suoi numerosi colpi bassi verbali: in ogni circostanza la sua presenza sullo schermo basta a in-trattenere l’attenzione dello spettatore.

Quando dico che Suda Masaki è la colonna portante della serie, non bisogna però dimenticare che si tratta pur sempre di un’opera giapponese, con tutti i suoi peculiari manierismi. La recitazione è spesso plateale, i gesti sono esagerati, da parte di molti dei protagonisti. Assistiamo comunque ad un esperimento abbastanza riuscito di fusione tra gli elementi umoristici, che non sono mai eccessivi, con i numerosi elementi drammatici, anche sanguinosi.

Lo sbocciare dell’amicizia, o di qualcosa di più, con la misteriosa Raika (Kadowaki Mugi) così come il rapporto con l’impenetrabile Garo (Nagayama Eita), biondino che pare interessato a Kuno (e ricambiato?) in maniera forse più che amichevole, ci dà un assaggino di coinvolgimento romantico non molto sviluppato. Anche alla poliziotta Seiko (Ito Sairi) forse non dispiacerebbe conoscere un po’ meglio il piccolo genio ma… almeno in questa serie, non s’ha da fare.

Una colonna sonora gradevole sicuramente aiuta molto il coinvolgimento emotivo nelle vicende: Chameleon, dei King Gnu, si è ascoltata diverse volte con molto piacere, così come sono stati spesso azzeccati molti brani di musica classica.

In sunto una serie che, al netto di qualche colpo basso di troppo alla coscienza dello spettatore, e di qualche colpetto forse eccessivo per indirizzare la trama, riesce a mantenere alti l’interesse e la tensione fino in fondo. A patto, beninteso, di non farsi infastidire troppo dallo stile di recitazione giapponese. Bisogna farci l’occhio, ma ci si abitua in fretta.

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It's really cool. A good mystery with a unique main character. The second main character is not the female cop (who at times sucks ), but another very interesting gentleman who forms a bond with our mc. Hoping for season 2!
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"Don't Call It Mystery" ~ call it quirky!

Loved it. Quirky, compelling, with mixed and intriguing characters that were so well cast. Masaki Suda was SO good. His character portrayal was my favourite and I feel he really made this drama go from "not bad" to "great".
It isn't perfect, but so very enjoyable and gripping; I loved the dry wit too.
Kept me engaged all the way through and I binged the whole series very quickly.
I really hope there is a S2, as there were a number of loose ends and unanswered questions 🤞🤞
Really annoying that the minimum review characters is so high... I've written all I feel I need to, but can't post 😕 Try again...

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