"Abunai Deka" drama: Episode 42 of 51(!!!!) recap(season five, episode seven)

 

 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 21.0%

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.

Episode one .... Episode two    Episode three .... Episode four .... Episode five

Episode six .... Episode seven .... Episode eight .... Episode nine .... Episode ten

Episode eleven .... Episode twelve .... Episode thirteen .... Episode fourteen

Episode fifteen .... Episode sixteen .... Episode seventeen .... Episode eighteen

Episode nineteen .... Episode twenty .... Episode twenty-one .... Episode twenty-two

Episode 23 .... Episode 24 .... Episode 25 .... Episode 26 .... Episode 27 .... Episode 28

Episode 29 .... Episode 30 .... Episode 31 .... Episode 32 .... Episode 33 .... Episode 34

Episode 35 .... Episode 36 .... Episode 37 .... Episode 38 .... Episode 39

Episode 40 .... Episode 41

 In the last post said how the odd numbered episodes get so much higher ratings than the even numbered do. That trend was kind of bucked in this show as it received a 21.0% rating but four of the final five shows for this 51 episode series all topped that figure though the 51 episodes were broken down into six seasons. On the right above Takayama was saying while he was on night patrol with his partner Oshita how it would be a perfect night for a murder to break their boredom. Well, he got his wish and it wasn't just one murder but it ended up being three by the same killer! Things were a tad confusing at first but everything ended up being quite clear and this ended up being one of the best shows in a long time, one huge reason is that Takayama and/or Oshita were in just about every scene.

 It was a sweltering late July night as the temperature was 30 C or about 86 F. The time was 11:45 pm, Takayama and Oshita had been on night patrol and had only fifteen minutes to go before they could return to their cool residences. And wouldn't you know it, a call came in about a murder that had taken place nearby and the pair had to zoom over. Already at the scene was Yoshi, he's the one dressed well in the second screenshot and have been noticing he's usually the first investigator at a murder scene. The victim who is in the top screenshot was named  Kasuhiko Hagiwara, you can see his killer in that screenshot! His name wasn't known at the time but it was Akira Hyoudo and you'll be hearing much more about him. In two screenshots above is a girl named Yukari, she was the 14 year old daughter of Hagiwara. Her mother had died some years before and Yukira somehow took her the news of her father's death calmly even though she was now an orphan. Takayama was the one who needed to break the bad news to Yukira and she took such an instant liking towards him, so much she even called him several times during the show but he never got irate as how can someone get mad at a girl who just lost her father? That's even her in the bottom screenshot asking Takayama what do wear to the funeral?!

 During that first scene with Yukira she had asked Takayama if the man responsible for her father's death was Kuronaka? That was a name he had never heard of and the next day at the Minato precinct some checking on this man was done. At one time the much younger Kuronaka had gone into business with Hagiwara but that relationship turned sour, Kuronaka even sued him. But lost the case, because of that Hagiwara gained complete control of this cosmetics import company and it turned out to be a very successful one. Meanwhile the down and out Kuronaka ended up working at a tropical fish store, could his bitterness have driven him to kill Hagiwara? If so it wasn't Kuronaka who did the actual killing as he had an airtight alibi for where he was when the murder was committed but we'll be hearing more about him. The next night it appeared the same killer struck again as the MO was the identical with it being a stabbing, The victim's name was Akio Yuki who was a manager at the Yokohama Eastern Taxi Company, who would want to kill him? Yoshi did some checking and said there was an irate driver who Yuki had fired a year ago because of an accident but as the chief Kondo asked would that lead him to kill a man? That driver's name was Sekine and he too had an airtight alibi for where he was when the murder took place. However a little more investigating discovered that Kuronaka and Sekine had attended Konan University at the same time and both were on the rowing team, is that a connection to the killings?

                               

 Of course being members of the Konan University rowing team was a connection, there is a third link to that who will be revealed shortly. While Kuronaka was at his fish shop store the duo of Oshita and Machida 'broke into' his apartment, of course any evidence used couldn't be used in court but that wasn't the main reason for the search. Oshita discovered some photos on his apartment wall which is the top screenshot above, two of the photos were of the pair recently murdered! There was a third photo and one known to Oshita as it was of a gangster named Hiroshi Watanabe, does the photo mean he's next to be killed? It certainly did and there was a tip that Watanabe at this time was at a nearby driving range. Rushing there the team of Oshita and Machida did find Watanabe in the clubhouse but also more than that! In the third screenshot above is the two time killer Akira Hyoudo, he too was at the driving range and was prepared to make Watanabe his third victim! However an observant Machida saw him lurking in the wings, he gave chase and did corner Hyoudo at the back of the range. However Machida was unarmed and what was he thinking(?), Hyoudo had a long knife and was prepared to use it on the young investigator. Luckily for Machida Oshita arrived on the scene along with a car from the Minato station, Hyoudo is now in custody and is that the end of this case already?

