Eleven students were confined in an overly decorated dining room. Terrified, they tried to figure out why they were forcefully taken.
It was so hard to like these characters. For being a group of friends, they couldn’t cooperate. I also feel like they dragged this series for way too long. Like seriously, what is up with the long pauses?! I get trying to create a sense of suspense but I was bored by it instead. I decided to watch this for 2 days (all 12 episodes plus the special episode) cause I just wanna get through it. The story isn’t bad at all but there were too many twists!
I think that the story is made for the members of Keyakizaka46, I mean they didn’t even bother to change the names and opted to use their real names. I bet they are also sporting the same style too from their other stage works (can’t say that for sure but I’ve seen that happen). I don’t know much about acting to say they were bad actors but I gotta say I was bored but I feel some of them were a bit monotone. I get acting as a timid person but timid doesn’t mean boring. But that’s just how I feel. There are exceptions of course, like Kyoko Saito who played this hotheaded tomboyish character. It was annoying sometimes because all she does is shout but can you blame her, the scene was just too stretched. Memi Kakizaki, at her ending scene, her performance as this mostly terrified character to suddenly switch to an almost crazy girl that was entertaining to watch. And Yuuka Kageyama, well, I don’t really remember her scenes as memorable but she looks so much like Chiyaki Kuriyama. Her portrayal was just average at best. I think this is a smart move for the group, to have a drama available on Netflix to get more eyes on them.
The overall story I think is good but there were just too many plot holes. I read explanation articles and reddit but, just like me, the plot holes were confusing.
One of the questions that I think I can explain is Miho’s 3 month disappearance. They said that the only thing they found on the beach is her wheelchair. I don’t know what the weather was at the time or if the wheelchair was found on some platform. My guess is fell from the wheelchair and since she really could swim without her legs, she might have been taken by the waves, almost drowned but was saved with temporary amnesia. She could have been taken far away to the point no one knew who she was.
The girls vanishing during the blackout was one of the most confusing especially after Kage’s statement in the last episode. I was thinking the cuffs on their ankles act as an anchor. Everytime they would disappear they would feel or see water coming from underneath their cuffs. I thought that they would just sink into the ocean. But with Kage saying they were safe at the moment, means they were just underneath the room. I do believe there are several trapdoors in the room cause one of the girls said she witnessed Hayashi being swallowed by the floor.
Kage mentioned that she did have some help and has used her father’s money. One person that obviously helped her is Hayashi. He definitely had the hand on kidnapping the 10 girls. Hayashi is obviously in the control center when Kage is in the room. And when Kage vanished, they just switched places. As for creating the room in the ship, that could be explained by Kage and Hayashi preparing it over time or she hired someone to design it.
There were also extra scenes in some of the episode’s beginning. One that I couldn’t place is Miho in the car with a man (possibly her current boyfriend) and this man calling someone over the phone, a director. I think that director is Miho’s father. They were talking about “this” being also the director’s problem. I don’t know if it's a past memory since the man was telling Miho that he wanted her to be happy when he’s around. But that phone call could also indicate that its current and they found out all of Miho’s friends were missing.
Then there was that last line from Kage in episode 13, asking if we have uncovered all of their secrets. I mean doesn’t that mean I have to watch it again, or is that just a tease?
Will I recommend this? I mean sure. The story isn’t bad especially if you ignore the plot hole. I also like psychological drama but it just dragged on. Just for the mystery alone, there’s a chance that I’ll recommend this if asked.
