J-drama Review: Who Saw the Peacock Dance in the Jungle?
- Very Average Joe
- 5 minutes ago
- 4 min read
English Title: Who Saw the Peacock Dance in the Jungle?
Japanese Title: クジャクのダンス、誰が見た？ [lit. peacock’s dance, who saw it?]
Director(s): Tanazawa Takayoshi, Aoyama Takahiro, Fukuda Ryosuke, Tanaka Kenta
Screenwriter(s): Kanazawa Tomoki
Studio: TBS
Released: 2025
Runtime: 10 episodes, ~45m.
Starring: Hirose Suzu, Matsuyama Kenichi, Isomura Hayato
My Verdict: Plot progression is a bit convenient. But decent production and the two strong leads carry the show. Strangely watchable despite the issues.
Based on the manga of the same name by Asami Rito, the plot follows a young woman as she tries to unravel the mystery surrounding her father’s death. I have not read the manga so this review is purely of the series.
On Christmas Eve, Yamashita Komugi (Hirose Suzu) has ramen with her father, Haruo, an ex-cop. Komugi leaves first to meet her friends, later returning home to see it burning down and her father a victim.
Endo Tomoya is subsequently arrested for the crime. He is the son of death-row inmate Rikiro who was convicted for the murder of a rich family over twenty years ago, a case investigated by Haruo and Akazawa Tadashi, a family friend who is still in the police force. This is too neat and obviously something else is going on.
Soon afterwards, the ramen stall owner hands Komugi a letter and stacks of cash left by Haruo for her. She believes the letter is genuine which, amongst other things, states that Endo Tomoya is innocent and to contact a lawyer named Matsukaze Yoshiteru (Matsuyama Kenichi) for help. Meanwhile, tabloid reporter Kamii Takashi (Isomura Hayato) offers tidbits to Komugi regarding the mystery.
The premise is simpler than how it reads. Like most if not all of the crime mystery-thriller genre, this series is a gradual exposition until the overall puzzle is completed by the last episode.
Komugi is thankfully not the stubborn heroine who constantly goes off and impulsively does her own thing in search of the truth. There is, of course, a little bit of that but Matsukaze, being the sensible guy he is, tells her to not and hires her as a paralegal so he can keep an eye on her.
Whilst that is a plausible enough way to address the issue, the audience is never shown Komugi doing any paralegal work on her father’s or any other case. It is merely a convenient way to show her in the office. An occasional hint of paralegal work would suffice to sell the idea.
Also, although she is taking time off from university because of her father’s death, we are not even told what she is studying. The narrative is too focused on the main character dealing with the mystery with little else about her life outside of that; in this regard, it feels a little artificial.
Komugi and Matsukaze are not that active throughout the series. Whilst that is plausible as they don’t have many leads to go on, it does mean some expositions are not the result of their agency. It is admittedly a difficult balance to achieve but arguably too many expositions are given in scenes without Komugi and Matsukaze when they are supposed to be the main viewpoint characters. As such, the progression comes across as a little convenient.
The mystery involves about half a dozen characters, some connected to Komugi directly. For example, the ramen stall owner, Akazawa and his wife as family friends are all somehow involved. Most points are signposted and there are the usual misdirections, but the overall picture is not too predictable.
In the end, the motives of the culprits are too farfetched; they basically overreacted to their circumstances. That said, a mostly complete picture is provided with merely a few points unaddressed. For example, Tomoya’s connection to some of the characters is insufficiently explained. After all, his arrest is partly based on his proximity to Yamashita’s house at the time of its destruction. Why exactly was he there?
Visually, it is shot conventionally with seamless use of wider shots and off-center objects for a mildly surreal effect. This is fitting for a mystery and Komugi’s grief. Other more stylized shots are somewhat jarring as these are usually not used so it is obvious when they are, but the effort is appreciated.
The music, as is common with J-dramas, can be B-grade. Fortunately, not all of it is like that and what is there is not too loud in the mix. Much of it is conventional and functions as an enhancer of tension and suspense.
The performances of the two leads Hirose Suzu and Matsuyama Kenichi are solid. The former looks perfect for the part and Hirose does well with the pathos without overdoing it. The other performances are good except they are somewhat crudely written. Ultimately, Hirose and Matsuyama carry the series.
The pacing is measured and at a tight ten episodes, this somewhat mitigates the abovementioned issues. So, despite all the weaknesses, the series is strangely captivating and satisfying enough.
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