Ima Koko ni Aru Kiki to Boku no Kokando ni Tsuite

This was titled "How To Be Likeable in a Crisis" I had no idea what this was about, but I trust that my PBS station is usually right in their programming choices (there have been a few less than stellar series, but only a small percentage). The title was intriguing so I recorded the 5 episodes shown one after the other. I was impressed. The very dark humor highlights the real social and ethical commentary at the heart of this series. The writing is excellent, the cinematography very clear, and the cleverly-composed cheerfulness of the music added an often hilarious counterpoint to the action. But is the acting that makes this so watchable, even for a Western audience. The main character is played by a young man with a real depth to his performance: I was never in doubt that this was a real person he played. I expect if I knew more about current Japanese television and cinema, I would recognize the actors playing the older characters. In the English introduction it is implied that they are well-known actors. If you have a chance, watch this.