(CR) Joker Game

[bakato]

I'm gonna be honest. I was rootin' for this show, but even I didn't think it would be this good.

Originally Posted by Yamada II

Episode 1
Yuuki has established a spy school under the army with Sakuma coming from HQ. The spies here aren't army men but are your "ordinary" citizens. And after going through all their training, they are now monsters. They have fake everythings – names, age, past, no one knows what is true and what isn't. And that's how these spies work – they are trained to become invisible and adapt to whatever situation they come across. No one will know who they really are.

The Joker Game thing was interesting. They weren't playing a simple card game, they were basically fooling each other. No one knows for sure who is on who's side and who knows how much. One guy may be telling someone the opponents cards in one turn and then be telling his cards to someone else in the next. They had to get the most people on their side and keep them on their side to win because if one guy switches sides, you're gonna lose. This was an advanced form of cheating lol. They were giving each other information through different signals which didn't look like signals.

An American businessman, John Gordon is suspected of being a spy and the D Agency was told to investigate him and find even the slightest bit of evidence against him. Yuuki tried to get away with not going there by saying that even if a spy is suspected, he's dead as a spy. But he eventually has Miyoshi dispatched there as a military police officer with Sakuma playing the role of captain. It turns out that the place was searched a few days ago too but nothing was found and the same happens again. Miyoshi had told John that if they don't find anything, Sakuma would kill himself. It seems that Sakuma has been a victim of the Joker Game. All this is complicated. HQ is trying to have the D Agency fail at something and they deliberately sent them to a place cleared not too long ago. Miyoshi just played with Sakuma and is now having him kill himself, but maybe Miyoshi has some plan in mind and will somehow find the evidence. That evil smile could either mean that Miyoshi knows where the evidence could be, or it means that Miyoshi is saying goodbye to Sakuma. Now Yuuki and his boys could also know about HQ's intentions and were playing along to get rid of Sakuma who is from HQ. Maybe killing off Sakuma is part of a plan to keep the existence of these men a secret.

This is interesting and a sure keeper. That cliffhanger though. Right in the first episode.

If this guy really is squeaky clean, then all they have to do is plant some evidence. That and I doubt we'd lose our lead-in so soon. Gordon's smirk is proof to Miyoshi that he is a spy.

Can someone explain the "who bows while wearing a suit?"

[Dop]

Wasn't entirely sure what to expect from this, but I thought that first episode was fantastic.
I particularly liked the way they highlighted the contrast between Sakuma's stiff military ways and his code of honour, and the methods used by the eight civilians who made it through the training programme devised by their spymaster.

Very promising. Definitely one to watch, I think.

[kuromitsu]

I have a feeling that people are going to praise this episode because of the setting and the themes, but tbh I wasn't particularly impressed. Something tells me this story (well, the story in this episode) worked better as a novel - I'd guess that the novel had either Sakuma's narration or access to his thoughts/internal monologue, because here he was just way too on the nose. It doesn't help that the writing was overall a bit clunky...

Also, they really could've toned down the Culturally Insensitive Large Blonde Blue-eyed American Guy thing, I mean if you're a serious show you might not want to operate with such ridiculous caricatures. It was really difficult to take it seriously, especially with the guy's constant shark face. (He basically has "I'm a bad guy" tattoeed on his forehead.)

Oh well, I guess it worked as an intro episode, but I hope it's going to get better as the story goes on.

Originally Posted by bakato

Can someone explain the "who bows while wearing a suit?"

That part was a bit weird, I don't quite get it either. Ah never mind, I get it. The point is that Sakuma used military style bowing/greeting while dressed as a civilian.

[Wandering Soul]

First episode met my expectations. It looks like one of the main conflicts of this series will be the ongoing clash of ideals between Sakuma and his his current co workers.

It seems like Miyoshi either knows where the evidence is or he knew what would happen and is taunting Sakuma. If Gordon really is clean then something will either stop Sakuma or they will have to plant evidence.

[kuromitsu]

Originally Posted by Wandering Soul

It seems like Miyoshi either knows where the evidence is or he knew what would happen and is taunting Sakuma. If Gordon really is clean then something will either stop Sakuma or they will have to plant evidence.

The guys are obviously aware that whatever evidence had been there was taken by the previous raid, so they're either planting evidence or will find some super obscure "only spies really know!" type of evidence that the previous raid missed. After all they have to do something about the situation or their organization will be closed down.

Gordon is an agent, he's so obvious about it, too. By the way it's a bit funny how, on the one hand, he's all "yay I love Japanese culture! I'm totally a native now!" but on the other hand he's like "lol geisha, Fujiyama, harakiri".

[Iron Maw]

Originally Posted by bakato

If this guy really is squeaky clean, then all they have to do is plant some evidence. That and I doubt we'd lose our lead-in so soon. Gordon's smirk is proof to Miyoshi that he is a spy.

This what I was expecting, but then Miyoshi comes up and says they didn't find anything. Now Sakuma feels like he's the one being setup here.

[BPD Renegade]

If only Joker Game had an extended first episode as well. I was expecting them to plant evidence, since they were so confident in the raid, but after that end, I'm not sure what to think. Joker Game indeed.

