Air Dates: October 5, 1986 until September 27,1987 on NTV, Sunday nights at 9:00 pm
Director: Toru Murakawa, this episode's rating was 18.5%
Subs were once again done by GEO9875, this was one huge project to do so will give a huge thumbs up for doing the subs and hope the recaps gives the series it's proper justice.
Main Cast: The first two get the most screen time by far but the other four main characters are also very key to this drama. The setting is the Minato Police Station in the Naka ward of Yokohama and the station is part of the Kanagawa prefectural police. If you enjoy J-Pop songs then this show has some superb tunes, most know I'm a fan but do prefer the music from the 80's. Plus there's no beating the hairdos of women from that era! This series also goes by the name of....
Hiroshi Tachi as Toshiki Takayama.... You'll see him referred to as Taka often in the screenshots. He's about a 35 year old man who is an investigator of serious crimes and the gangsters go out of their way to avoid him! Takayama has a bit of a 'cool persona' about him and is an ace with guns, he's the partner of Oshita but seems they didn't start working closely together until the first episode. While both are aces with guns their methods also get them in hot water with their superiors but the pair usually come out on top at the end as far as solving cases go.
Kyohei Shibata as Yuji Oshita.... About the same age as Takayama but looks younger. During the first episode Oshita blurted out he's got a bit of a shady past and it surprised many he became a sergeant. He knows how to pick a lock and some other methods criminals use, sure we'll find out more as time goes on. Like his new partner Takayama he is quite adept using all guns, unlike his partner Oshita isn't much of a 'people person' as Takayama is the one who often interviews witnesses, criminals or others.
Atsuko Asana as Kaoru Mayama.... Member of the Juvenile Division which shares the same office as the Investigative Unit which Takayama and Oshita are a part of. Karou has gone out to crime scenes with the detectives but they never let her get in on the real action. However she is a tough woman who used to be a regular officer and knows how to use a gun well. Beginning with the fourth season she became goofier than ever which has been annoying.
Toru Nakamura as Toru Machida.... Not a rookie but hasn't been an inspector for all that long. Machida is the best fighter in the unit and also the women swoon over him but he does have a girlfriend which he said in the first show.... that may have been a lie.
Shizuo Chujo as Takuzo Kondo.... Chief of the Investigation Unit, smart man but seems to be more concerned on what he'll be having for lunch! But at one time Kondo was feared by the Yokohama gangsters and has been on the force for thirty years. Five years ago before coming chief Kondo had killed a Yakuza thug which is one reason he's so feared.
In the third season the roles of Yoshi and Tanaka have become much larger, will add them in for season four. In the two screenshots below Yoshi is on the left, Tanaka is right next to him.
Previous recaps: There's 51 episodes but they were divided into six seasons, there was no break between them. Season one was episode one to nine, second season was ten through eighteen and this third ran from the nineteenth until the 26th episode. Season four has been completed which is episodes 27 through 35. So now were down to the last two seasons which each have eight episodes.
Once again the Ginsei gangster group was the main story in this episode and they're growing so strong. It doesn't matter how many gangsters are shot or sent to jail as it never makes a diffeence, it's like killing Tomie who can keep regenerating!!!! Did learn in this show that the Ginsei Yakuza clan is larger than I had thought. They have so many branches around Yokohama and even more elsewhere in Japan! So when someone like Takayama arrests or kills some leaders and members they get replaced quite quickly and it's a never ending battle fighting them. This was another superb episode and as I've said will be mussing this series when it ends, at the pace I'm on it should be within ten days.
Takazawa did blab that Mikami has been thrown out of the Ginsei clan many months prior. Takayama had once leaned on Mikami heavily for some gang info which he did reveal, because of that Mikami was expelled and does he have a grudge against his old Yakuza gang? So naturally the hunt is on for Mikami and like all of the other culprits in this series wasn't easy to find but in an odd twist it was Mikami who found Takayama! That odd twist was of what happened the following day at the Minato precinct, Takayama had been called back to the station by his chief Kondo for there was a young woman looking for him! Not just any woman but one who was eight months pregnant(!) and claimed Takayama was the father! To me it didn't look like this woman named Mika was pregnant as her belly was just way too large and distorted but her claim was believed by Kondo and the other Minato staff. Takayama swore up and down he had never seen this woman which was the truth. Mika said she could prove to Takayama that he was the father and Kondo let her take him away from the station for this 'proof', what a huge and almost fatal mistake by the chief!!!!
So Takazawa left his HQ peacefully and told his members not to worry. However one goon knew something was amiss and outside of the bar stabbed Takayama in the stomach, he was able to push the goon away and with Mika driving fled back to the club with Takazawa. Mikami knew all about the shady land deals Takazawa had been doing with the lawyer Sayama and much more. Just after Mikami had killed him he swiped the lawyer's ledger that had all of the info about those illegal deals plus the ledger had records of many drug deals. If Takazawa wants the ledger back and also to keep on living he wants to see some money and soon. Thirty million yen is the blackmail amount that Mikami wants and told Takazawa to tell his second in command Morishita to pay it. The meeting would be in one hour at the Odori Park fountain, Mika would go to grab the money and if all went well then Takazawa, Takayama and the hostages would be released. But as Takayama told this gullible thug how could he possibly even think of trusting the Yakuza?!?!
Also at the club the investigators learned of Takayama's stabbing as there was quite a bit of blood from his wound. After saving Mika Oshita demanded to know where his partner was being held captive, it's now a matter of live or death! Mika did tell Oshita about The Loft club in Honmoku, he along with his mates rushed to the scene and would they arrive in time to save Takayama? Whose wound has gotten much worse, one female hostage did give him some help but Takayama needs a real doctor. But Mikami at the time said why help Takayama(?), while he'll let the other hostages go he had plans on killing his old nemesis! Which may have happened right then as Mikami did point his pistol at Takayama's head but arriving then at the abandoned club was Morishita and his gang of Ginsei goons. He told Mikami to release Takazawa within three minutes, if that happens Mikami won't be hurt and once again Takayama told Mikami how can you believe a Yakuza man???? However Mikami did for he was outnumbered, he brought Takazawa outside as you can see in the bottom two screenshots above. But in a very unexpected happening Morishita's henchmen didn't try to kill Mikami but instead fired and murdered their leader Takazawa!
But the bullets did run out and Takayama was in no condition to flee from the leader Morishita who was the last Ginsei member standing. He coolly walked over to Takayama who was lying on the ground and Morishita aimed his pistol at his head, is this the end for Takayama???? Of course not(!) as arriving in the nick of time once again was Oshita who shot the gun out of Morishita's hand. When he tried to pick it back up Oshita nailed him in the stomach, not a fatal shot but sure Morishita will have plenty of time to recover from it during his long prison sentence! Takayama was badly hurt but could still say some wisecracks to his partner, Takayama did spend some time in the hospital but as you can see above was back to work in no time. The ledger that Mikami had stolen proved to be very informative and many more Ginsei leaders were rounded up because of the info in it. So ends another fine episode and also this recap, am flying through this series now and perhaps shouldn't to make it last longer! The next post has the recap for the 47th episode.
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