Tokyo Swindlers review: Is the Netflix dark crime thriller series worth watching?

Tokyo Swindlers is a Japanese limited series on Netflix that aired on July 25, 2024. The dark crime thriller series sheds light on the murky world of "jimenshi," or land swindlers who have ravaged Japan for decades. Even though the series is a dramatized recollection of instances following the World War II massacre, Tokyo Swindlers is every bit of a worthy watch.

Despite focusing on money, scams, and swindling, Director Hitoshi One's 7-episode series features a unique blend of refreshing narratives, plot twists, and Japan's historical references. The cast includes Go Ayano (Takumi), Etsushi Toyokawa (Harrison), Kazuki Kitamura (Takeshita), Eiko Koike (Reiko), and Pierre Taki (Goto).

The series is a slow burn that opens up eventually and craftily, revealing more subplots with it. Similar to the themes of Money Heist and Fast and Furious—minus the speeding cars and dramatic action scenes—Tokyo Swindlers has its own distinguished charm. Additionally, it is based on Ko Shinjo's eponymous book.

With ample scenes to make viewers squirm or feel uneasy in their seats, it is important to note that Tokyo Swindlers is an A-rated series and might not be for everyone.

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this review belong solely to the author.

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Tokyo Swindlers' splendid storytelling keeps viewers hooked with its high-paced scenes and subplots

The plot of Tokyo Swindlers centers on a group of land swindlers that travel the nation perpetrating land scams. The series' first episode does a fantastic job of introducing the key players and plot, and it does just enough to keep viewers interested without rushing in for the kill. Each of the seven episodes introduces new characters, however, the storytelling makes it easier to keep track.

Harrison's team is made up of an expert forger like Nagai (Shota Sometani), a negotiator like Takumi (Go Ayano), a legal advisor like Goto (Pierre Taki), a person like Reiko (Eiko Koike) to locate and train the imposters, and an informant like Takeshita (Kazuki Kitamura) to spot new targets to con.

The star of the series is Yamanaka Harrison, played by Etsushi Toyokawa. Although he frequently needs the help of his whole gang to carry off large-scale land scams, he consistently steals the show. He delivers each dialogue with panache and his steel gaze makes up for the dark crime thriller's charismatic arc.

In any heist series, the crew typically makes one large score before disbanding and moving on. However, the group in this Japanese series is carrying out the scams because its leader, Harrison, gets an adrenaline rush from outsmarting everyone.

The team's new target is a Buddhist temple, maintained by a female monk, which is worth over 11 billion yen ($75.9 million). Harrison and his team get to work and set up a new trap to con a big investing firm into purchasing the temple through them. However, the monk is not at all ready to sell the property to anyone.

This particular story within the entire series serves as the soul of the entire show. The plot twists are baffling and several scenes are extremely unnerving, staying true to the series, "dark crime thriller" genre.

Series finale, episode 7, reveals that Harrison was responsible for destroying Takumi's family years ago. Takumi's world crumbles as he learns that Harrison devised the plan to con his father. As a result of losing all his money, Takumi's father sets their house on fire and kills his entire family along with himself.

After miraculously escaping his death as a child, Takumi vows to find the culprit and avenge his family and enters the world of land swindlers. Decades later, he learns that his own leader, whom he trusted the most, was the one who ruined him.

Go Ayano as Takumi delivered a well-nurtured performance, displaying various emotions like anguish, rage, helplessness, and his internal conflicts. Similar to other heist series, Tokyo Swindlers is also about a selfish, self-centered, egoistic team leader (Harrison) who doesn't flinch at the prospect of betraying his team.

Etsushi Toyokawa plays Harrison perfectly where it is impossible to empathize with his conniving and shrewd character, who feels no remorse for his actions. The storytelling is impeccable and the character portrayal is praiseworthy.

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Tokyo Swindlers is overall a good show to watch and it does not disappoint. The plot might sound like a "rehashed heist story" but it surprisingly delivers a refreshing take on an untapped story of Japan through its 7 episodes. The show ended by hinting at a season renewal.

Tokyo Swindlers is available on Netflix for global streaming.