I'm liking this so far. It's different from the usual setting where the main cast has a strong sense of camaraderie. Instead, there's a feeling of disassociation between the eight spies, which makes sense, considering the nature of what they will be doing. They're cordial, but everything about it seems plastic, from their expressions to their demeanor. Yet, despite the feeling that there's something "wrong" about them, there's nothing robotic or puppet-like at all. It's hard to put the vibe I'm getting into words. Maybe something like amused nihilists? I have to give props to IG for perfectly capturing the "emptiness" that was emphasized.

I'm also interested in what kind of direction we're going to go after this introduction. It was said they're probably going to be scattered, so I wonder if we'll be following each spy and seeing their individual stories, or if there will be some overarching plot.

Regardless of which route it chooses to go, it'll be interesting to see the themes unravel. We already were exposed to the conflict of blind patriotism versus blunt pragmatism. We'll see how far it goes.

I'm still on guard, since I can see that this could easily go wrong, but for now, I'm liking the series, and I'm glad that after last season's Rakugo Shinjuu, we're getting another serious show aimed at an older audience.

[Master_Yoma]

Very awesome start but got to say the MC is way to straight laced to be a spy the other fit to well

[Irenesharda]

It was okay, I think I might need to see more before I decide for or against. It's just that none of the characters really grabbed me, and none of them are likable so far. Some of the exposition was clunky and the it felt like it was a little preachy for some odd reason. I'll give it 3 episodes, but I am not decided yet.

[j4c06]

Good stuff!

But what exactly is Sakuma's job in the unit? He doesn't seem to train with the other guys, nor is he involved in teaching them or planning their operations.

[Kakurin]

He's probably the liaison officer sent by the army.

[Gan_HOPE326]

Originally Posted by kuromitsu

Culturally Insensitive Large Blonde Blue-eyed American Guy

Eh, anime does that a lot . Though to be fair, if I were American I don't think I'd feel too offended by being stereotyped as a massive, blonde, muscular demigod . If anything it seems to me that expresses more of an inferiority complex on the part of the Japanese than anything else.

[kuromitsu]

Originally Posted by Gan_HOPE326

Eh, anime does that a lot . Though to be fair, if I were American I don't think I'd feel too offended by being stereotyped as a massive, blonde, muscular demigod . If anything it seems to me that expresses more of an inferiority complex on the part of the Japanese than anything else.

I'm not American either so it's not that I'm personally offended, or that it's an offensive stereotype...

It's just that the character was a caricature. Here's a show that's trying very hard to be serious and hard-boiled and realistic, and then it sticks a ridiculous caricature like that in the middle of the story. The guy is a walking collection of clichés from "personality" to his looks, plus he has this constant shark face with that grin and those wide unblinking eyes (blue, of course)... He's kind of insulting to the viewer's intelligence and completely undermines the tone the show is going for. Plus it's just ridiculous how in one moment he's presented as a foreigner with deep interest in and respect for Japan and Japanese culture, and in the other he's like "Japanese culture? Geisha, Fujiyama, harakiri!" The guy is a really crap spy if he can't even keep his disguise straight.

Senkou no Night Raid did many things not-quite-well, but at least it didn't treat the non-Japanese&Chinese characters like walking caricatures.

[j4c06]

Originally Posted by kuromitsu

Here's a show that's trying very hard to be serious and hard-boiled and realistic, and then it sticks a ridiculous caricature like that in the middle of the story.

It was rather painful, I agree. Maybe the idea was to see the guy through the eyes of Sakuma and feel his disgust.

[Yu Ominae]

http://jokergame.jp/story/

The link has a map of the Taisho era timeline with some episode names blacked out.

[Kakurin]

Originally Posted by Yu Ominae

http://jokergame.jp/story/

The link has a map of the Taisho era timeline with some episode names blacked out.

You mean Shōwa. Taishō was the previous era that ended in 1926. Seems like Joker Game will not be told chronologically seeing how episode 3 is set in Summer 1940 with another five bars between episode 2 and 3.

Looking a bit around that website, it's a bit ridiculous how the American John Gordon and a British guy named Marks look like ugly parodies...

Images

Marks

Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?

[Iron Maw]

Originally Posted by Irenesharda

It was okay, I think I might need to see more before I decide for or against. It's just that none of the characters really grabbed me, and none of them are likable so far. Some of the exposition was clunky and the it felt like it was a little preachy for some odd reason. I'll give it 3 episodes, but I am not decided yet.

Yeah, I can definitely see why others might find the first episode rather dull because of that. The stiff personally of the MC and his detached relationship with the other characters isn't something going to be found compelling with people in general. I'm not completely sold on the show myself, but still the setting has pretty attractive aesthetic, the atmosphere is on point and the overall plot has potential so it's met my interest there. It could very even being a show with a lot of style and little substance or something great once it gets going, but only time will tell.

[Yu Ominae]

@Kakurin

- Crap. I was in a hurry that I misread it. Thanks.

[Kanon]

The setting alone makes this worth a watch. That it's a novel adaptation instead of a light novel makes it a must watch.

That said, I'm not completely sold on this yet. The characters seemed a little bit dull in this first episode, and they look way too much alike.

[Last Sinner]

Setting is great, visuals are decent, premise is decent. Not so sure about the execution...it's too light in terms of impact for something that is proposing to be consistently tense and life-on-the-line. Voice acting wasn't convincing me. There is nothing intriguing/compelling about any particular character yet.

That said, first title from this season I want to see another episode of.