Better Call Saul

I finally watched the final episode of the final season of the overseas drama series "Better Call Saul." I was so reluctant for it to end that I had saved the very last episode for a long time. Since my memory had already faded, I got myself motivated and rewatched the entire predecessor, "Breaking Bad," starting from the first episode. This means I have now watched the five seasons of "Breaking Bad" four times, and the six seasons of "Better Call Saul" twice, excluding the final episode. I also occasionally rewatch specific episodes or scenes, so it feels like I have watched them even more.

I am a private person, so I rarely recommend things I like to others and usually just enjoy them by myself. I don't really have the urge to share them with anyone. However, these two works are a bit of an exception. Compared to their overwhelming popularity and acclaim in the West, the recognition of these two dramas in Japan is unfairly low. Once, out of frustration, I persuaded a friend and shared my Netflix account with him. He binged all the episodes available at the time in about a month, fell into sleep deprivation, and it interfered with his work.
On the other hand, when talking to people in the English-speaking world, "Breaking Bad" is an easy topic to bring up, and even those who haven't seen it almost always know of its existence. It is recognized as a masterpiece, similar to films like "The Shawshank Redemption" or "The Godfather," and is quoted in various places and has even become an internet meme. It has won Emmy and Golden Globe awards, and Season 5 is certified by the Guinness World Records as the most critically acclaimed television series in the world. Needless to say, it is also highly regarded in Japan, with famous viewers including Takeshi Kitano and Haruki Murakami.

"Breaking Bad" features Walter White, a 50-year-old high school chemistry teacher, as the protagonist. One day, he is diagnosed with cancer and told he has only a few years to live, and he realizes he will need a large amount of money for medical expenses. Although his brother-in-law and old friends offer to help, Walter, wanting to earn the money himself, pins his hopes on manufacturing and selling methamphetamine using his knowledge of chemistry. Since he knew nothing about the drug trade, he teams up with Jesse, a former student and dropout who is a dealer, to start the business. The high-purity methamphetamine that Walter, an excellent chemist, creates with a focus on quality quickly spreads on the streets, and eventually, even major drug dealers become aware of his existence. Although he was initially frightened by the dangerous troubles that arose one after another, he gradually becomes tainted by evil, finding confidence and pride in it.
"Better Call Saul" is a spin-off work featuring Saul Goodman, the lawyer who helps Walter with money laundering and other tasks in "Breaking Bad," as the protagonist. Chronologically, it is a story that takes place before "Breaking Bad." Saul was a poor lawyer who ran a small private office in the corner of a nail salon, primarily handling public defense for criminal cases. Although he was kind at heart, caring for the weak and the elderly and hating violence, he was not suited for environments with strict rules and had a temperament that led him to use his cunning to engage in unconventional and reckless behavior. The story depicts the process of how he eventually comes to have troubled criminals as his main clients, following his bond and conflict with his older brother, who is an excellent lawyer, and the changes in his relationship with Kim, a former colleague and close friend who is also a lawyer, as well as what happens afterward.

I have written a rough summary, but the more I explain it, the more frustrated I get that I cannot convey its full appeal. I am so emotionally attached to it that I don't know what to cut or how to summarize it. Regardless, I don't think there is any other series that has spanned a total of 11 seasons and concluded while remaining consistently interesting without any flaws.
Lastly, I would like to mention that in the twelfth episode of the final season of "Better Call Saul," there is a famous scene where Kim cries on a bus. The footage is in black and white, and there is no dialogue. Thinking about the outcome of the story that has been depicted throughout the series, she tries desperately not to cry in public, but she cannot hold it back and ends up sobbing. The way her feigned composure gradually crumbles goes beyond the realm of mere acting.