What To Watch: MIU 404
A Japanese preliminary investigative unit, try to prevent crime within 24 hours shift. An action-comedy police drama that not only serving a good drama but unveiling some of society's issues that we didn’t even realize.
From the trio who created a forensic-medical drama, Unnatural. MIU 404 is a light police drama that not only serving a good drama but also revealing some of the society’s issue that happens around us. Not to mention this drama is also filled with Japan’s heavyweight actors/actresses.
This review will include some spoilers. So, I suggest if you haven’t watched the series itself, I urge you to watch it first.
Mobile Investigative Unit or known as MIU is a part of Tokyo’s Metropolitan PD Criminal Branch. Their job is to come to the crime scene as a preliminary investigator which concludes the cause of the death or any crime before passing it on to other divisions for further discovery.
The MIU 4 is basically a non-permanent unit that will be disbanded once the Tokyo Metro PD can hire more people. Helmed by Kikyo (Kumiko Aso) as the captain, the first female captain to command a sub-unit. The unit consists of five people (that includes Kikyo herself). The field chief led by Kohei Jimba (Hashimoto Jun), a veteran Mobile officer who (spoiler alert!) was Kikyo's former partner in MIU 3.
Also, there is a former first division detective who got discharged or mutated to another lower unit (not so sure about this, because not much information regarding this) named Shima Kazumi (Hoshino Gen) who is a brilliant detective but having a huge trust issue due to his past as first division detective.
There’s also a young, bright but, high prided Kokonoe Yohito (Kenshi Okada) who is also a police academy chief son. He’s joining the unit under his father's wishes, but sadly he lacks field experience since the last time he was on the field was two years before joining the MIU 4.
Lastly, the wild card of the unit, the mad dog, a former Okutama police box officer who tried countless times to join the MIU Unit but never made the cut. He lacks detective skills but having a great physical ability which he is known for his speedy foot named Ibuki Ai (Ayano Go). He was called to the unit basically because Shima hasn’t got any partner so you can tell he was the last resort to join the unit.
Alright, let’s talk about the drama okay! So this drama is consists of 11 episodes with one episode duration is around 45–50 minutes. The story itself revolves in MIU 4 the new sub unit of MIU, which already had 3 sub division.
The MIU jobdesc is basically to respond the police dispatcher and to be the preliminary investigator which to gather the initial facts in the crime scene before handing it to other higher division which they will do the further discovery.
MIU 4 actually wasn’t a permanent unit. They created to accomodate the first three unit due to lack of personnels. The unit itself will be disbanded once the Tokyo PD could hire more new personnels, the team led by a female captain Kikyo who is the first female to helm the police criminal sub-unit division.
As the field chief itself led by a veteran officer named Kohei Jimba, followed by Kokonoe as the chief assistant (or more like Jimba’s partner), then there is Shima who is a former first division criminal detective who handpicked personally by Kikyo, and Shima’s partner and also a mad dog Ibuki.
These four field officer worked 24 hours to prevent a crime to go any worse. Oh did i forgot to mention not only they have to initate the preliminary investigation but these four officers sometimes must try to prevent whoever do the crime to make it any further.
The first five episodes are unrelated to one another. So if you want to watch it randomly, be my guest. However, in the third episode at the last part, it will give you some hint about who will be the villain in the series.
In the sixth and eighth episodes, the story will revolve around Shima and Ibuki’s past. Which in episode six will tell the stories about Shima’s past that made him the loner, guarded, an independent detective who basically disconnecting himself from trusting other people. He wasn’t a gentle, kind detective either back in the past. But this episode will show you why he’s keen not to trust anyone, that includes his partner Ibuki.
As in the eighth episode, the story will be revolved between Ibuki and his mentor Gama-san, and why Ibuki so keen to protect Gama-san, but (spoiler alert!) This episode connected with Gama’s past as he the unsolved murderer connected to him.
From the ninth to the last episode it will be related to one another, so please do watch it in order to grasp the full story. Although, the base story is already shown in several episodes (three, seven, and eight). But the real bad guy will be revealed entirely in between the eighth and ninth episodes.
Each episode contains some social issues that happened around us. From immigration problem in episode 5, gambling issue in episode 4, bullying (sort of) in episode 3, drugs in the first, and several episodes in the series mostly in the last three episodes. The toxic work environment in episode 2, contradicting ideology in episode 8.
The first five episodes and the seventh were very light. Much more comical side than serious mainstream police drama we know. However the last three is more serious as the unit chased down a drug dealer/sociopath named Kuzumi (Suda Masaki).
Now, let’s talk about this dynamic duo. Shima and Ibuki and reasons why on earth you should watch this drama. Well, the duo Shima Ibuki or fans called it with IBSM, are have a complete opposite persona, Shima who is capable to adapt with any social situation but has this dark side that made him kept his distance from trusting others and even himself, paired with Ibuki who rely on his wild instincts (even though his instincts were accurate) but having a great physical abilites but acted like a teenager who just went puberty.
What i loved about it, the actor who played these role has a different character in their previous works. Ayano Go who is a chameleon actor, most seen as cool, cold-blooded, or silent character have to act like what i said earlier a teenager who just went puberty. As Hoshino Gen who known for his goofy, nerdy and naive persona have to act total rough-tough detective without removing his smart charm. I have to tell you, they delivered it beautifully!
Before MIU404, they actually already worked together in medical drama called Kounodori which sets in Obgyn department, Go played a calm, gentle obgyn doctor and a mysterious pianist named Kounotori. While Gen played a cold stiff doctor named Shinomiya. Their chemistry in Kounodori shown naturally in MIU.
But IBSM aside, can we just talk about the cast itself. Apart from Gen and Go, the other cast is also as stunning as them. Three brilliant youngsters, Suzuka Oji (Narikawa), Kenshi Okada (Kokonoe) and Suda Masaki (Kuzumi) absolutely done a marvelous job portraying their character. Plus, i love how Suda embodied the sociopath side of him which makes me wanna punch the guy right in the face and makes it a brilliant villain.
The veterans! So many veterans in this drama i can tell ya!! From Kohinata Fumiyo as Ibuki mentor Gamagori Shingo to Yutaka Matsushige who is a UDI director who is actual role is in Unnatural. I cannot tell you how many veterans in this drama! A lot!
Also… in this drama there are serveral unique guest that rare we seen in drama. Which one of them is Satoru Iguchi (if i’m not mistaken) who is a frontman of King Gnu and Millenium Parade. He played as the delivery guy in eps.7
Not only the cast and the story are already amazing. The drama soundtrack is also handled by Kenshi Yonezu, who is a superstar in Japan. Known for his soundtrack Lemon for Unnatural, the MIU production team decided to hire him to do the theme song and the results? Amazing!
On the minus side, the drama somehow lacks of punch. Yes there are some action packed scene but somehow it’s not enough! It’s too light for me.. but yet addictive at the same time. But this is police drama at least add some more punch to it though!
Lastly, what i love about this drama apart from the stories and series itself is the fan arts! One of my favourite MIU404 fan art comes from an artist known as piqel piqerm. One of my favourite works of them are the chibi version of the MIU boys which absoultely ADORABLE!!. You could check out their works on instagram or twitter.
Overall, MIU404 was a fresh take on general police drama. They mixed social issue with a good humor and plenty of messages, and yeah i would like the second season or a special episodes! The chemistry between all the casts are absoultely amazing! I could write a mini memoir about why you should watch this. But i just wanna keep it simple, and short… you could check out the review on Mydramalist or with hashtag #miu404.
Score 8/10
