Drama
The Diplomat
The Diplomat is not the dread of a malfunctioning roller coaster; it’s the slow burn of being forced to wait in the broken coaster’s line, unable to leave and knowing that the danger is only one turnstile away.
Juzo Fujimaki is being hunted.
Seven years ago, he was forced to go into hiding after he murdered the man who raped his master’s daughter. And for seven years, he’s been hiding in a small cabin in Hokkaido, Japan, to avoid the pursuing detective.
But those seven years of hiding are up. Because when the martial artist stepped in to protect a pair of hikers being attacked by a bear nearby, his heroic act only drew the attention of investigating police.
So Juzo’s on the run again, and as news of his fight with a bear spreads, others start to hunt for him, too—including the mythical “Sergeant,” who thinks the man would be a perfect candidate for an illicit (and deadly) martial arts tournament.
If there’s any hunter who has his claws around Juzo, however, it’s himself. Because ever since Juzo slaughtered that rapist, he’s vowed never to fight another human.
But even still…when Juzo sees injustice, he can’t deny the “wolf” inside him, begging to overwhelm him into beating thugs into the ground. And it won’t be long before the beast forces him to break his vow.
For martial arts anime fans, Netflix just may be their favorite streaming service.
Garouden: The Way of the Lone Wolf joins the ranks of other martial arts anime like Baki Hanma and Kengen Ashura on the platform. And like those other two anime, Garouden packs plenty of punches.
As you might expect, violence is Garouden’s biggest content concern, and viewers can predict at least one character will be bloodied and on the ground by each episode’s end. As for the aforementioned rape, while we don’t see the act itself, we do see the woman before and after the incident, bruised and on the ground.
Swearing, including the f- and s-word, is likewise an issue prospective viewers will need to consider.
What’s more, Garouden: The Way of the Lone Wolf suffers from a convoluted plot that doesn’t really pick up much steam at all until halfway through the first season—making those content issues all the more difficult to justify.
All of those reasons and more are evidence that perhaps viewers of this lone wolf should just pack it up and leave.
(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)
Kennedy Unthank studied journalism at the University of Missouri. He knew he wanted to write for a living when he won a contest for “best fantasy story” while in the 4th grade. What he didn’t know at the time, however, was that he was the only person to submit a story. Regardless, the seed was planted. Kennedy collects and plays board games in his free time, and he loves to talk about biblical apologetics. He’s also an avid cook. He thinks the ending of Lost “wasn’t that bad.”
The Diplomat is not the dread of a malfunctioning roller coaster; it’s the slow burn of being forced to wait in the broken coaster’s line, unable to leave and knowing that the danger is only one turnstile away.
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