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"Yeah, how is that?" ~ possible dialogue from Toma XD[/caption]"To-Ma!" ~ Sebumi would say.
There was an original SPEC series I believe but I started from First Blood with the unbelievably talented Erika Toda, Ryo Kase, Raita Ryu and Ryunosuke Kamiki. Generally I don't praise a lot of actors so highly but as I watched them they were so immersed in their roles I just embraced the plot and it all.
The majority of the actors I mentioned made up the Unsolved Cases team. A unit which was looked down upon by the police force in general. They were stuck in a section of the building with low ceilings, drab grey walls, and an industrial material lift (the caged ones which totally supports how dingy the place was initially before the Chief likely cleaned it up) to let clients come and go.
The actors were able to show off their quirky characters that I felt it was even apart of who they were. Be it stick-up-your-butt serious or just plain goofy.
I really felt like eating gyoza throughout the show.
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http://aitoda.blogspot.sg/2013/04/erika-toda-tbs-all-star-show-pics-from.html?m=1[/caption]Loving the English mixed in with their Japanese too. Super impressive.
The plot went along so smoothly for the series itself, summary here ...
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More light hearted in the poster [/caption]
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And then this is how dark the plot becomes [/caption]Summary of SPEC（スペック） ～警視庁公安部公安第五課 未詳事件特別対策係事件簿:
Like the original series, "SPEC" will revolve around a pair of police detectives as part of a special division solving difficult cases (Mishou). Touma Saya is a woman with an IQ of 201 and an inability to "read the atmosphere" in social situations. Due to a previous case, her left arm is in a sling. Her partner Sebumi Takeru used to be the star performer of the Metropolitan Police. After some incident however, he was transferred to Mishou. Those two track down offenders with special abilities(SPEC) who managed to get away with their crimes.
... and the first few movies which was a lead up to the big plan, or rather, the "Simple Plan", to quite basically wipe out SPEC holders, people with amazing powers, from telekinesis to control over time.
Given any show with the minority of people having powers, there's gotta be two major things happening:
Those with powers cropping up like locusts and showing why you shouldn't let bad people have such abilities
And there being an evil plan that the main characters are working towards
Because this is also a Japanese drama, with a comedic nature (thanks to the actors I especially mentioned above), there's always twists and painfully bitter ends for the fan favourites. Ugh. It's always the case. It doesn't end totally happily. And I could never accept this fact. Hurts too much
But I thoroughly love the fact that these supposedly minor characters aren't given the brush off, they're recurring so often and to do useful things. Though most are just super hated at one point in their lives.
Truly though, the directors and writers really pulled me in.
But once they introduced the true intentions and the big reveals of Toma's gifts (notice that 's') it really had my reeling. I was dumbfounded trying to figure out what was happening in the plot's entirety for the last movie (perhaps the second to last too).
If they hadn't involved so much of stories from the Bible I would be able to reason with most of it. I totally get how the villains wanted to purge the world for the sake of Gaia needing to be renewed but they clearly had their own twisted ideals mixed up in this. All hallmarks of a good stupid villain that you'd hate.
I don't quite get the necessity of Jun considering she didn't do all that much for the villain side but I guess they wanted a touching moment with the mum and some comedy with..the dad.
Then I wondered if Toma was meant to be the angel in the biblical story with all that left hand wielding, considering that side of her is meant to show harm and bad.
I did eventually get it. Most of it. So wish it was less of a show of how simple it was for the evil SPEC holders (the ones who played the top villain roles) to use their cruel abilities, plus how much time they spent on the bigwigs from every other country basically whining like kids over their plans not ..going to plan.
The final scenes for all the movies and the series, which were basically cliffhangers till the end, were phenomenal. Last bits of the final movie was also very epic. And gross. REALLY gross.
It did end with something touching despite, as how I mentioned, how heart wrenching it was after all.
I commend Erika and Ryo for their tremendous effort that seemed effortless.
All in all, I SAY, YOU GOT TO WATCH IT! In one sitting for the movies cause there's no way you'd tear yourself away with just one.
Related titles (drama series/specials):
Unsolved Cases | Keizoku (TBS / 1999)
Keizoku Special: Phantom (TBS / 1999)
SPEC ~ First Blood (TBS / 2010)
SPEC: Shou (TBS / 2012)
SPEC Zero SP | SPEC～Rei～ (TBS / 2013)
Related titles (movies):
Keizoku: The Movie (2000)
SPEC: Heaven | Gekijyohan SPEC ~Ten (2012)
SPEC: Close~Incarnation | SPEC～Ketsu～Zen no hen (2013)
SPEC: Close~Reincarnation | SPEC～Ketsu～Kou no hen (2013)
