‘The Greatest Teacher’ Netflix Series Review - Bingeable Mystery Thriller

For teacher Kujo Rina, life is weird. She dies, and right before she realizes that she is about to hit the ground to die, she goes back to one year ago in her classroom. The entire scenes of the previous year repeat themselves. The same old busy class with teenagers running around and making noise. Rina is confused. But she knows that there was an attempt to kill her by one of her students. How could that be? And just like that, the teacher who lived for her students now suspects all 30 of them as one of her killers. But wait, was she really killed? Or was it just an attempt? That’s a riddle you will only understand when you watch it. Now that she is aware that it was one of her students who pushed her off the balcony, Rina starts to observe them closely, keeping in mind their behavioral patterns. She must do so up until graduation day because that is when she was pushed from a balcony a year ago. Since this one year is repeating itself, Rina is being very careful. The school has now planted a flower bed under the balcony, which she pushed in order to prevent further deaths. So one thing is for sure, in this second life, she won’t die. Even when her husband wishes for a divorce, unlike the first time around, she decides to find the reason behind it. So clearly, we can see that some things are different this time. Guess the makers wanted us to see the perks of getting a second chance. From making someone else the event host of the school to be extra careful, this time around, Rina will not let herself die.  But still, we come back to the same question: who could kill her? And, this second time around, will the potential murderer change?

There are many things that go in favor of the show: for example, the plot is pretty interesting. The entire concept and the making of the show give us the result of her searching for her killer. It also sheds light on teenage rage and grudges that they often hold against teachers. Other concepts of bullying and divorce are also taken into consideration with utmost sincerity. If not checked, it can thus turn very dangerous. Even the acting done by the cast is commendable. Matsuoka Mayu in the role does a fantastic job as Kujo Rina. She expresses all emotions with great detail, and that’s the whole beauty of it.

Now, coming to the drawbacks, the show is a bit slow. It drags a lot continuously again and again. Some scenes don’t need that much of screen time and space as was given. As a result, we have a show that has a slow pace. Also, the ending might not be the best we have seen so far. It is a bit absurd and not the one you expect. But then again, we are talking about a plot where out of nowhere the lead gets a second life. So maybe the ending that way is justified.

But keeping aside all that, this sure is a fresh concept. For those who like watching murder mysteries, this could be your binge-watch. It does offer the intrigue that we look for in a plot. Till the very end, it will keep you guessing as to who actually killed her or even tried to do that. While it might not leave a lasting impact, it sure is worth a watch.

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