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Almost seven years after its initial release, the only gangster thriller on Netflix with a perfect Rotten Tomatoes score has been all but forgotten by most viewers. Yet, this crime masterpiece remains out on its own as a highly original take on genre, which doubles up as a meditation on the dual moral imperatives of Japanese society.
The terms “duty” and “shame” are intimately associated with our perception of law enforcement and criminal behavior, yet they’re rarely presented as interdependent ethical considerations for a TV hero in uniform. In Giri/Haji, however, we see how even upholding a profound sense of duty can give rise to shame.
This miniseries gets its title from the Japanese words for these mutually antagonistic concepts, which its protagonist Kenzo Mori feels throughout much of his journey between the criminal underworlds of Tokyo and London. As forgotten TV crime thrillers go, Giri/Haji is a singularly memorable slow burn of cinematic visuals, pitch-perfect dialogue, and weighty suspense.
While the show only has eight episodes, it’s densely packed with intensely personal drama and hard-hitting action sequences. But as a sweeping mafia epic, it has more in common with The Godfather than Guy Ritchie, both stylistically and thematically. Giri/Haji poses deeply philosophical questions about family and morality, which it ultimately leaves up to us to answer.
Giri/Haji Is One Of The Best Crime Miniseries On Netflix
Whereas some crime thrillers on various streaming platforms are widely celebrated for their fresh takes on the genre, this near-perfect detective show has been forgotten by viewers and critics alike since its release at the end of the 2010s, despite being the most original miniseries of its kind. Giri/Haji spans two continents with gripping performances and a flawless script.
The show is beautifully paced to capture the complexities of Tokyo detective Kenzo Mori’s situation, as he searches for the truth about his missing brother. Kelly Macdonald gives her best performance of the past decade as his partner in crime investigation, Metropolitan Police constable Sarah Weitzmann.
Meanwhile, Will Sharpe’s Rodney Yamaguchi adds an extra layer of emotional gravitas to proceedings, by giving Kenzo’s own shame a sense of proportion. But he’s the least of the detective’s problems, when there are Yazuka bosses to contend with both in London and in his home city, Tokyo.
Giri/Haji flits between these two locales seamlessly, just as its dialogue navigates the potential language barriers between Japanese and English speakers with wit and sensitivity. It’s difficult to convey just how well this series executes its highly innovative premise with words alone. Anyone who watches it is in for a treat.
It’s The Only Gangster Thriller On Streaming With A Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Score
Very few TV shows in the crime genre manage to achieve the universal acclaim that this miniseries has received. Giri/Haji fully deserves its perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, as there’s virtually nothing to fault in the series. From its exquisite cinematography to its intimate understanding of the Yakuza’s internal politics, this is a TV thriller of the highest order.
The likes of The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, and Peaky Blinders might have amassed a groundswell of critical support across several seasons, but none of them have maintained a 100% score on the internet’s most reputable critical aggregation site for TV and film. It’s almost impossible to find a gangster series without artistic flaws across the history of the small screen.
Perhaps Giri/Haji’s second season would have struggled to live up to its first outing on Netflix. We’ll never know, because the series was unceremoniously canceled back in 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. As it stands, this show is among the best miniseries in any genre on streaming, regardless of the platform.
