Actually, watching in OST, I am usually not very keen of watching such Telenovelas, because they tend to become exaggeratingly dramatic and women overact. This is a latin pleasure of telenovelas that we call "culebrones" as well (like snakes, never ending).
But this Telenovela has some good ideas and some budget. Let's say I liked until 36th episode and then got bored... nothing moves much. First, the main role, Miguel Garza, the kakkoi guy... supposingly back from Japan where he grew up after his parents died when he was very young. It's obvious he cannot speak Japanese at all and his best friend there, Tadamichi san I think doesn't give much credibility neither. The topic of Japan is not so much (and not enough) exploited when it should be the "cherry above cake" of that series. Plus, they didn't travel to Japan... budget reasons probably or authorisations... most recordings from Japan outside are blur old recordings taken probably from an old documentary and other scenes, inside are just decorations looking like and Japanese typical houses can be built or maybe they have in Mexico, like gardens. Some incoherences... Japanese Yakuza, when they say a few words in Japanese... arghh... they are probably Koreans, no other explanation, JUN as well.. or Chinese. Please... this could have been much nicer! (For example the Outsider with J. Leto was really well done). Another proof that actions never happen in Japan... cars... steering wheel is on the left and in Japan it's like in UK... first time when we see a Mercedes, it can be as a foreign car, but all cars are with left steering wheel. And they try to make it look like by showing driving left on abandoned roads... well, i am picky there, but the Japanese side was quite disappointing and even more when they spend time there around 34th episode, it gets clear that public places (only what seems to be Shinjuku could look real, when Tadamichi walks on the phone)... Roppongi... no way. And restaurants look very western in anyway... when Yakuza's boss is eating alone... only chopsticks make it look a bit asian. He is not asian even himself. The only guys looking Japanese don't open their mouth. Ok, that's for the "Japanese side" (I got married 12 years to Japanese, so I know a bit). Now... the main character... at beginning, he seems to reflect a bit of Japanese cold behaviour whatever happens, like a samurai... and he does some kendo tricks.. or karaté. But most of the time he is very passive and only smiles... when everything around him happens. When he is into action, nothing special more than any other action movie... We spend like hours expecting him to "show" a bit more about this influence he received from the rising sun country... never happens... maybe later at season 2... To be very honest, the best characters you can have there... like them or not... are Epigmenio (we don't like him, but he is good in acting), Adela depends, but we cannot stop starring at her eyes, Carlos Duarte as politician, Jimena... as a blond attractive lady, but she is a bit too much. Chisca... I don't like her at all and she is the most uncontrollable of the series, but actually, thanks to her, things get messy and remind us about this latin telenovela... but then repeat a bit too much afterwards too... we get tired of her. Dora, the mother is credible in her role. She acts as expected. The journalist is a caricatural person and his personal story is all but interesting... he seems to bring the good "moral" into the story, but nobody believes it. The "Majordome" is very funny actually... At the bottom line, the series is based on Mexican narcos killing each other a lot, many guns and business and sex above it (we never see to much, no worry). It's entertaining during a few hours... but I cannot watch season 2... I hardly ended 1 (38 episodes) by fast forward... still worth to watch.
But this Telenovela has some good ideas and some budget. Let's say I liked until 36th episode and then got bored... nothing moves much. First, the main role, Miguel Garza, the kakkoi guy... supposingly back from Japan where he grew up after his parents died when he was very young. It's obvious he cannot speak Japanese at all and his best friend there, Tadamichi san I think doesn't give much credibility neither. The topic of Japan is not so much (and not enough) exploited when it should be the "cherry above cake" of that series. Plus, they didn't travel to Japan... budget reasons probably or authorisations... most recordings from Japan outside are blur old recordings taken probably from an old documentary and other scenes, inside are just decorations looking like and Japanese typical houses can be built or maybe they have in Mexico, like gardens. Some incoherences... Japanese Yakuza, when they say a few words in Japanese... arghh... they are probably Koreans, no other explanation, JUN as well.. or Chinese. Please... this could have been much nicer! (For example the Outsider with J. Leto was really well done). Another proof that actions never happen in Japan... cars... steering wheel is on the left and in Japan it's like in UK... first time when we see a Mercedes, it can be as a foreign car, but all cars are with left steering wheel. And they try to make it look like by showing driving left on abandoned roads... well, i am picky there, but the Japanese side was quite disappointing and even more when they spend time there around 34th episode, it gets clear that public places (only what seems to be Shinjuku could look real, when Tadamichi walks on the phone)... Roppongi... no way. And restaurants look very western in anyway... when Yakuza's boss is eating alone... only chopsticks make it look a bit asian. He is not asian even himself. The only guys looking Japanese don't open their mouth. Ok, that's for the "Japanese side" (I got married 12 years to Japanese, so I know a bit). Now... the main character... at beginning, he seems to reflect a bit of Japanese cold behaviour whatever happens, like a samurai... and he does some kendo tricks.. or karaté. But most of the time he is very passive and only smiles... when everything around him happens. When he is into action, nothing special more than any other action movie... We spend like hours expecting him to "show" a bit more about this influence he received from the rising sun country... never happens... maybe later at season 2... To be very honest, the best characters you can have there... like them or not... are Epigmenio (we don't like him, but he is good in acting), Adela depends, but we cannot stop starring at her eyes, Carlos Duarte as politician, Jimena... as a blond attractive lady, but she is a bit too much. Chisca... I don't like her at all and she is the most uncontrollable of the series, but actually, thanks to her, things get messy and remind us about this latin telenovela... but then repeat a bit too much afterwards too... we get tired of her. Dora, the mother is credible in her role. She acts as expected. The journalist is a caricatural person and his personal story is all but interesting... he seems to bring the good "moral" into the story, but nobody believes it. The "Majordome" is very funny actually... At the bottom line, the series is based on Mexican narcos killing each other a lot, many guns and business and sex above it (we never see to much, no worry). It's entertaining during a few hours... but I cannot watch season 2... I hardly ended 1 (38 episodes) by fast forward... still worth to watch.