"Abunai Deka" drama: Episode 50 of 51(!!!!) recap(season six, 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 22.9%

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 .... Episode 42 .... Episode 43 .... Episode 44

Episode 45 .... Episode 46 .... Episode 47 .... Episode 48 .... Episode 49

 

 Here we are today with the final two shows of this 51 episode series that was actually six seasons and am I going to miss this show! Once again have to give some huge kudos to GEO9875 who subbed this drama and that had to be very time consuming, the subs were excellent once again. This is the fourth series I've recapped that GEO9875 has done and I really like how someone picks up shows that have flown under the radar or are older ones that had been forgotten about. My next Japanese drama will be another of his projects which is the 25 episode series "Akai Meiro" from 1974! That would be the oldest drama I've ever viewed though have seen a few Sentain shows that aired before that. However first am strongly leaning to recapping the recently finished Korean drama "A Shop for Killers" which looks so intriguing to me, the episodes are an hour or more long but there's only eight of them. Also have the first two "Abunai Deka" movies from the late 80's, will view and review them right after that next drama. The 22.9% rating for this show was the highest of the series, actually it tied the mark of the 45th episode.

 A special guest star in this show playing a Ginsei clan leader named Nagao was Hideo Murota. He was in so many of those late 60's and 1970's Yakuza films which I truly love, have probably seen over 200 of them! He also had a role in the 1987 classic "A Taxing Woman" aka Marusa no Onna and that could be one of my top five movies of all time! Longish intro but had to give thanks once again for the subs and let drama fans know what's on tap. These recaps will never be immensely popular but have seen such an increase in views over the last three years, more than any other genre I post about. That above screenshot was from the beginning of this episode, a sniper had his sights set on Takayama! He wasn't targeted just that one time but three in this episode, there was a funeral held for him so is our main hero up in heaven? That you will find out in this post and the following one has the recap of the finale for this long yet superb drama.

 At the start of this second to last episode the two 'heroes' Takayama and Oshita were waiting to talk with a tipster about some crime(?). He never showed up but it was all a ruse to get Takayama in the open, a sniper was lying in wait on a nearby building and had a clear shot at his head. But only for a few seconds as Takayama bent down to pick up a ball that rolled over to the bench, right at that moment the sniper fired! Of course that shot then barely missed the target which was Takayama's head, with his partner Oshita rushed to the building where the shot was fired from. But just a tad too late as the sniper had fled the scene and there were no clues save for the one shell that had been fired. This was a setup and Takayama with Oshita in tow zoomed to this tipster's place, Takayama had known him for years and there had to be something amiss as this unnamed man could be fully trusted. Not this time as he had called Takayama to lure him out, was this tipster blackmailed(?) and if so he brought that info to his grave. For at his place the tipster had been found dead from a bullet through his head as he was no longer needed, the mystery now deepened and who would want to see Takayama assassinated?

 Many would but #1 on that list would be the Ginsei Yakuza clan. Takayama has been battling them for years but no matter how many leaders or members he arrested the group seems to get stringer each day. However hiring a pro assassin isn't the style of the Ginsei clan, they have their own sharpshooters but then again could have hired a killer to throw suspicions off them. So before the trail got cold the first order of business for Takayama was to visit the main Ginsei HQ, Oshita was against that but did join his partner in trying to see the head boss. Who is in the bottom two screenshots above, the leader's name is Nagao and was played by the man Murota who I talked about in the intro. Nagao does not care for Takayama at all, he's so tired of this Minato precinct investigator meddling in the group's affairs. However Nagao claimed he did not hire any killer to take out Takayama and he was believable, not to Takayama though. Who was so incensed as you can see in that bottom screenshot above after Nagao had said some less than flattering words to him. Takayama in this episode was more serious and stern than in any other show to now, that almost led him to being a murderer!!!

 Back at the Minato station that night Takayama explained everything that had gone down that day to his chief Kondo. Who wasn't convinced at all that the Ginsei group had anything to do with Takayama being targeted, where's any proof? But Kondo did realize that someone has to be on a mission to eliminate Takayama, because of that he's been taken off regular investigating duties and will be doing paperwork at the station for the next week. Knowing Takayama is the target of a hired killer has made him an outcast at the Minato station, everyone stayed cleared of him save for his partner Oshita who would leave the station with Takayama if he bought him dinner! Though Oshita too wasn't all that confident being in public with Takayama as had taken to donning a bullet proof vest, wise decision as it soon saved Oshita his life! For when leaving a somewhat elite restaurant where Oshita made a fool out of himself a shot rang out, of course the target was Takayama. However the shot whizzed by him and instead hit Oshita in the stomach, he was slightly dazed but the bullet proof vest saved him.

