‘Informa’ (2023) Netflix Series Review - For All the Crime-Drama Lovers Out There

Informa is a 10-episode-long Japanese crime-thriller series that recently premiered on Netflix. It is directed by Fujii Michihito and Sakai Masaaki is the screenwriter. It is beautifully crafted despite the holes in the plot and the numerous unanswered questions left behind.

The series is based on a novel called Informa by Garyo Okita. It follows the story of an informer that is stuck in the underworld and political side. He, along with a wimpy reporter goes on adventures looking for any sort of ‘real’ news to cover. The lead role of Keijiro Kihara is played by Kenta Kiritani. Reo Sano plays the role of Mishima Kanji. The cast is quite accurate for the show, in my opinion, and the acting is not that bad either.

Informa starts off in the same old stereotypical way - a hardcore character who minds his own business. The typical way of introduction to a series didn’t quite hook me at first. However, as the minutes went by, I realized that it was seemingly hard to connect with this particular character. He was nonchalant and distant - quite unlikeable in my opinion. At some points throughout the story, it seemed like the reporter could use a break from the hero himself.

The story seems dull at the start. Of course, there is some action but nothing that catches your eye, you know? Moreover, many characters are added to the story without much explanation. They just pop in and you’re left wondering what is going on. As the story goes on, you realize that the entire series is one big series that has similar crime scenes as the episodes go by. They really did run out of ideas quickly.

Weirdly enough, the morally grey character didn’t have anything interesting either. There was a lot of brutal violence, of course. But that was all there was to him.

After the fifth episode, things start looking uphill. The main character’s backstory and motives are revealed. It adds to the plot and it thickens. The reporter and the main character in Informa finally seem to work in chemistry and the similar plot lines seem to get more interesting. If you thought you knew what was happening, this one proves you wrong. It lets you down in the best (yet worst) way possible- a plot twist.

On to the ‘grand’ revelation- it really didn’t capture my attention. It seemed thoughtless and completely different from the plot’s flow. I was weirded out by it, to be honest. However, at the end of the series, the climax is quite satisfying and makes you forget about the hiccups on the way to the end.

The cinematography is flawless. Use of camera angles, capturing facial expressions, slow motion, and stunning highlights are exactly what you need to make it through the first five episodes. It picks up soon enough for the plot but the scene shootings remain the same, if not more - thankfully.

I loved the series for its ruthless moments and the raw images it showed. It was a true crime thriller in essence. A must-watch for crime-drama lovers who like the intensity.

Final Score- [7.5/10]
Reviewed by - Jess Doshi
Follow @JessDoshi on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times