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A remake of the Korean show of the same name, the Japanese series Suspicious Partner (Ayashii Partner) sure has an interesting plot. It follows Miyashita Sakura (Saito Kyoko), a smart young woman who begins training under a successful prosecutor, Tateishi Haruto (Yagi Yusei). As the two work on criminal cases, the biggest twist occurs: Sakura becomes a murder suspect herself. Her boss, convinced of her innocence, helps clear her name and investigate what really happened. Meanwhile, a romantic connection begins to develop between them.

Now, even though the plot is intriguing, this supposed romantic comedy is all over the place, and the romantic development between the leads feels awkward. Granted, lead actors Yagi Yusei and Saito Kyoko look adorable together in a few scenes of Suspicious Partner (Ayashii Partner), but their overall chemistry is forgettable, largely due to the hasty, unrealistic pace of their relationship.

Shouldn’t a young woman accused of murder be worried about bigger things than getting googly-eyed over her hot senior? Especially when they don’t even start off on the right foot. But then again, maybe if your senior looks like the dreamy Yagi Yusei, all of life’s troubles can wait.

Yagi Yusei and Saito Kyoko in Suspicious Partner

Throw in some ex-girlfriend drama, a potential love rival, and Suspicious Partner (Ayashii Partner) doesn’t really have much fresh to offer, except for a few courtroom exchanges. The comedy is barely funny, and of course, the show isn’t serious enough either. I honestly lost interest by episode nine, so if it miraculously gets better from there… I wouldn’t know! (And that’s absolutely fine).

If you are up for a silly-legal romantic drama with good-looking leads, maybe you can give this show a chance. But I wouldn’t recommend it.

Suspicious Partner (Ayashii Partner) is available on Viki.

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