‘Soda Master’ (2026) Netflix Series Review - Crime and Friendship

One of the rare Japanese dramas that I found good so far, Soda Master explores the friendship of three medieval men as they investigate a crime in their hometown. Back in those days, these men were full of ambition and big dreams. Now in their middle age, the midlife crisis has finally hit them. Careers have stalled, ambitions have faded, and now, with their youth gone, all they are left with is an excitement lie which has no excitement at all. But things take a different route when human bones are discovered at a construction site in their hometown. This gets connected to an unresolved mystery of a teacher who vanished into thin air during their adolescent age, never to be found again. What comes ahead of us viewers is a conventional crime investigation trying to find the murderer, connecting the dots to conclude. During this time, we are taken through some flashbacks which help us to understand what had happened in the past. It also tells us the carefree days our main characters lived and how that shaped the lives they lead now.

There is a great deal of character development that takes place in the series, and it's not related to one, but all three. As mentioned earlier, the flashback scenes help us gauge the fact that these characters were something else in the past and have now turned into something else. This balance and acceptance of mistakes and blunders of the past and the youth shows the maturity level these characters have reached.  That is what makes the series very interesting.

The makers have revealed important things in the first episode itself. This helps us to get a glimpse of what is going to happen in future episodes. That, in my opinion, is a clever move as it keeps us engaged enough to wait for the next episodes. In addition to this, the star cast does a fantastic job with their acting. They give us the perfect emotions that show the feelings throughout the episode. The tensions, the awkwardness, and all the other emotions are well displayed.

The crime and its connection to the main characters are also an arc worth exploring in the series.  It's understood that there will be many twists and turns ahead, which are about to surprise us in future episodes.

Other than that, the pacing is a bit problematic. There are instances when the series gets incredibly slow, and that can create annoyance in our minds. It is expected that when the plot is this good, the pacing should be good enough to complement it. But sadly, apart from everything else being perfect, this is one area where Soda Master falls. Perhaps if the makers had paid some more attention to the pacing, the series would have been perfect as it is now.

So dear viewers, if you wish to watch a crime drama, Soda Master is a good watch. We must wait for the new episodes to come out in order to see how well the drama is made. All in all, it is worth a watch.

Final Score- [7/10]
Reviewed by - Neerja Ch
Follow @NeerjaCH on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times