Review of Ikebukuro West Gate Park

This show could be really great, but unfortunately it didn't deliver on it's potential. It is not a bad show and many people can enjoy it, but like some other reviews pointed out, it's more like a toned down Durarara, or a crime thriller with low stakes. First, let's talk about that synopsis.. when I read that I thought that it would be a drama focused on building a plot, tension between gangs and friends turning to enemies, but it ended up being an episodic show that did slowly build to something greater, but very poorly. Each episode Makoto is faced with a request, some silly,others a bit more serious, but it is one of those shows where all ends well, with some naive philosophy.

Maybe I'm being a bit harsh, but I was quite disappointed and felt misled by the synopsis, since it made me believe it would be something with higher stakes, more gritty, more tense, and in the end, what we got was a slice-of-life good boy solves everything and everyone joins hands in the end.