Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Soapy Japanese revenge story has violence, drug use.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Burn the House Down
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
BURN THE HOUSE DOWN, a live-action adaptation of a popular Japanese manga of the same name, stars Mei Nagano as Anzu Murata, a young woman who goes undercover to seek revenge against the person who destroyed her family. Thirteen years ago Anzu's mother, Satsuki Murata (Michiko Kichise), took responsibility for accidentally burning down their home. Her father, Osamu Mitarai, ended up divorcing her, and soon after married Makiko (Kyoka Suzuki), a single mother, model, and her mother's best friend. Now, under the pseudonym Yamauchi Shizuka, Anzu is taking a job as a housekeeper in her estranged stepmother's home to gather evidence that will uncover what really caused that fire and the end of her childhood as she knew it.
Is It Any Good?
The Japanese series offers a compelling storyline that mixes revenge and soapy drama. With the help of flashbacks, Burn the House Down unfolds slowly enough for viewers to get to know the characters, but is still paced quickly enough to keep one's interest. Meanwhile, while Anzu is clearly driven by the desire to get back at her stepmother, her personality is not a hateful one. Instead, she approaches the whole situation intelligently, and has a sister (played by Yuri Tsunematsu) and friends who support her endeavors with kindness and suggestions. If you're looking for a dark, anger-driven series, Burn the House Down isn't that, but it's still an entertaining story that's worth the watch.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the differences between Japanese TV programming, and shows produced in the United States. Are you surprised that this series isn't as dark or violent as the title suggests? If this were a U.S. produced series, do you think the adaptation would have been written differently?
Burn Down the House uses flashbacks to help explain Anzu's efforts to connect her stepmother to the house fire that marked the beginning of the end of her family as she knew it. Are there other ways that the writers and producers offer us hints about what really happened that day? How?
TV Details
- Premiere date : July 13, 2023
- Cast : Mei Nagano , Kyoka Suzuki , Mitsuhiro Oikawa , Michiko Kichise
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship
- Character Strengths : Courage , Perseverance
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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