天下制覇

Oh no! My code of honor!

Impressions:

This had a bit of an odd beginning before it descended into pure overblown melodrama. It's like someone got confused and put in Cowboy Bebop's soundtrack for the start and OP, and then during the commercial break, realized their mistake and hurriedly replaced it with a more appropriate 1950s shinsengumi soundtrack period tunes. I'm serious. There's 90 seconds of jazz, and that's the last you ever hear of anything that isn't mainly dramatically screeching violins or just plucked strings. It's straight up bizarre.

Anyway, since it's obvious that nobody would ever watch this for the production (or rather, lack thereof for about 99% of it), let's talk about its disaster of writing, especially its central thing defining the bland characters who we still coming out of this not really having any idea what their personalities are or anything about them besides "cop" and "criminal." Everybody but the villain(s) are the most moral and honorable people ever, even the thieves. Especially the thieves, who have a moral code so binding that they would never allow another thief to disgrace the name of thieves. And the police take such honorable thieves at their word, because, you know, honor. And nothing is more important to thieves than clearing the names of thieves. And the police take him at his word, because, you know, honor! In the end, it turns out that it was him, because the worst thing you could ever possibly do isn't the rape or murder, it's breaking your honor! And yes, that's what they choose to focus on and rant about. As long as you're consistent about your moral code, murder and rape all you want, but don't you dare go back on your word about it!

Next Episode:

…