Sometimes the loudest TV surprise is the one that quietly stayed under the radar. That is the case with line of duty rival Giri/Haji, a dual-language crime drama that has drawn extraordinary praise while remaining unfamiliar to many viewers. Set across London and Tokyo, the series has been placed alongside the most admired British crime thrillers, with its 100% rating and unusual tonal mix helping it stand apart. For audiences looking beyond familiar police drama formulae, the show offers a different kind of tension.
A crime drama that travelled from Two to Netflix
The series first debuted on Two in October 2019 before reaching a broader international audience on Netflix in January 2020. That trajectory matters because it helps explain why the drama built momentum in a slower, less obvious way than a typical breakout hit. As a joint production between Netflix and the, it arrived with credibility, but not necessarily mass recognition. Yet the reaction it generated was strong enough to place it in the same conversation as the most respected titles in British crime television.
The show, Giri/Haji, is the Japanese term for “Duty/Shame. ” It was written and created by Joe Barton, whose previous credits include Black Doves and The Lazarus Project. The lead role is played by Takehiro Hira, alongside Kelly Macdonald, Will Sharpe, Ysuke Kubozuka, Justin Long, Masahiro Motoki, Anna Sawai and Charlie Creed-Miles. The cast and the dual-language format give the series a wider reach than a standard domestic crime story.
Why line of duty comparisons keep surfacing
The comparisons to line of duty are not accidental. The context surrounding the series repeatedly places it beside Line of Duty and Broadchurch, both described as the pinnacle of British crime drama. That framing is important because it signals not just popularity, but quality measured against established benchmarks. In this case, the praise is also unusually broad: critics and audiences alike have responded strongly, and the show’s 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes has reinforced the impression of near-universal approval.
What makes the response notable is that the drama does not simply rely on procedural suspense. Its official synopsis centers on Tokyo detective Kenzo Mori searching London’s underworld for his allegedly deceased brother, Yuto. Yuto has been accused of brutally murdering the nephew of a yakuza member, a case that could trigger a gang war. That premise gives the series a built-in cross-border urgency, while also pushing it into criminal territory that extends beyond one city or one law-enforcement culture.
What critics saw beneath the surface
The strongest reactions suggest that the show’s appeal lies in its refusal to behave like a conventional thriller. One reviewer said there is “simply nothing else like this anywhere on television, ” while another called it “unbeatable” for gangster-thriller fans. A further assessment described it as “complex but often deadpan funny, ” while also deeply serious about family matters. That combination matters because it points to a story that is not only about crime, but about identity, loyalty and the emotional cost of pursuit.
Other comments highlighted the series’ hybrid style, describing it as a blend of cop show, yakuza thriller, love story, anime and family melodrama, with offbeat comedy woven through the tension. One viewer noted its stylised visual approach, including black and white, animation and slow-motion interpretative ballet. Those details suggest that the show’s impact comes from form as much as plot. In other words, line of duty may be the comparison point, but Giri/Haji seems to have earned notice by breaking the mould rather than following it.
Why the cancellation still matters
Despite the acclaim, the series was axed by Two and Netflix in September 2020. That decision remains part of the story because it underscores how a widely praised drama can still fail to become a long-running franchise. The cancellation also intensified the sense of loss among viewers who had discovered it late. For a show with such strong critical standing, ending after it had built a global reputation leaves a gap in the market for similar ambitious crime storytelling.
The broader implication is that viewers continue to seek series that feel distinct, not interchangeable. A production like this benefits from international casting, bilingual dialogue and a setting that moves between London and Tokyo, but it also depends on emotional stakes that travel easily. In that sense, the acclaim around line of duty comparisons is less about imitation and more about audience appetite for crime drama that feels fresh, stylised and risk-taking.
Where the appeal reaches beyond Britain
The show’s broader resonance comes from its ability to connect local criminal tension with international scope. A Tokyo detective navigating London’s criminal circuit creates a perspective that is both specific and expansive, and that combination helps explain why the series was noticed well beyond its original broadcast window. The dual-language structure reinforces that reach, making the drama accessible as a cross-cultural story rather than a narrowly British one.
In a crowded streaming environment, the lesson is clear: acclaim alone does not guarantee visibility, but distinctive storytelling can still generate lasting attention. For viewers looking for a series that sits close to line of duty in reputation but far from it in style, Giri/Haji offers a compelling answer. The question now is whether more audiences will finally discover what critics and early viewers already seemed to know.