 Not by a long shot as while Hyoudo was being transported to the station he was able to subdue the two detectives causing the car to crash, he grabbed his knife and fled the scene. Naturally the chief Kondo was furious but least the identity of Hyoudo is now known. For on that apartment wall of Kuronaka's apartment was an old photo of the rowing team, Oshita noticed that Hyoudo was in it but at the time didn't have a beard. So now the Minato investigators now know who they're looking for but Hyoudo seems to be one strong and slippery culprit but luckily he struck again very soon. This time the victim was an accountant named Masaki Usui who wasn't killed but just hit hard over the head and his apartment had been robbed. With the key thing taken a rifle along with plenty of ammo, as usual the investigator Yoshi was first on the scene. He's already discovered that Usui had also attended Konan University and with Kuronaka, Sekine and Hyoudo had been on the rowing team. There was something odd about the robbery Takayama couldn't quite put his finger on at the time, such as he had a theory that were Usui and Hyoudo working together but how and why? It also struck Takayama that perhaps Hyoudo was carrying out orders from Kuronaka and Sekine too, now some real investigating needs to be done.

 First off though Watanabe needs to be found as he's Hyoudo's next target, this gangster is an executive for the Takigawa Yakuza clan. There was another tip to the Minato station that Watanabe usually ate his lunch at a nearby Chinese restaurant, on their way there was quickly Takayama and Oshita. But knowing where Watanabe was eating was also known by Hyoudo and you can see him at the restaurant in the above top screenshot. He coolly entered the eatery, went up to Watanabe's table and shot him right in the head!!!! Quickly Hyoudo fled out the back door but soon on his tail were Takayama and Oshita but this man is one tough cookie! He got into a gun duel with the pair and more than held his own with that stolen rifle and a pistol he had taken off Watanabe's body. Hyoudo even grazed Takayama in the forehead and that sent shivers down our hero's body! However Takayama was able to wing Hyoudo in the upper chest and that would have sent most men sprawling to the ground but not Hyoudo as it didn't even phase him and he was able to escape from the scene.

 There was a report that Hyoudo had gone to a hospital to treat the gunshot wound, checking that out was Takayama and Oshita. There the doctor they spoke to was also Hyoudo's regular one, according to him Hyoudo had cancer and should have died three months ago! The only explanation for him still living was that he was taking some illegal drugs, they may be keeping him alive for now but who knows when the end will come? So knowing that he'll be dying soon enough has made Hyoudo a very bold man, he has nothing to lose and that's the most dangerous type of criminal/killer. Back at the Minato station the trio of Kuronaka, Sekine and Usui were being questioned again, as Takayama says above they're hoping Hyoudo will die to protect their secret. Also at the station was the first victim's daughter Yukari who as mentioned has such a crush on Takayama and was bringing him a home baked apple pie. But he was unavailable so she left it and then departed, outside the station she overheard the Konan trio talking about the three murders. Yukari knew then they were responsible for her father's death but had been noticed by the trio, she hopped into a taxi and zoomed away. However Kuronaka knew who she was and called Hyoudo up saying she needed to eliminated and now! 

 Let me sum everything up as far as why Hyoudo was hired to kill the three victims. Kuronaka wanted Hagiwara dead because of that bad business deal which had left him penniless, Yuki had been ordered to be slain because of him firing Sekine from his taxi driver job and those aren't good reasons to kill someone! The third victim Watanabe because he had been blackmailing Usui over a woman and that bit was never explained in full detail. After Yukari had fled the Minato station she headed home, she called the station looking for Takayama to tell him what had been overheard. While talking with Kaoru the line went dead and that was courtesy of Hyoudo cutting the phone line as he had arrived at the house. When Takayama heard what happened from Kaoru he knew immediately that Yukari's life was in danger, with Oshita headed quickly to the house. Where a vicious duel took place, as you can see above even Oshita had been shot but luckily it wasn't life threatening. The shootout with Takayama went on for a while, soon Hyoudo ran out of ammo and fled the grounds of the house. He hijacked a car and appeared as though he would escape safely but when Takayama is on your tail escaping safely rarely happens. In an exciting scene Takayama jumped from a bridge onto the roof of the car and did point his pistol at Hyoudo's head but the man just wouldn't stop the car.

 During this time Hyoudo had been in severe pain and had been holding on to his stomach so that must have been where the cancer was. Eventually Hyoudo crashed the car and fled into the woods but Takayama soon caught up with him. However just a bit too late as Hyoudo was lying in some bushes dead, the cancer had finally delivered it's fatal blow. Valiantly Takayama tried to revive the man but to no avail, he was so distraught as Hyoudo was the only person who could have fingered his fiends for planning the three murders. However Yukari had heard the trio talk about the killings so her testimony may be enough to send them to prison. I did wonder about Yukari, she told Takayama she would be starting school back up in a few days but she's now an orphan and what will happen to her? In the final scene which took place two days later that trio of Konan rowers was holding a memorial for Hyoudo. Also at the cemetery was Takayama who fired the photo of Hyoudo out of their hands(!), with him was Oshita who had some rough words for these creeps and said to turn themselves in that day or else! That ends this recap and I probably didn't do it justice as this was one of the best episodes to date, there hasn't been a bad show yet out of the 42. More screenshots below of the action and the next post has the recap for the 43rd episode.