Quickly the pair were in pursuit of this sniper and Takayama did wing him in the shoulder. But not enough to slow this man down that much and the chase took place in many Minato alleyways. Just when it appeared this man would escape he was hit by a car crossing a street and died instantly. The investigators looked at this assassin and had no clue on who he was but soon checked out his car. This man's name was Koichi Onda and the only other clue besides his ID in the car was a hotel key. Takayama and Oshita tore to this room hoping for more clues but Onda had done a good job at cleaning the place up. But a minute after entering the room a call came in, Oshita answered but didn't do any talking. The caller was a man who screamed 'how could he have screwed up killing Takayama!' The caller said Onda had one more chance, Takayama needs to be killed within 24 hours or his twelve year old daughter Kyoko will be joining her mother in heaven!!!! Neither Takayama nor Oshita could tell who the caller was and that made sense as they had never met him. So the hitman was being blackmailed as the chief Kondo says above, what can the Minato station do for if Takayama isn't killed the next day a young girl will die!

 Though a roughish man and also an Ace sharpshooter Takayama's intelligence level is quite high and it's usually his plans/ideas that solve the cases. Not this time around as Oshita had a brilliant idea which wasn't too well accepted at first. It was the next day, unless Takayama is killed by the now dead Onda(!) his daughter will also meet his same fate. Oshita's plan was for Takayama to wear a bullet proof vest, Oshita would then shoot his partner in the chest and it would appear Takayama was killed thus saving Kyoko's life. At first the chief Kondo didn't buy the idea as it was quite dangerous but what other options were there? None and it did take a while to convince Takayama to go along with the plan. Oshita is a good shooter but not at Takayama's level. When Oshita aims for the heart he often hits a head and vice versa, that was what scared Takayama to death! But time was running out and it was the only feasible plan to save the girl so off the investigators went to a crowded bridge. Oshita was on top of a nearby building, Takayama was sweating bullets waiting for his partner to fire. Which he did and it was a bulls eye as Takayama was hit squarely in his heart, besides the vest he also had worn a small packet of blood to make it look real..

 

 So that plan worked out well and the duo rushed back to Onda's hotel room waiting for this unknown man to call back. Which he did and said good job BUT..... and that but was a huge one! For this man also wants one other killing before the girl will be released, next to be assassinated is to be the boss of the Ginsei clan Nagao. He never said it but you knew deep down Takayama wouldn't mind seeing this goon killed but saving the little girl's life was priority #1. To the surprise of Takayama and Oshita their chief Kondo called the Ginsei HQ and set up a meeting with Nagao. Oshita had suggested why not pull the same fake death with Nagao which Kondo agreed to but would Nagao? NO he didn't but almost came close to saying yes, the only way he would agree to take part in this charade would be for Takayama to bow and apologize for all the things he's done to the Ginsei clan. Kondo refused to go along with that condition and with his two investigators left the Ginsei HQ. But outside Takayama said to hold on a minute, he returned to the office and did bow down to Nagao as he would do anything to save the girl's life. But the heartless Nagao refused the apology saying because he didn't do it immediately the deal was off, what can possibly be done to save Kyoko's life?

 Takayama did have a coffin set up at the Minato station's morgue with incense and such in case anyone wanted to say their final respects, it was also where he was hiding out so he would still be presumed to be dead. Also working on this case to find info on who had hired Onda were the two investigators Yoshi and Tanaka. They had discovered that recently the Kansai(Osaka) based Yakuza group Sudo had opened a branch in Yokohama though it was still very small. But it could become much larger in a short amount of time if the head of the Ginsei clan Nagao was killed, the Sudo group wanted Takayama eliminated for he's such a thorn in the side of all the Yokohama Yakuza groups. Their leader was a man named Tama, it was him who ordered the killings and had talked via phone to the investigators. The Sudo group wasn't to hard to find as Yoshi and Tanaka tailed them to a warehouse and in it was their hostage Kyoko. They notified Oshsita of their findings who rushed to the warehouse but not alone as he must have had twenty officers with him. For the fourth episode in a row there was no major shootout as the Sudo group was badly outnumbered and surrendered meekly with Kyoko being safe and sound though she was now an orphan. The case has now been solved so that should be the end of everything but there were still a few minutes to go and a potential tragedy did come close to occurring.

 Since that meeting with Nagao Takayama had been so quiet and deep down was fuming at the way the Ginsei leader had treated him. The young investigator Machida didn't go on that Sudo raid but had stuck around to keep an eye on Takayama who slipped away when Machida went to the bathroom. Takayama left his police ID behind and took Onda's rifle, we all knew who he was targeting. So didn't Oshita for Machida had contacted him with what had taken place, Oshita zoomed to the Ginsei HQ. Across the street on a roof was Takayama with a rifle, he is one Ace shooter and there would be no way he would miss. Nagao left his HQ and was going to the airport for a flight to Hong Kong but not if Takayama could help it! He had Nagao in his sights and was prepared to fire when out of nowhere jumped Oshita and prevented this possible assassination. Sure most viewers were like me in wondering would Takayama have pulled the trigger, he did want to have his 'revenge' but at the expense of killing someone? Bet Oshita wondered the same thing but none of us will ever know if Takayama would have shot this Ginsei leader to death and that concludes this recap. Once again not a lot of action but in a way this was one of the most intense shows to date, there was no cliffhanger so all of the 51 episodes will have a separate case. Haven't viewed the final show yet and the recap for that is the next post, few more screenshots below of the action. This ended up being one of the best recaps I've ever written, wish the words would flow out so smoothly more of the time.