Air Dates: April 11 to October 31, 1985 Thursdays at 7:30 pm on Fuji-TV
Based upon the manga by Shinji Wada, there were some differences between the manga and this series such as two new characters but for the most part what took place in the manga was followed... Subs by Mashhamid though a few others have also subbed this series
Ratings: Average for all 24 episodes was 13.04%, the high was 17.0% while 9.6% was the lowest and that happened twice. This episode's rating was 15.3% which was an increase over the previous show and this aired on September 5, 1985..... there was no show on August 29th.
The heroine in this series was Yuki Saito who was eighteen when the show began in April 1985, she turned nineteen while it was airing. Wouldn't call Yuki a superstar but she's an actress most drama fans should know of as she's been so busy over the last forty years appearing in too many dramas, movies and stage plays to count! Yuki is also a singer who has about ten albums and 25 singles along with doing many other theme songs to dramas, she does the ending song to this show. Yuki is now 58 in age and she was an attractive woman back in her twenties and thirties, not saying she looks bad now but as mentioned is getting up there in age. Enough of an intro as there's always another mini section after the main character bios which are below and will be editing them quite often.
Most of the action will be taking place at the Takanoha Academy high school but in episode one the setting was St. Annes school which did slightly confuse me. Episode two is when Saki enrolls at Takanoha Academy and we didn't meet most major characters until then or at least the main students. Most of these photos at the top are of Saki holding a Yo-Yo, it's no ordinary one! When it flips open it shows the Police Crest as Saki is an undercover detective and what power it has. The Yo-Yo can smash through steel and if a person gets hit with it they're down for the count, the steel string is very long and can also double as a pair of handcuffs.
Yuki Saito as Saki Asamiya.... There is so much to say about Saki and not enough space! Saki's mother Natsu is currently on death row for killing her husband Toshiya, that happened when Saki was six in age which was eleven years ago. For the next nine years don't know yet what became of Saki but by the age of twelve she was a delinquent. She did enter high school but was expelled from Takanoha Academy at the age of fifteen and sent to Kanto Kita Juvenile Center but there was something about Saki or perhaps her circumstances which attracted the attention of the two men below this bio, Jin and Shirei. They're the top two executives of the very secret government department Dark Agency, they've recruited Saki to become an undercover detective as being a teen will allow to work much more efficiently at high schools. Of course Saki refused at first but the offer included an apartment, clothes and such plus a huge kicker. Which is that if Saki successfully completed a mission her mother Natsu's death penalty would be voided though would have to finish a prison sentence. To that offer Saki agreed but the Dark Agency did renege on their end of the deal and came up with an excuse for Saki to do another mission which she reluctantly said yes to so think that scenario of Dark Agency using Saki will continue on. Know more changes will be done to Saki's bio but that covers what we learned in the first two episodes. Saki's mother Natsu is in the bottom screenshot, don't think we'll be seeing her too often.
Koji Naka as Kyoichiro Jin.... The top agent for Dark Agency and is Saki's 'handler'. Jin was a cool looking man and was very respected by his superior Shirei. Jin is very skilled at martial arts though we haven't seen him in a physical fight through eight episodes and drives a yellow Porsche 911. In episode fifteen we learned that Jin was born in 1956 so that would make his age 29, he had attended a university in America and graduated in 1982. That meant he was 26 at the time and after returning to Japan Jin began to work for the National Police Agency, the Dark Agency must be an offshoot department. After beginning with the police none of Jin's records or activities are in their database so it's like Jin has been erased from the Earth, discovering that was the very devious older Mizuchi sister Reimi.
Hiroyuki Nagato as Kurayami Shirei.... Leader of Dark Agency and the person who recruited Saki to be an undercover detective at high schools. To me it appears Shirei is the one toying with Saki and saying he'll void her mother's death sentence to keep her doing missions, think Jin does have a soft spot for Saki and doesn't like seeing her used. Shirei had been a judge at one time and was one of the six on the panel for Natsu's murder trial! Perhaps that's why he chose Saki to be a secret detective as he had been keeping tabs on her for about a decade and felt she was finally ready for action! Don't know if it will continue on for the whole series but when Shirei appears in screen we never see him clearly, he is an older man and maybe keeping his face obscured adds to the mystery.
