Forum - View topicJoker Game (TV).
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Stark700
 Posts: 11762 Location: Earth |
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Joker Game (TV) Genres: Military, Seinen Themes: Plot Summary: In 1937, before World War II begins in earnest. Lieutenant Colonel Yūki of the Imperial Japanese Army forms the "D Agency," an army intelligence outfit under his command and tutelage. Army General Staff attaches Lieutenant Sakuma to observe the unit's performance. D Agency casts a wide net to find agents beyond Japanese military personnel, and Yūki establishes D Agency's tenets, which go against IJA doctrine: "Don't kill, don't get killed, don't get captured." With this, Yūki trains a team of operatives who conduct missions against domestic and foreign powers. ---------------------------------- A novel adaptation (previously received a live adaptation) produced by Production I.G. |
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Stark700
Posts: 11762 Location: Earth |
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Episode 1:
Nice episode, really enjoyed the time setting of this which is around World War II. I haven't seen the live action movie version of this before but the episode is pretty true to its premise about spy organizations and what goes on behind the scenes. I really like what they are doing with the card game especially with the Joker symbolism as well. There's espionage theme and drama flair of the show is really something to take interest in as well. Nice OP song too, looking forward to more for sure. |
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FenixFiesta
Posts: 2581 |
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Alright, this is a rare while where the WW2 obsession of Japan isn't blatantly about overt nationalism and is following the noir feel of Spies.
This is a contender for best first episode for this batch of spring episodes. |
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DuskyPredator
 Posts: 15457 Location: Brisbane, Australia |
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Episode 1
Regardless of whether it is good or not, I am somewhat uncomfortable with the setting. |
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Stark700
Posts: 11762 Location: Earth |
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Episode 2:
Lol, I find Mutou being humiliated rather amusing this episode because he made a fool of himself. Good insight on Sakuma's role this show so far as he is a capable individual with his perceptions. This episode also builds a bit more into the internal conflicts of the D Agency as well. |
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Zin5ki
 Posts: 6680 Location: London, UK |
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Episode 1 spoiler[presuming I am still permitted to talk about it.]
Two minutes into the show, quite a feeble disclaimer about the work's historical accuracy is displayed. In view of this it is fortunate that the subject of internal betrayal was principally explored within a scope limited to the trainee spies only. Let us hope the focus sticks to the principles of espionage in this fashion, rather than the controversy that is their wider role in 1930s history. There was a tantalising omission regarding such principles: the question of what to do upon capture received no satisfactory answer from the show's 'monsters'. I quite expect we shall discover the supposed protocol before too long. |
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killjoy_the
 Posts: 2459 |
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Easy, just become a triple-quadruple double agent. Now you got multiple countries you have no particular care for demanding your work! |
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Stark700
Posts: 11762 Location: Earth |
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Episode 3:
Yeah, this episode definitely has some historical context to it with Germany's occupation in France and dragging Europe eventually into WWII. At this time period, I think they were using all sorts of ways to intimidate their foes as well. As part of the Axis powers, Japan is also allied with them but I wonder how this show will portray them? From what I remember, they are more of allies under a non-aggression pact rather than partners fighting shoulder to shoulder. Characters like Marie choosing their own family over anything else. I didn't find the mystery or suspense of the episode to be complex but still got a nice thrill of the episode with the mind games. Shimano is a really interesting character. |
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Gina Szanboti
Posts: 11334 |
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The mission itself seemed kind of odd. I'm not sure of what use the information about resistance to collaborator ratios in France would be to the Japanese, unless it was to gauge how useful Germany would be as an ally. But it seemed like that decision had already been made anyway. As a bargaining chip to show alliance with Germany, it also seems useless, as the Germans probably had a better idea of the ratios already. So why waste a spy on such a weak mission?
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leesahlynn
Posts: 81 |
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I don't think it had when they sent him out, probably wanted to gauge how likely a strong resistance movement could be before broadcasting an alignment with Germany. It might not have influenced their decision to join Germany, but if he had found a strong, willing, and well-equipped resistance it might have stirred some second thoughts before the alliance was made public. Also, as the first mission episode, they may have started with something a little underwhelming that builds up as we go. I have high hopes for this series tbh, it's an early favorite so far. |
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Gina Szanboti
Posts: 11334 |
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I don't think we know how long he was there, but regardless, they made the decision before they received his intel, so it must not have been all that vital.
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FenixFiesta
Posts: 2581 |
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That seems to be the flow, the first episode had a mock example with a "rigged card game", a literal zero stakes event, the follow up episode focused on the raid of the American spy's house, the only thing displayed on risk was Sakuma against himself and also the incident denotes that even a "bad" spy in the case of the American agent still won't completely give up the mask when agents are literally raiding his house. With ep 3, this is the first "field mission" we are shown with the teaching for the D agency being kept to heart. |
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Stark700
Posts: 11762 Location: Earth |
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Episode 4:
Good episode, I got a thrilling espionage feeling from it with the focus on Honma. Shanghai can be a really messy place with the underworld business. Honestly at this time setting, I think anything could happen involving the military as well. As such, we also have the whole revenge theme going on at the end. Quite a startling ending to the episode imo. This show goes to show that anything can happen to anyone and no one is to be trusted. I'm rather intrigued how much the show is able to effectively focused on individual characters so far. Impressive. |
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Zin5ki
Posts: 6680 Location: London, UK |
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Episode 3 has delivered what I wished for: a honing in on the struggles of the individual rather than any gestures towards the tempers of entire nations. After the episode's climax, a spy and a resistance fighter come to exchange an almost brotherly handshake, having both suffered an unexpected betrayal from a coerced double agent. Together they silently acknowledge the wrenching oddity of what they have witnessed and endured. Given scenes like this, we now know it is within this show's capability to create miniature character dramas within the constraints of a single episode. Such a strength will be a necessity if the show is to focus sequentially on the remaining agents.
Does anyone remember 'Allo 'Allo!? Tone aside, the episode's setting almost begged for a comparison. |
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HuuskerDu
 Posts: 93 Location: USA |
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Episode 4:
The episode was well executed and had great visuals and atmosphere, with the only significant problem being that the mystery flew by too fast to follow in a single viewing. 20 minutes is simply not enough time to lay out all of the steps required in a complete mystery story with this level of complexity: the setup, the investigation, and the denouement. Because of that it felt like Sgt Honma had unraveled the mystery way too quickly. Detective Conan can get away with that, but not here. Still, it was exciting to watch and looked great. The screenplay again avoided stepping on political landmines regarding modern day sensitivities about the war years, this time regarding the occupation of China (a particularly dicey topic). It took two viewings for me to realize that spoiler[The reporter and Kusanagi were actually the same guy!] I did a mental facepalm because it was explained back in ep 2 that spoiler[An effective disguise can be nothing more putting on a pair of glasses and changing your facial expression.] D'oh! |
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