[Discussion] Ouroboros

[kitty10]

Synopsis from Dramawiki:
"Ouroboros" is an ancient symbol that depicts a snake eating its own tail - meaning infinity. Based on a popular comic, a clumsy detective and a cool gang stand up to true evil. Ikuo and Tatsuya grew up in a children's orphanage together. When their favorite teacher, Yuiko, is murdered, a policeman wearing a gold watch covers up the incident. Ikuo and Tatsuya promise each other to avenge their teacher someday. Twenty years later, Ikuo is a detective in Shinjuku second police station investigating various cases with elite detective - Mizuki, while smart and handsome Tatsuya has become one of the top members of a gang group. -- TBS

Cast
Ikuta Toma as Ryuzaki Ikuo
Oguri Shun as Danno Tatsuya
Ueno Juri as Hibino Mizuki
Yoshida Yo as Tachibana Tomiko
Muro Tsuyoshi as Fukamachi Takeshi
Seino Nana as Tamura Konatasu
Takeda Kumiko (武田久美子) as Abiko Kirino
Mitsuishi Ken as Hibino Kunihiko
Takito Kenichi as Chono Shinichi
Yoshida Kotaro as Mishima Kaoru
Nakamura Hashinosuke III as Kitagawa Kanichiro
Hirosue Ryoko as Kashiwaba Yuiko

Production Credits
- Original work: Manga Ouroboros: Keisatsu wo Sabaku wa Ware ni Ari by Kanzaki Yuya
- Screenwriter: Furuya Kazunao (古家和尚)
- Producer: Sano Ayumi (佐野亜裕美)
- Director: Ishii Yasuharu
- Music: Kimura Hideakira (木村秀彬)

Subtitles by areea-chan here


~


Anyone watching this? I finished the first episode yesterday and it seems pretty decent. Quite liking all three leads, though I think I prefer Oguri Shun's Tatsuya for now, he seems pretty interesting. Ueno Juri is okay, though her hairstyle is giving me Nodame vibes even though her character is anything but.

[shkendan]

I just finished third episode. I also prefer Oguri's acting. In this drama he speaks in deep voice. This makes his character much more powerful, mysterious and charming. And Nodame's image is too strong, so....but anyway I like this drama. It is one of my best favorites in this season.

[bmwracer]

I haven't watched any of it yet... I'm going to wait until the series and the subtitles are complete.

Not sure if I'm going to like watching Juri-chan play second banana to these two guys.

[kitty10]

^ Try the first episode to see how you feel. She's getting a decent amount of screentime for a drama that's male-centric, so I think that's pretty good. Acting-wise, however, I think Oguri Shun is the standout among the three.

I just finished third episode. I also prefer Oguri's acting. In this drama he speaks in deep voice. This makes his character much more powerful, mysterious and charming. And Nodame's image is too strong, so....but anyway I like this drama. It is one of my best favorites in this season.

I just finished episode 2. I like Tatsuya a lot and I'm not even an Oguri Shun fan. But something about his character is pretty mesmerising and I want to see more of him. I agree about the voice, and also the overall styling - that whole look can be pretty seductive. The script will probably pair Mizuki with Ikuo, but it'd be pretty cool if she and Tatsuya had a little somethin' somethin', they had just that one scene so far in two episodes but the tension had some sizzle. Mizuki and Ikuo look more like friends.

I really think it's the hairstyle that's giving off the Nodame aura - I had no issues when watching Ueno in Alice no Toge.

[bmwracer]

I really think it's the hairstyle that's giving off the Nodame aura - I had no issues when watching Ueno in Alice no Toge.

LOL, it's so amazing that Nodame is so ingrained in our hearts and minds.

[kitty10]

Finished episode 3. This drama is not too smart with its reveals, I think. The writing needs work. I like Tatsuya enough to keep watching, but by episode 2 I already knew

Mizuki's dad is involved in this Kintokei business and could guess before Ikuo revealed that Yuiko fired the first shot.

The characterisation isn't great either. Let's hope it improves in the coming episodes.

Also, I think people have pointed this out elsewhere, but Tatsuya and Ikuo have to stop meeting in such public places. Ikuo may be small police fry, but Tatsuya seems to be quite a high-ranking yakuza, no? I'm surprised nobody's figured them out yet or overheard their conversations.

[shkendan]

I'm surprised nobody's figured them out yet or overheard their conversations.

It is just a drama. Japanese people do not concern for others. But I also think the script is not plentiful enough to describe the characters. Some of the details are illogical.

The killer faraway from the abandoned building can aim the target, and also he can see the faces of these three people. Since they are exposed, so why don't the Kintokei group get any information? At the end of episode 3, Ikuo is promoted to a higher position in the police organization.

I cannot wait to see the next.

[honey_s]

ouroboros is base from manga so perhaps the manga's story line is like this?

[delilah28]

Uhm, some of you may have forgotten that this drama is based from manga. In short, the plot is already as it is and though they might do some changes that are not in manga, it looks like they are still following the manga.

[kitty10]

Uhm, some of you may have forgotten that this drama is based from manga. In short, the plot is already as it is and though they might do some changes that are not in manga, it looks like they are still following the manga.

Doesn't make a difference to me. Logic fail is logic fail. And to be honest, if the drama is following the manga even with all these loopholes, that doesn't say much for the source material (which I haven't read). As shkendan said, some of the details are illogical. The drama is also filled with a fair number of stock police characters, which is blah and I really don't like Detective Chono's face.

