Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Game Of Spy’ On Prime Video, A Campy Spy Thriller That’s Like A Japanese ‘Mission: Impossible’

Sometimes you’re just in the mood for pop culture candy, know what we mean? You want to watch a show that’s entertaining but not one where you have to figure out storylines or deeper meanings. But even though a show is just mindless fun, it’s better when it’s done well. Does that apply to a new Prime Video series from Japan?

GAME OF SPY: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

Opening Shot: A scratchy recording says “The Desus Gate goes into effect,” then we see someone stand before an illuminated wall of weapons, including some ninja stars as well as guns.

The Gist: In Manila on Christmas Eve 2021, a woman is being held hostage. We then cut to Tokyo on February 21, 2022. The Tokyo World Expo is about to begin, and there’s a welcome party at the Skytree building. But there is a threat, which is why members of the Group of Spies (GOS), a top-secret part of the Public Security Intelligence Agency, are undercover at the reception: Matsaharu Katsuki (Yukiyoshi Ozawa) and freelance spy Rei Hiyama (Lauren Tsai). They’re waiting for another GOS agent Takeru Hashiba (Noriyuki Higashiyama), who’s running late.

As they try to neutralize the bomb that they think is in the tower, they come under attack by a group of knife-and-gun-wielding attackers. When Katsuki figures out where the bomb actually is, the three of them fight through the crowd, and then Hashiba manages to throw a powered up ninja star to help misdirect and defuse the bomb.

But the task force’s job isn’t over, as their boss, Ryuichi Takahara (Ken Matsudaira) finds out when he is briefed by Prime Minister Naoto Kaizaki (Min Tanaka): A terror organization called Mundo is threatening all 14 million residents of Tokyo, and the team of spies have three days to find out who is in this group and stop their attack.

What Shows Will It Remind You Of? Game Of Spy certainly gives us Mission: Impossible vibes, both the ’60s-’70s series and the Tom Cruise films. It’s a bit campier than that, with some jokiness and cartoonish violence mixed in with the spycraft, but when Takahara tells his team that if they get caught or killed, the government will not acknowledge their actions, that gave us a strong link to M:I.

Our Take: Game Of Spy is essentially a five-hour action film. It’s got a large cast, mostly consisting of characters that are either spies or government officials. The dialogue is over the top at times, campy during others. The violence is cartoonish, with blood spurts that are bright red and look like they’re CGI.

Is there a plot? Sure. Stop this mystery terrorist group from destroying Tokyo. Is there character development? Well, you hope to learn a little about these spies as the series goes along, but we don’t see much more than glimpses via dialogue. For instance, Katsuki finds Hiyama at the airport and tells her that they need her for the new mission, and asks if she’s “man hunting” again.

But let’s not judge Game of Spy for anything more than it is: A glossy spy thriller with a lot of high-octane action. If you’re looking for more, look elsewhere.

Sex and Skin: None in the first episode.

Parting Shot: A leader of the Mundo organization makes a video that says the Desus Gate will will finally open in a foreign county.

Sleeper Star: Lauren Tsai is fun as Riyama, an American who’s a freelance spy and pretty much the only woman in the group. Is she a great actress? Nah. But she adds a lot of flair to the action sequences.

Most Pilot-y Line: Riyama says “drop me off here” after the Skytree job. Only thing is “here” is in the middle of nowhere.

Our Call: STREAM IT. Game Of Spy is mindless fun, which is sometimes all you need in a show.

Joel Keller (@joelkeller) writes about food, entertainment, parenting and tech, but he doesn’t kid himself: he’s a TV junkie. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Salon, RollingStone.com, VanityFair.com, Fast Company and elsewhere.