The remaining characters are all from Takanoha Academy which is a high school, in Tokyo? No characters appeared in the first episode so these bios will definitely need to be edited for future posts, the top characters are the students. Don't think any teachers will be key to the stories but will add one in plus the principal. Saki had attended this school when she was fifteen in age but had been expelled in her first year and sent to a detention center, she's now returned to the fury of many who remember her!
Chiaki Watanabe as Miyako Yumekoji.... She too is a delinquent girl but unlike Saki was never sent away to a detention center and is very intelligent though her ego is a bit too large. When Saki had been expelled Miyako took 'control' of the school or in other words has become the leader of the school's undesirables. Who are females and you never see girls have male underlings in these shows or films, of course those henchmen(women?) are Yes People who bully others. None of that group of Miyako's followers will have large roles but we will be seeing them often enough, the names of the main four girls are Tomiko, Hanako, Masayo and Tamami. That's them in the first screenshot below, Miyako is on the left and in the center of the second screenshot. Miyako is a very attractive teen and for now hates Saki with such a passion so a theme for the first half of the series will be of her trying to take Saki down. Of course Miyako doesn't know Saki is an undercover detective and had felt she returned to Takanoha Academy to take control of the female gangs which was not the case.
Yasuyoshi Masuda as Sanpei Nowaki.... That's an odd name and don't recall ever seeing either of those before. Senpai wasn't at Takanoha Academy when Saki was enrolled there two years ago, when he first saw Saki in present times it was love at first sight for Senpai!!!! Who had no idea of Saki's past but was so enamored with her ultra coolness plus she was attractive. Unsure(doubt) if Saki will ever return Senpai's feelings of love but think he will become a trusted ally. By the third episode Sanpei has become friends with Saki, not best friends yet but he is her only one.
Genji Kawai as Miyagawa.... Principal of Takanoha Academy and he probably won't be an important character but should be in most episodes, he's the older man sitting at the desk.
Hiraizumi Sei as Numa Juzo.... PE teacher at the academy and also the home room teacher of Saki's. Juzo was strongly opposed to Saki being able to reenroll at the school but like all didn't know she was an undercover detective. He also works in the guidance department and can be extremely strict though usually is fair to all except not at first towards Saki.
The Mizuchi family.... just added these four characters in as they will be so very important for at least the next eight episodes. Least the three sisters will, doubt if we'll see much of the father but just in case we do added his name in here. We first met Ayumi in episode eleven, then Kumi in the thirteenth and the elder Mizichi sister Reimi in episode fifteen.
Yasuko Endo as Ayumi Mizuchi.... Though just seventeen in age when this was filmed in the show she was at least a year older than Saki. Ayumi comes from a very wealthy family and is the president of the Kanto Region Student Council Union among other things. Ayumi used that position to try and take control Saki's high school Takanoha Academy but that failed, she's Saki's most bitter enemy and also her toughest opponent. **** Checked up on the actress and read a very sad story, six months after this show ended Yasuko committed suicide and was just seventeen in age. Besides acting she was also about to begin a singing career at the time of her death which was from jumping out of a seventh story window. That death was very suspicious at the time and so many rumors began to spread about why the tragedy occurred but no one knew the real answer.
Natsumi Asano as Kumi Mizuchi.... I seventeen in age which is the same as Saki and is another sister who needs to be avoided! Though such a low life person Kumi is a very talented pianist and the competition she was in was the focus of episodes thirteen and fourteen. At the end of the 14th show she got into a scrap with Saki, Kumi's right hand and arm was injured so she'll be unable to play the ivories for a while.
Hitomi Takahashi as Reimi Mizuchi.... We finally met the oldest sister in the fifteenth episode, she's just returned to Japan after attending college in America. Reimi is quite an attractive woman but also one you don't want to tangle with as she is so ruthless. And devious as she's vowed to take down Saki for hurting her two younger sisters and to me it's not Ayumi who is Saki's most dangerous opponent but Reimi! She has quite the setup at her father's office which is the top screenshot below, considering this drama took place in 1985 Reimi had some tech gadgets which are common today but were very rare back then.
