Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Only four episodes long, each packing less than 10 minutes, ‘Trapped in Osaka’ a Chinese web series set in Japan, which follows a thug called Haoyu (Wang Zihang) trying to extract money from debtor Chenxi (Qin Jialin) for his scary loan-shark boss. The twist? Haoyu is a total softie and Chenxi is completely broke, and if Haoyu goes back empty handed, his boss might sell his kidney. So the two young men are trapped together in a flat, with no real solution in sight.
Episode one of ‘Trapped in Osaka’ swiftly establishes the personality differences between its lead protagonists. Chenxi is a broody, confident, handsome man with a ‘devil-may-care’ attitude, suggesting he was abandoned by his boyfriend and left with loans over his head, while Haoyu is a rookie thug putting on a tough act, even though he can’t even stand the sight of blood, a weakness comically exposed in the first chapter.
Chenxi immediately takes a liking to Haoyu, and in a hilarious turn of events, it’s Chenxi who comes off as the more intimidating of the two. Since Haoyu can’t return without collecting money from Chenxi, he simply sets up camp at Chenxi’s flat until he can figure out what to do. While the setting in the show is limited and the modest budget is evident, the lead actors have great chemistry, which the short runtime doesn’t quite do justice to.
Wang Zihang’s screen presence as Chenxi is powerful, his performance exuding just the right amount of nonchalance and conviction. Chenxi is unabashed about his sexuality, desires, and weariness with the world around him; his confidence stems from no longer giving a dime about anything. Qin Jialin is slightly lost as Haoyu, but also charmingly cute as a newbie gangster with a kind heart. Their emotional interactions in the second half of the show, however, feel trite and formulaic, hurtling forward at an unconvincing pace.
Despite its claustrophobic-sounding title, “Trapped in Osaka” is far more light-hearted than one might expect, almost veering into fluffy, comedic territory with its ‘gangster falls for his target’ premise. However, both the romantic and comedic elements are dialed down, limited in scope by the series’ short runtime. In fact, “Lost in Osaka” might have been a more fitting title for the series, as the story is essentially about two lonely men bonding over their bleak circumstances. Their shared identity as Chinese nationals in Japan also acts as a cultural thread that ties them together.
‘Trapped in Osaka‘ rushes to its climax in episode four, leaving the viewer feeling like they just watched a preview pitch for a longer show. But if you’re in the mood for a mini-series with good-looking leads, the show is available on YouTube.
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