Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Based on a manga series by by Shohei Manabe, the 2025 legal drama/thriller ‘Sins of Kujo’ stars Yûya Yagira as the titular Taiza Kujo, a lawyer with a growing ill-repute for representing criminals and thugs. Curious to understand Kujo’s incomprehensible idea of justice, a young attorney called Shinji Karasuma (Hokuto Matsumura) joins him, only to first hand watch the older lawyer get dangerously entangled with the Yakuza.
Keita Machida (’10 Dance’, ‘Glass Heart’) plays Mibu, a gangster masquerading as a car mechanic, who keeps sending problematic cases Kujo’s way. It’s made clear that Kujo probably owes a favor or two to Kujo, although we never learn for what. Elaiza Ikeda rounds up the primary cast of ‘Sins of Kujo’ as Hitomi Yakushimae, a chirpy social worker sharing the same office space with Kujo. In-fact, it’s Hitomi who introduces Shinji Karasuma to Kujo.
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Across its 10 episodes, ‘Sins of Kujo’ centres on the cases Kujo handles with Karasuma by his side. Their first client together is a bratty reckless thug who hits a father and son while drunk and distracted (playing a game), setting the tone for the show. The lawyers get him off the hook in 20 days, leaving the victim’s family devastated. It’s precisely such questionable clients that earn Kujo the label of “crooked lawyer” in public, with many convinced that he is in cahoots with criminals. But Karasuma remains intent on figuring him out, gradually recognising the empathy Kujo hides behind his detached, almost emotionless facade.
But here’s the catch, ‘Sins of Kujo’ isn’t your typical gritty legal drama. Courtroom scenes are few and far between, with the story leaning more into the emotional realities of each character. One of the standout cases follows a woman called Shigenori Lemori (Osamu Kaô) fighting for her inheritance after a care home seemingly forges her father’s will. Rather than legal showdowns, the series focuses on the quiet exploitation of the elderly and the messy, unresolved relationship Lemori had with her father. In an additional twist, Kujo is struck with a moral dilemma over whether he should locks horns with his former mentor Yuzo Yamashiro (Ryo Iwamatsu) in court.
Yûya Yagira is entertaining as primary protagonist Kujo, but it’s not a standout character, with some supporting actors often overshadowing the lawyer’s arc. Kodai Kurosaki appears in just 2 episodes, but is fantastic as Sota Sogabe, a dull young man forced into a life of crime by Kanemoto, a ruthless, self-serving, low-level gangster. Sota’s character is used to demonstrate the vicious circle of crime, and oppression.
One of the later episodes of ‘Sins of Kujo’ introduces Shizuku (Ruka Ishikawa), a victim trapped in a cycle of abuse, and neglect, assaulted by her mother’s boyfriend while trying to save up enough to leave. A chance meeting with a bartender leads her into Japan’s adult video (AV) industry. While the subplot aims to explore it, the portrayal feels lopsided. Shizuku is framed as an exception, someone who embraces the work for its money and attention. Things take a turn when her abuser sues the AV firm, not for justice, but to extract money.
Human rights lawyer Reiko Kameoka (Yuu Kashii) takes up Shizuku’s the case, but is written as surprisingly ineffective, barely probing Shizuku’s situation. The industry’s exploitative side is glossed over, replaced by a romanticised lens that frames it as an escape. In another unnecessary little twist, Kujo turns out to be Reiko’s classmates, so there’s just a hint of possible romance between the two as an older mentor tries to set them up.
But to be clear, romance isn’t a primary or even secondary ingredient in ‘Sins of Kujo’, and the show is all about Kujo getting deeper into the world of the Yakuza when Mibu introduces him to a more powerful mob boss for a case. Keita Machida is shadily intimidating as Mibu; his character is a no-nonsense criminal, slowly working up the ranks without the usual raw arrogance of the other gangsters in his world. Karasuma increasingly worries that Kujo’s ties with Mibu and the underworld will enventually land him behind bars, or make him lose his badge to practice, so the second-half of the show builds some tension over this premise.
Overall, ‘Sins of Kujo’ is a watchable drama which never really justifies its title and is high on emotions. With each episode, the creators conveniently connect almost everybody that Kujo deals with, which really wasn’t necessary. The music is often used as a tool to create tension or impact in scenes that carry little weight, which viewers might either find comical or plain annoying. But the biggest strength of the show lies in its steady pace, constant activity, and a steady stream of new characters.
The climax ends in a cliffhanger, resolving very little, so it’s going to leave viewers hanging for a season 2 of ‘Sins of Kujo’. I might just watch it.
Watch Sins of Kujo on Netflix.
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