TBS’s outstanding TV drama JIN is now streaming on Netflix in the U.S. (starting December 1).
The two-season series stars Takao Osawa as Jin Minakata, a modern-day surgeon who travels back in time to Japan’s Edo period, where he is befriended by the political reformer Ryoma Sakamoto (played with unbelievable charisma by Masaaki Uchino). As Jin struggles to understand his situation and seek a way home, he meets the strikingly beautiful Nokaze (Miki Nakatani), who is the exact image (and possible ancestor) of Jin’s present-day fiancée Miki, who lays in a coma due to a surgery Jin performed.
Jin’s advanced medical knowledge saves the life of young Kyotaro Tachibana (Keisuke Koide) and gains him the attention of Kyotaro’s sister, Saki (played by Haruka Ayase in one of her first major roles). The drama gets more intense as Jin worries about the implications of Sakamoto’s impending assassination (a fact as commonly known in Jin’s time as Lincoln’s assassination is known to us in America) — should he tell his friend what he knows and possibly change history? How will that affect the lives of the people he loves in the present, or the hopes of being reunited with his fiancée?
U.S. fans undoubtedly have the success of the FX series Shogun to thank for this long-delayed international release. Released in 2009, JIN won several acting, directing, and Best Drama awards for both seasons, and maintains respect and popularity among viewers more than a decade after its premiere. Rooted in riveting performances by a powerhouse cast, JIN is both thrilling and emotional, with complex relationships and sharp storytelling — a real treasure.
JIN on Netflix:
https://www.netflix.com/title/81714766
