Sins of Kujo Review
Director: Hiroshi Adachi, Nobuhiro Doi, and Takeyoshi Yamamoto
Date Created: 2026-04-02 18:59
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Sins of Kujo Review: This Japanese Netflix series is a live-action adaptation of Shôhei Manabe’s manga Kujo no Taizai, directed by Hiroshi Adachi, Nobuhiro Doi, and Takeyoshi Yamamoto. With 10 episodes and a runtime of 40 minutes per episode, the series 九条の大罪 features Yûya Yagira as the enigmatic lawyer Taiza Kujo, along with Hokuto Matsumura as the idealistic Shinji Karasuma, Elaiza Ikeda as Hitomi Yakushimae, Keita Machida as Kengo Mibu, and others.
Sins of Kujo Review
The Netflix series Sins of Kujo revolves around Taiza Kujo, a lawyer who represents society’s worst offenders, including criminals, ex-cons, and morally reprehensible people. When the main character of the series, Karasuma, who is the best law graduate, joins Kujo’s unconventional law firm, he is immediately presented with a reality that questions his very understanding of justice. With the series exploring different cases related to a hit-and-run incident and a young man stuck in a life of crime, there are many uncomfortable questions raised regarding the grey areas in the law. As Karasuma tries to make sense of Kujo’s logic, there is a sense of tension built into the series, leaving the audience wondering about justice.
What sets Japanese series Sins of Kujo apart from the very beginning is the character of Kujo himself. He is far from the typical heroic lawyer. He appears cold, detached, and somewhat unsettling. He is willing to manipulate the law in order to win cases for his clients, irrespective of their true guilt. This creates somewhat of an uncomfortable feeling. Nevertheless, this is what makes him interesting. There is something somewhat unpredictable about him, which makes him interesting to watch, even if you don’t entirely agree with him. Yûya Yagira plays him in a way that is somewhat restrained in order to create a somewhat intense performance.
On the flip side, Karasuma acts as the moral compass for the audience. His unyielding commitment to right and wrong fosters an inner conflict between him and Kujo’s malleable moral stance. This may be one of the strongest aspects of the series. The series isn’t just about the two lawyers working in tandem; it’s about the ideologies they represent. The dialogue may even be akin to debating at times. Of course, it may be quite stimulating at times as well.
The cases they handle aren’t intended to provide easy emotional gains or wins. Rather, they’re intended to reinforce the unfulfilling nature of justice. Is it the reckless driver avoiding severe punishment for their crime? Or is it the troubled youth who willingly throws himself in front of the bus for the sake of another? The series makes you think about the moral wrongness and legal rightness of the situation. This feels like it was done on purpose. To a certain degree, it actually works in the series’s favour.
However, the problems are the structure of the episodes and the way each case is told. While at the same time developing the characters, it is somewhat familiar. While the episodes are certainly intriguing when it comes to Kujo’s intentions, the series takes its time in revealing anything meaningful. Although it can be an effective way of telling the story at times, it feels like the slow-burning method is giving the viewer too little information at times.
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I think another aspect of Netflix’s Sins of Kujo that I have noticed is that, although the characters of Yakushimae and Mibu undoubtedly add depth to the show’s narrative, the development of those two characters’ storyline isn’t always explored. The underworld aspect of the show, e.g., the involvement of the Yakuza, although interesting, isn’t always explored within the show’s narrative. It feels like the show isn’t always sure if it’s a tightly focused legal drama or a more expansive crime drama.
Visually, we get to see the sleek and glamorous side of Tokyo through this show, but it is more focused on the grittier and not-so-explored areas like offices, neighbourhoods, and alleys. All this contributes to the feel of the story and aligns with the idea that this is a world where morality is not necessarily black and white.
Although the flow in some episodes is consistent, in other scenes the flow is quite slow, especially when the story overemphasises philosophical dialogue without significant plot movement. The emotional detachment from the character of Kujo also becomes a hindrance to audience connection at times. When the victims and the perpetrators are portrayed in an unflattering light, it becomes difficult to emotionally invest in the situation.
Of course, the greatest strength of the series Sins of Kujo is the depth of its themes. This isn’t a show that offers easy answers or solutions. This is a show that makes you think about your own perceptions of justice. Is it the job of the lawyer to uphold morality, or simply the law? Is it ever wrong to do the ‘right’ thing? These are the kinds of questions that linger long after the credits roll on each episode of the show, even if the show itself does not quite live up to its potential.
Netflix Sins of Kujo Review: Summing Up
On the whole, Sins of Kujo is a somewhat hit-or-miss series. While it starts off well and has a lot of potential in the premise and the exceptional main character, it does struggle to keep the momentum going throughout the entire series. While the actors, and in particular Yûya Yagira, are what will keep the viewer engaged even when the series itself isn’t going well, the drama has so much potential within itself that it’s worth checking out, even when it doesn’t live up to what it had the potential to be.
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