Shigeru Kamiyama as Gouzo Mizuchi.... Don't think we'll be seeing much of him but his fortune is so key to the sisters enacting their revenge on Saki! Gouzo owns the Mizuchi Corporation and is supposedly the sixth richest man in Japan, his family never loses and often have to resort to such underhanded and violent measures to achieve that!
Previous recaps
Didn't point it out in the previous recap but there was a continuity flub early on in episode seventeen. Which is the above screenshot, Saki and Jin had been having a chat on a pier in the daylight, when they turned around it was night!!!! That screenshot and the one right above it did open this 18th episode, there's often twenty seconds devoted to what Saki's ongoing mission may be. Which is trying to take down the dreaded Mizuchi family who is led by the oldest of three sisters Reimi, she returned to Japan four episodes ago after finishing her schooling in America and would say she's 23-25 in age. Sure you've read the above recap and/or previous ones so you must know a lot about the family that also includes the younger sisters Ayumi(19) and Kumi(17). Reimi is by far the most treacherous of the sisters and also the smartest but don't underestimate the other two and you'll see why at the end.
More happened in the last ten minutes of this show then take place in shows that are 45 minutes in length! This is a continuation of what took place in episode seventeen which is of the Mizuchi Group taking control of the Takanoha Academy which is Saki's high school though she's been expelled. In episode sixteen the Mizuchi Group took control of the elite Eiko Arts Academy which is a music school. The plan for Reimi and her sisters is to take control of all of Japan's schools and teach all students the 'Mizuchi Way'. We don't see him often but the group is led by their father Gouzo and think he will soon become very key to the story. Since episode eleven the stories have been two parters and thought the trend would carry on until the end of the series. However there was no conclusion to this story so does that mean it'll be a three episode story? That I don't know yet so need to make a decision once this is written up. Which is should I publish these two recaps or have three recaps for the day? Will decide that by the end of this post as I will view the next show after the second segment. EDIT: Which I did and decided to continue on with two recaps at a time. But have deduced that the six episodes from 17 to 22 are one long story so will hold off on publishing the two recaps for today so there isn't a long gap and wait until the next pair are done so you don't forget some important details. Have said in the section for previous recaps above how in a way waiting until the end of a series isn't a bad idea as you can start with the first reap and read all or some at once.
It's important that you read the previous recap for it describes what the student Miyako did and how she was duped by Reimi into getting the students to riot which in turn led to them being expelled. The students knew what Reimi had done and she did feel so guilty for a change, in a stunning move Miyako ran away from her group of classmates and fled to a walkway bridge where where she threw herself off! Saki had chased the girl but was too late to prevent the jump, Miyako is now in the hospital and should live, that brief scene is above. What a depressing period this was for the 32 students and Saki, attending Takanoha Academy was the first time she had been able to lead a normal life. Her Dark Agency handler Jin did arrive at Saki's apartment and there wasn't much he could say to her, Jin recommended taking some time off but Saki said NO to that, her next target needs to be the father of Reimi and her two evil sisters, Gouzo Mizuchi! We haven't seen much of him until now and won't in this episode but the man is the sixth richest one in Japan plus controls the very corrupt Mizuchi Group. Where to start the hunt for the elder Mizuchi was Saki's enigma and even if he's found Gouzo must have an army of bodyguards. Saki has laid low since that day at Takanoha Academy and even her dreaded enemy Reimi had lost tabs on Saki, she's ordered her troops to find the Sukeban Deka! Which did happen and it was when Saki was spying on the Mizuchi Group's main office. A quartet of Reimi's henchmen had noticed Saki and proceeded to get into a melee with her. Which didn't last long as barreling down the road was a bicycle, it clipped Saki and sent her flying down a hill. Once those goons saw Saki hurt they fled but not the rider of the bike who stopped to check on Saki, he's above plus in many of the screenshots below and will be an important part of the story for the rest of the episode.
