Shinhannin Flag or Guilty Flag is a Japanese suspense drama which does not need to take 20 Episodes to make. Even 10 Episode is too generous long. Season 1 ended without any progress of the story of finding how the 3 people were kidnapped or missing. The director wanted the audience to suspect every character to be the kidnapper. Hence, he created sub story of each character to be main suspect.
I watch the 20 Episodes one by one in chronological order. I didn't want to jump straight to final episode as I want to experience thrill and suspense. The end verdict after finishing watching is dull and completely waste of time. Yes it is suspenseful but I felt the story is empty and has no soul. I do not recommend you to watch this drama. There are a few things does not make sense.
For people who still wanted to watch this drama but do not have the patient to watch all the 20 Episodes, here is the summarize version.
Spoiler Alert!
The cast is headed by Hidetoshi Nishijima. The actor is from this year Oscar winning International Film "Drive My Car". As per the drama plot, our protagonist Ryosuke Sagara (Hidetoshi) wife, teenage daughter and son are missing. Is it a kidnapped case or murder case or runway case?
Ryosuke family kidnapped case is assisted by Mizuho Ninomiya (Kamade Transport employee and office colleague), Toshio (Editor-in-Chief of "Weekly Pursuit" magazine, university mate), Wataru (Bar owner of Supreme Time, university mate) and Issei (CEO of Proxima and Ryosuke teenage daughter boyfriend).
Here is the laydown story of all the 3 missing person cases that are not related but happen to occurred on the same day.
Atsuto (Ryosuke Son) Missing Case Story ================================ Atsuto age 10 is a talented soccer player that is not Ryosuke biological son. He is a result of Ryosuke wife (Maho) one night stand with Hayashi (Sumiai Home Employee who is building a new house for Sagara family). They met at Rikkei University Soccer Club Alumni Reunion gathering 11 years ago.
Atsuto was kidnapped by Yumi Kobata, a mental sick woman whose son (Keiju @ a soccer player) was killed in an accident 10 years ago. Yumi Kobata also known as Batako (a difficult customer on Kamada Transport hotline). Kobata brain washes Atsuto into accepting that she is his new Mom. This is to substitute for her a dead son (Keiju).
Kobata kept his son dead body in a frozen ice box for 10 years before sending to Ryosuke. She was finally caught by the authority when trying to kidnap Atsuto the 2nd time.
Illogical No. # 1. Why does Kobata want to delivery Atsuto packed in an ice box back to Ryosuke and than latter want to kidnap him again ? If the reason is just to incriminate him for killing his wife and daughter. No ... I don't buy the story because the audience already make to understand the sender of the ice box of Keiju (dead boy who died 10 years ago) and ice box package of Atsuto is the same sender. There is no connection of Ryosuke with the dead body of Keiju.
Hikari (Ryosuke Daughter) Missing Case Story ==================================== Hikari age 17 is a teenage high school daughter of Ryosuke and Maho. One day, she overheard Maho confession conversation with Hishida Tomoko (neighbor and mother of Kiyo who is soccer teammates of Atsuto) that Atsuto may be Hayashi son from her one night stand 11 years ago. Disgusted and upset, she planned her runaway with Issei (CEO of Proxima). Hikari missing case was originally planned as runaway but become kidnapped when Issei engaged Haruka Motoki (a mortician) to torture her. After Hikari was free and Haruka was captured by police, Issei was forced to confess of his evil intention. He mentions he did this for fun with no purpose or agenda. Later on, he was been blackmailed by the real kidnapper master mind (Toshio) to incriminated Ryosuke.
The director tried to keep us in suspense on what is inside the closet at Hishida house that make Kiyo so spook? Actually it is really not much of a suspense. It is a red paint word written by Toshio saying "You talk too much". Hishida try to wash away the red paint but not able to get rid completely so she cover it up by reversing the cabinet door.
Maho (Ryosuke Wife) Missing Case Story ================================ Maho one night stand with Hayashi at the hotel room was found out by Toshio (Editor-in-Chief of "Weekly Pursuit" magazine) when he was on a stakeout for a scope at the same hotel 11 years ago. Since Toshio have strong feeling for Maho, he tries to blackmail Maho to leave Ryosuke and be with him. When Maho refused, Toshio killed her. Toshio pretend to help Ryosuke to find his missing family members while working behind to incriminate him. Toshio also blacked mail Hishinda Tomoko to plant Hayashi murder weapon in Ryosuke house. He was finally expose his evil deed by Mizuho Ninomiya and was caught by the police.
Illogical No. # 2. In the last Episode 20, Haru body was discovered by Ryosuke in a coffin and her body was well intact. How can it be ? Haru already been killed more than 3 months. According to science, a dead body even kept in a well preserve casket will start to decay after 24 days. There is not a single sign of decay on Haru body. Unless the director want tell us that her body was kept in a frozen storage the whole time before being discovered by Ryosuke.