I like Tatsuya, so I will keep watching, but I hope they do more with his character (maybe drama can deviate from manga?) and I would like more scenes of him and Mizuki. The little twist at the end of episode 4 was pretty decent.

[hey9]

Doesn't make a difference to me. Logic fail is logic fail. And to be honest, if the drama is following the manga even with all these loopholes, that doesn't say much for the source material (which I haven't read). As shkendan said, some of the details are illogical. The drama is also filled with a fair number of stock police characters, which is blah and I really don't like Detective Chono's face.

I like Tatsuya, so I will keep watching, but I hope they do more with his character (maybe drama can deviate from manga?) and I would like more scenes of him and Mizuki. The little twist at the end of episode 4 was pretty decent.

So many things are being done so blatantly out in the open, yet there are never any witnesses to anything.

I just finished watching the Rurouni Kenshin movies and the guy that plays Chono overacts so much in them, it's cringeworthy. He's not as bad in Ouroboros, but still irritating. And what a garbage detective he is - tailing Ikuo and never once catching him meeting up with Danno.

I wonder if they'll have a Mizuki-Danno-Ryuzaki love triangle. This drama reminds me of Maou, but the execution is a lot weaker.

[kitty10]

I wonder if they'll have a Mizuki-Danno-Ryuzaki love triangle.

Five episodes in and that doesn't look like it's happening. It's more the Ikuo-Mizuki loveline that's developing - one damsel-in-distress rescue and she will probably now start to feel for him differently (if she hasn't already). Ikuo and Tatsuya are still talking in public places as though everyone else doesn't exist Anyway, I just want more Tatsuya scenes to make up for all the logic fail in this drama.

Ikuo gets a headache when he sees the police higher-ups with gold watches (Mizuki's dad among them). I wonder if he gets headaches when he sees ordinary people wearing gold watches

[Keiko1981]

What is the title of the opening song (also played throughout the episodes) and singer?

[shkendan]

What is the title of the opening song (also played throughout the episodes) and singer?

This opening song is [No one] sung by ENA. And the theme song is [SAKURA] sung by Arashi.

[Keiko1981]

What is the title of the opening song (also played throughout the episodes) and singer?

This opening song is [No one] sung by ENA. And the theme song is [SAKURA] sung by Arashi.

Thank you, waiting for the OST.

[UsagiYojimbo]

Uhm, some of you may have forgotten that this drama is based from manga. In short, the plot is already as it is and though they might do some changes that are not in manga, it looks like they are still following the manga.

There are many changes to the manga.
They are not meeting that many times, like in the dorama. There is also no "kintokei-gumi", just a single man with golden watch. Also some the crimes in the manga are merged into single dorama ones.

[shkendan]

This TV drama is based on manga. But it is still quite different from the manga. The actors add their emotional expression to drama, make the drama attractive and convincing except the logical error. I like the manga very much, so I want to finish ouroboros TV drama.

It is obvious that Kintokei group know the background both of Ikuo and Danno. In the latest episode, a new character surgeon entered the storyline. Could it be that the children who stay in orphanage are genetically-modified humans? (I do not finish the manga, so just guess)

[kitty10]

^ You could be onto something.

I just saw episode 8 - still need subs to make sense of things, but

whoa, Tatsuya shot Mizuki's dad?? And Konatsu too? Although she annoyed me, so I'm not too sorry to see her gone.

Not sure what to make of Ayano Go's new character... A lot of things are so anti-climax in this drama.

[bmwracer]

I still haven't watched a single episode.

[Hellraiser321]

Just finished the series!! What an amazing series. This is the best one I have seen in 2015 and it certainly features in my top 10 list.

[ZeldAx]

Just finished the series!! What an amazing series. This is the best one I have seen in 2015 and it certainly features in my top 10 list.

Chono in this series is the good surprise. I didn't know him before, but i will certainly follow him (i hope in detective series).
Seriously, i love his way of talking & clothes. Mishima was very good, and Tachibana is so beautiful.

Very good show, but Maou still ahead.

[Hellraiser321]

yeah, I have seen Chono in other series' as well.. I think Hanzawa Naoki and Doubles.. He has done a good job here.. What I like about this series is that the ending was sensible and overall balance and character portrayal was good!..

Seino Nana's secret was disclosed in a hurry is what I felt , but rest all good.

I am still wondering about Zero though! .. but will wait till everyone has watched it to avoid spoilers! .

Now I am off to watch Maou as you suggested ZeldaX .

[ZeldAx]

yeah, I have seen Chono in other series' as well.. I think Hanzawa Naoki and Doubles.. He has done a good job here.. What I like about this series is that the ending was sensible and overall balance and character portrayal was good!..

Seino Nana's secret was disclosed in a hurry is what I felt , but rest all good.

I am still wondering about Zero though! .. but will wait till everyone has watched it to avoid spoilers! .

Now I am off to watch Maou as you suggested ZeldaX .

Yes!! Chono is very rude with his partner, but i'd love to work with him.
Seriously, IRL he's totally different, very good guy.

What are you wondering about zero ? you can hid the spoiler

I suggest you Maou, personnally, one of the best of the best.

[Hellraiser321]

Done with Maou!!!! Thanks for a great suggestion ... true, it is better than Ouroboros

The most annoying thing was the the vision that Shiori saw at the end of the last episode .. it isn't disclosed!!! now it's a suspense.. probably they have put some bonus content in dvd/blu-ray.

Any more recommendations? I will go through the recommendation thread as well..