In the middle screenshot above is Saki's best friend Sanpei with her Dark Agency handler Jin, the two are finally getting along together and Jin knows that Sanpei could be an asset to this case. They were staking out Youichi's shop for Jin heard a rumor she may be there, the pair did notice Saki pass by a second floor window. But also noticed was Youichi, when Jin saw the man he appeared to be a bit startled which seldom happens with Jin, he then tore off in his Porsche with Sanpei. That evening Youichi brought out Saki for a dinner and this short friendship was totally platonic. Youichi showed Saki a photo of his sister Mitsue who died three years ago which is why he had a female bedroom all set up for Saki to recover in. Mitsue's death wasn't explained then but was in the next episode, in a spoiler she had worked as a secretary for the Mizuchi Group! Of course they are the arch enemy of Saki and Dark Agency so was her death an accident or a murder? After returning home from the dinner Youichi had an errand to run, with some free time Saki checked out the rest of his building. She found a deserted room and of all things what she saw on a wall in the room was none other than some photos of Reimi Mizuchi, talk about being thrown a curveball! There is one pic of her in the second to final screenshot with the last one showing Reimi bursting into action! Some of her henchmen had been looking for Saki and finally found her with Youichi, their orders are to bring her immediately to the local cycling track. But when it comes to capturing Saki things are never easy as these goons were about to find out. However I was slightly surprised that Saki's hand to hand fighting skills seem to have decreased, perhaps because of that mini accident? She struggled in this fight, granted it was six against one but in the past that was no major obstacle.
Final segment and WOW(!) did so much take place in these last 6-7 minutes, the action is in the above batch of screenshots and the first seven below. So after seeing photos of Reimi in the secret room of Youchi's Saki naturally thought he was working with the woman, because of that Saki presumed that she was the target! Yes, she was the target of Reimi but not Youichi who for the longest time had no clue about the identity of Saki or really anything about her. When she was brought to his house to recover from that accident Saki never told Youichi her name and not sure why, he never pressured her to reveal any details about her life if she didn't want to. But after that dinner earlier in the evening Saki did tell Youichi her name, that set off an alarm in his head and why? Shortly after discovering those photos of Reimi Saki left his bike shop/house only to be ambushed by a sextet of Reimi's henchmen but luckily it didn't turn out to be an unfair battle of six against one. For Youichi was just arriving back at his house and he proved to be quite the fighter and was holding his own against these goons. Can't say the same about Saki and I was kind of disappointed how inept she was during this melee, she didn't have her trusty Yo-Yo and if it wasn't for Youichi Saki would have been a goner! He had managed to free Saki from the thugs and told her to flee which she did though it meant Youichi was taken prisoner. In a shock to Saki awaiting her was Jin in his Porsche 911 which is right above. Know that Jin has to keep his identity a secret, also the existence of Dark Agency but that was no reason for him not to have helped out Saki and Youichi. Who is not just an ace cyclist but according to Jin is also an undercover agent working for a different government organization to take down the Mizuchi family! That's why learning the identity of Saki had stunned Youichi for he knew she was the #1 enemy of the family.
Time is running short as there's only three minutes to go, Jin gave Saki a brand new powerful Yo-Yo and told her Reimi was bringing her prisoner Youichi to the local cycling track. Sadly Youichi has only two more minutes of screentime as he was led into the track tied up and told he has two options, be shot or try to beat the below truck in a race! That's the middle sister Ayumi aiming a rifle at Youichi, she is an ace shooter so there wasn't much the man could do but try to beat a vehicle to gain his freedom! Which didn't happen as Youichi went flying into a concrete barrier, he did manage to arise however was shot in the chest by Ayumi!!!! Arriving right then was Saki who dashed over to Youichi but was too late to save her new friend but he had some gasping final words. Youichi uttered the name Gouzo Mizuchi and said there's a connection between the two, those were his final breathes. Running over was Ayumi who began to pummel Saki badly as Ayumi couldn't forget how Saki had bested her twice. Hovering near was her younger sister Kumi with a rifle and the episode ended with Saki's future looking worse than bleak!!!! WOW, what a finale that was and I did not think this series was going to turn into the show it's become. There was a return to much action in this episode but also so much more suspense, intrigue and in a way it's also a semi-spy story. The intensity increases even more in the next show which I viewed after writing the second segment. I had a clue on what Youichi meant when he said there was a connection between Saki and the Mizuchi father, it was a long shot stab in the dark guess but I was right with it! Usually have a pair of these every 4-5 days but will publish the next pair in two days which means this was done 3-4 days before you read it. There's more screenshots below than usual for a recap as so much happened and those help you follow the action much better.
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