"The Killer Fax" episode of "Furuhata Ninzaburô" takes its cue from the "Columbo" pilot "Ransom for a Dead Man". In both stories, the killer fakes a kidnapping of their spouse going as far as to even have a dramatic drop off of the money. "Furuhata Ninzaburô" takes that concept and runs with it setting the entire episode during the dramatic chase as the police tail the husband carrying the money through the city.
Unlike the previous, more stagey episodes of "Furuhata Ninzaburô", "The Killer Fax" is a dynamic, almost cinematic story with several notably tense and dramatic set-pieces, an unrelenting pace, and some superbly stylish direction from Mamoru Hoshi. Look, for instance, at the wonderfully suspenseful montage sequence as everyone waits for the cue from the kidnapper to drop off the money. The camera zooms around the killer as he stands in the middle of the street, bags in hand, lit only by street lights. It's pure film noir.
Furuhata is also a darker presence in this episode. He is quieter, barely speaking to the killer until the finale, intently observing from the sidelines as his colleagues deal with the kidnapping oblivious that the killer is in the room with them. There is still humour in the episode, especially in the hilarious final twist involving the always great Masahiko Nishimura, but compared to the previous episodes, "The Killer Fax" is a much more suspenseful, noirish story.
I absolutely loved this episode just as much as I did the first one. OK, the big twist is a tad weaker than expected but the stylishness of it, the pace, the suspense, and Tamara Masakazu's low-key, menacing performance make "The Killer Fax" a televisual masterpiece.
Unlike the previous, more stagey episodes of "Furuhata Ninzaburô", "The Killer Fax" is a dynamic, almost cinematic story with several notably tense and dramatic set-pieces, an unrelenting pace, and some superbly stylish direction from Mamoru Hoshi. Look, for instance, at the wonderfully suspenseful montage sequence as everyone waits for the cue from the kidnapper to drop off the money. The camera zooms around the killer as he stands in the middle of the street, bags in hand, lit only by street lights. It's pure film noir.
Furuhata is also a darker presence in this episode. He is quieter, barely speaking to the killer until the finale, intently observing from the sidelines as his colleagues deal with the kidnapping oblivious that the killer is in the room with them. There is still humour in the episode, especially in the hilarious final twist involving the always great Masahiko Nishimura, but compared to the previous episodes, "The Killer Fax" is a much more suspenseful, noirish story.
I absolutely loved this episode just as much as I did the first one. OK, the big twist is a tad weaker than expected but the stylishness of it, the pace, the suspense, and Tamara Masakazu's low-key, menacing performance make "The Killer Fax" a televisual masterpiece.
