Marks no Yama – Subbing Status

July 14: The mystery of ‘Marks’ has been handled with a deft, assured touch and brought to life by the solid acting of a cast that includes the likes of Kora Kengo, as the gaunt, haunted Mizusawa and even Kohinata Fumiyo, who has graced so many dramas in forgettable supporting roles, but inhabits the role of the callous, manipulative Rinbara perfectly. I must confess to growing weary of the typical formulaic police dramas of an episodic nature that are being churned out mindlessly that I can barely muster any enthusiasm for them. But with Marks no Yama, the experience was so intoxicating and exhilarating that I was sorry to find that it was a mere five episodes long.

June 3: After being kept tethering on the edge by the cliffhanger in Ep 3, here’s Ep 4. Why do the Fujita-gumi gangsters keep popping up all over this case? The events in Ep 3 culminate in two heart-stopping developments: one vengeful and the other sacrificial. It is to the production crew’s credit that even characters with small screen time can exert such an emotional pull, and this is what sets Marks no Yama apart from many other police dramas that have come before it.

May 3: We’ve just released Ep 3! The Seventh Section ruffles the feathers of the public prosecutors, bar association, and many more people in places of power as they try to make headway in their investigation. What do the Gyosei University mountain climbing alumni have to hide? And who is Marks? The answers start to unravel in this episode as the tightly woven plot builds in intensity and tensions start running high among the pursuers and the pursued. If only all detective dramas could be this good.

March 11: Here comes Ep 2. There are two murders which bear the hallmarks of a serial killer on the loose but our squabbling intrepid detectives find themselves coming up against a huge wall. Marks no Yama is one of those rare investigative dramas that does not make a farce out of the genre. It is well-crafted and skillfully told in a way that not only makes the episodes thrilling and gripping, but also pack a punch. The result of which is an insatiable craving for the next episode and the one after. I strongly recommend watching the first three episodes back to back. It might be an exaggeration to call it mind-blowing but it comes pretty close to that. That said, it will probably be some time until Ep3 comes out as these few months will be one of the busiest periods for us. Stay tuned!

January 2: We’ve released Ep 1 after a couple of technical hiccups! Marks no Yama has all the appearances of a straightforward police procedural, but it soon becomes apparent through the somewhat haphazard narration and fragmented story arcs that we will be in for quite a ride. After enduring the frustrations of police dramas which ended up having more glitz and posturing than logic and substance, I love Marks no Yama for the way it effortlessly weaves the many strands together, the intense cliffhangers, and yes, all that infighting and squabbling among the ranks of the Seventh Section too.

Episode 1: Subs released

Episode 2: Subs released

Episode 3: Subs released

Episode 4: Subs released

Episode 5: Subs released

Advertisement