But why in another scene, we saw Keiju dead body start to show signs of decay during his funeral ceremony.
I watch the 20 Episodes one by one in chronological order. I didn't want to jump straight to final episode as I want to experience thrill and suspense. The end verdict after finishing watching is dull and completely waste of time. Yes it is suspenseful but I felt the story is empty and has no soul. I do not recommend you to watch this drama. There are a few things does not make sense.
For people who still wanted to watch this drama but do not have the patient to watch all the 20 Episodes, here is the summarize version.
Spoiler Alert!
The cast is headed by Hidetoshi Nishijima. The actor is from this year Oscar winning International Film "Drive My Car". As per the drama plot, our protagonist Ryosuke Sagara (Hidetoshi) wife, teenage daughter and son are missing. Is it a kidnapped case or murder case or runway case?
Ryosuke family kidnapped case is assisted by Mizuho Ninomiya (Kamade Transport employee and office colleague), Toshio (Editor-in-Chief of "Weekly Pursuit" magazine, university mate), Wataru (Bar owner of Supreme Time, university mate) and Issei (CEO of Proxima and Ryosuke teenage daughter boyfriend).
Here is the laydown story of all the 3 missing person cases that are not related but happen to occurred on the same day.
Atsuto (Ryosuke Son) Missing Case Story ================================ Atsuto age 10 is a talented soccer player that is not Ryosuke biological son. He is a result of Ryosuke wife (Maho) one night stand with Hayashi (Sumiai Home Employee who is building a new house for Sagara family). They met at Rikkei University Soccer Club Alumni Reunion gathering 11 years ago.
Atsuto was kidnapped by Yumi Kobata, a mental sick woman whose son (Keiju @ a soccer player) was killed in an accident 10 years ago. Yumi Kobata also known as Batako (a difficult customer on Kamada Transport hotline). Kobata brain washes Atsuto into accepting that she is his new Mom. This is to substitute for her a dead son (Keiju).
Kobata kept his son dead body in a frozen ice box for 10 years before sending to Ryosuke. She was finally caught by the authority when trying to kidnap Atsuto the 2nd time.
Illogical No. # 1. Why does Kobata want to delivery Atsuto packed in an ice box back to Ryosuke and than latter want to kidnap him again ? If the reason is just to incriminate him for killing his wife and daughter. No ... I don't buy the story because the audience already make to understand the sender of the ice box of Keiju (dead boy who died 10 years ago) and ice box package of Atsuto is the same sender. There is no connection of Ryosuke with the dead body of Keiju.
Hikari (Ryosuke Daughter) Missing Case Story ==================================== Hikari age 17 is a teenage high school daughter of Ryosuke and Maho. One day, she overheard Maho confession conversation with Hishida Tomoko (neighbor and mother of Kiyo who is soccer teammates of Atsuto) that Atsuto may be Hayashi son from her one night stand 11 years ago. Disgusted and upset, she planned her runaway with Issei (CEO of Proxima). Hikari missing case was originally planned as runaway but become kidnapped when Issei engaged Haruka Motoki (a mortician) to torture her. After Hikari was free and Haruka was captured by police, Issei was forced to confess of his evil intention. He mentions he did this for fun with no purpose or agenda. Later on, he was been blackmailed by the real kidnapper master mind (Toshio) to incriminated Ryosuke.
The director tried to keep us in suspense on what is inside the closet at Hishida house that make Kiyo so spook? Actually it is really not much of a suspense. It is a red paint word written by Toshio saying "You talk too much". Hishida try to wash away the red paint but not able to get rid completely so she cover it up by reversing the cabinet door.
Maho (Ryosuke Wife) Missing Case Story ================================ Maho one night stand with Hayashi at the hotel room was found out by Toshio (Editor-in-Chief of "Weekly Pursuit" magazine) when he was on a stakeout for a scope at the same hotel 11 years ago. Since Toshio have strong feeling for Maho, he tries to blackmail Maho to leave Ryosuke and be with him. When Maho refused, Toshio killed her. Toshio pretend to help Ryosuke to find his missing family members while working behind to incriminate him. Toshio also blacked mail Hishinda Tomoko to plant Hayashi murder weapon in Ryosuke house. He was finally expose his evil deed by Mizuho Ninomiya and was caught by the police.
Illogical No. # 2. In the last Episode 20, Haru body was discovered by Ryosuke in a coffin and her body was well intact. How can it be ? Haru already been killed more than 3 months. According to science, a dead body even kept in a well preserve casket will start to decay after 24 days. There is not a single sign of decay on Haru body. Unless the director want tell us that her body was kept in a frozen storage the whole time before being discovered by Ryosuke.
But why in another scene, we saw Keiju dead body start to show signs of decay during his funeral ceremony.
