With scamming a topic of current news and growing concern across Asia, Netflix’s “Tokyo Swindlers” is a timely addition to its slate of Japanese live-action programming.
Ayano Go and Toyokawa Etsushi head the cast of the seven-episode crime drama series that is an adaptation of a bestselling novel by Shinjo Ko, originally published by Shueisha Bunko.
The protagonists are a group of cunning con artists led by Harrison Yamanaka (Toyokawa) who use forged documents and recruit imposters to pose as landowners and defraud major land developers. Their biggest target is a JPY10-billion plot of land next to a Buddhist temple.
“Real estate prices in Tokyo have once again begun to skyrocket. Takumi Tsujimoto (Ayano) meets Harrison Yamanaka (Toyokawa), the leader of a notorious group of real estate swindlers. Along with informer Takeshita (portrayed by Kitamura Kazuki), impostor recruiter Reiko (Koike Eiko), and legal advisor Goto (Pierre Taki), Takumi helps carry out real estate fraud as a negotiator. While the swindlers engage in a clever back-and-forth with land-owners and major developers who are desperate to repurpose land, the police relentlessly pursue them. Amid the three-way struggle between the deceivers, the deceived, and the detectives, a series of unforeseen events causes cracks to form within the swindler group, revealing the madness and greed among them. This conflict also brings to light Takumi’s past — and Harrison’s grudge,” says an official synopsis.
The series is written and directed by One Hitoshi (“Motkei,” “Elpis”). Ishino Takkyu of music group “Denki Groove” makes his debut as a composer by providing the series’ original score. Cinematographers are: Ato Shoichi and Morishita Shigeki.
Other cast include Sometani Shota (“Himizu,” “Parasyte: Part 1”), Matsuoka Izumi, Yoshimura Kaito, Anthony, Matsuo Satoru, Suruga Taro, Sports Makita, Ikeda Elaiza, Lily Franky (“Shoplifters”) and Yamamoto Koji.
The show is produced by Nikkatsu Corporation and Booster Project and will premiere on July 25. Credited producers are Yoshida Kenichi and Miyake Harue.
Watch the trailer here.
After making a splash in Korean film and TV content, Netflix is expanding its original programming from Japan. Earlier this month, it confirmed a five-year deal with leading producer Isoyama Aki. That followed other collaborations with Sakamoto Yuji (“Monster”) and Kore-eda Hirokazu (“Shoplifters,” “Nobody Knows”), Babel Label Studio (“The Journalist”) and The Seven, (“Yu Yu Hakusho”).
