Deka wanko

Television has seen a veritable army of quirky cops, but Wanko, the titular goth-loli homicide detective with a superhuman sense of smell, might be the quirkiest of them all. It's the kind of over-the-top role that could quickly become annoying, but Mikako Tabe manages to make it kind of adorable. That's basically the show in the nutshell -- if it never reaches for the stars it at least manages to be charming and entertaining without being overbearing.

It helps that, unlike most Japanese comedies, Deka Wanko is actually funny. Oh sure, it has its fair share of stupid puns and overreaction gags, but it also has some legitimately good character humour and fourth-wall-breaking gags (Wanko's in-show narration never fails to make me laugh). The more serious parts are also handled reasonably well, but there aren't a lot of them (even serial killers are treated pretty lightly) so there isn't the wild fluctuation in tone that usually bothers me in J-Dramas.

Of course, in the end it's all a piece of fluff. As a comedy it entertains but lacks bite (no dog pun intended), and as a drama it's pretty middling. It can also be shamelessly sentimental at times. But it's still enjoyable, and those with an appreciation for the Japanese sense of humour will probably love this show.