[2009 Spring Japan Drama] Boss

[Guest luthien]

AmamiYuki•TakenouchiYutaka•TodaErika•MizobataJunpei•TamayamaTetsuji

Last Updated 2009-May-16: (Ratings, Episode Synopsis & Screencaps)

Contents

1. Overview

2. Production Crew

3. Cast

4. Synopsis

5. Character Descriptions

6. Multimedia & Subtitles

7. News & Interviews

8. Pictures

9. Ratings

10. Episode Synopsis and Screencaps

1.Overview

Title: BOSS

Format: Renzoku

Genre: Detective

Episodes: To be announced

Broadcast Network: Fuji TV

Broadcast Period: 2009 April 16 to (to be announced)

Timeslot: Thursdays 22:00

Theme Song: "Best of my Life" by Superfly

Opening Theme: "Alright!!" by Superfly

Official Website: http://www.fujitv.co.jp/BOSS/index.html

Staff Blog: http://blog.fujitv.co.jp/boss/index.html

2.Production Crew

Screenwriter: Hayashi Hiroshi (Rikon Bengoshi I&II, Iryu I&II, Code Blue, Hagetaka)

Producer: Murase Ken (Ai no uta, 14 sai no Haha, Bambino)

Director: Mitsuno Michio (101st Marriage Proposal, Virgin Road, Koori no Sekai, Bus Stop, Rikon Bengoshi)

3.Cast

Amami Yuki as Osawa Eriko (40yo)

Takenouchi Yutaka as Nodate Shinjiro(40 yo)

Toda Erika as Kimoto Mami (24yo)

Tamayama Tetsuji as Katagiri Takuma

Mizobata Junpei as Hanagata Ippei (23yo)

Kichise Michiko as Narahashi Reiko

Nukumizu Yuichi as Yamamura Keisuke

Kobayashi Kendo as Iwai Zenji

Mitsui Ken as Tanba Hirohisa

Aijima Kazuyuki as Yada Kenzo

Maruyama Tomomi as Ikegami Hiroshi

Hasegawa Hiroki as Kawano Akio

HILUMA as Mori Masao

Shiomi Sansei as Onoda Tadashi

Feb & March 2009 Cast Announcements

Complete Cast(April 2009)

credit: Fujitv.co.jp

4.Synopsis

Osawa Eriko is installed as head of the First Investigative Division’s newly established Special Crimes Unit upon her return from America. Her subordinates are nothing but trouble makers within the police force who are capable but have behavioural and personality problems. Then one day, a corpse with a charred upper torso is found within the jurisdiction of their unit. The investigation begins but her subordinates are a bunch of misfits and have no solidarity. Because alcohol with close to 90% alcoholic content is found at the scene, it is thought that it resulted from the combustion of that alcohol. However, Eriko passes the victim’s hair to the crime lab and the DNA test determines that the victim has a constitution in which alcohol cannot be consumed. She begins her FBI-trained profiling …

Credits & Translations by: Jade_frost @ JDrama Weblog

5.Character Descriptions

Amami Yuki as Osawa Eriko

Head of the First Investigative Division’s Special Crimes Unit. After majoring in law in university, she joined the National Police Agency and made it her career path. She successfully rose through the ranks and when she became a police superintendent at 35, she suddenly went to study in America. It is rumoured to be a demotion but the details still remain a mystery to this day. For 5 years, she learnt profiling and various techniques at the FBI and returned to Japan. Her motto is “Crime scenes are bloody. All the more reason to be elegant”, and because of that she spends most of her salary on branded goods. She has excellent reflexes but is also terribly tone deaf. She seems to find George Clooney irresistible.

Takenouchi Yutaka as Nodate Shinjiro

A career official who is a central figure in the National Police Agency. He is an aide to the counsellor and an elite who has continuously set new records for being the youngest as he rose through the ranks. Even among his among elite police colleagues, he is an outstanding talent whose intellect and skills are respected by the top brass. However, the stubbled, wild appearance that he sports, and his straight talking, radical words also makes him a stand out as a maverick. He and Eriko entered the agency at the same time. He understands her well, supports her both openly and secretly … but there are rumours that he is actually flirting with her.

Toda Erika as Kimoto Mami

A detective in the First Investigative Division’s Special Crimes Unit and Eriko’s subordinate. She has come from the Forensics Science Unit is a specialist in “knowledge” and “information gathering”. She hasn’t cared about love as well as fashion since her school days and is totally immersed in science which is her interest. She fulfilled her desire by joining the National Police Agency’s crime lab but her inability to wake up in the morning and social inadequacy is a bottleneck and she is assigned to the newly established Special Crimes Unit. However, her uncooperative character cannot change and this also gives Eriko trouble.

Tamayama Tetsuji as Katagiri Takuma

A detective in the First Investigative Division’s Special Crimes Unit and Eriko’s subordinate. A mature person who is typically cool, smart and doesn’t get heated up more than necessary. He had worked in various units before he was assigned to his current post and is an all round player with a wealth of experience. He dresses in stylish suits, his demeanour is gentle and he is the best in handgun shooting. Because of that, he is popular with female police officers. However, he lost his faith in the police organisation as a result of some incident and has now become an unmotivated detective who goes home on time.

Mizobata Junpei as Hanagata Ippei

A detective in the First Investigative Division’s Special Crimes Unit and Eriko’s subordinate. He was poached from amongst the patrol officers. He has had an exceptionally strong sense of justice since young and he dreamed of becoming a police officer. When he worked at the police box, he would watch the drama 24. Impressed by what he saw, he aimed to be a detective and is the classic zealous detective who took the promotion exam. He is courageous and honest but the areas in which he is lacking makes Eriko tear her hair out.

Kichise Michiko as Narahashi Reiko

A medical examiner at the crime lab. She is a pro among the pros in conducting postmortems and is also the strongest asset to the team. Because she is extraordinarily beautiful and single, she is enormously popular among men. She is also actively romancing and keeps dating a number of men but … still hasn’t succeeded in love. She declares that she looks down on Eriko who looks like she lives only for work and career advancement, but in her heart she acknowledges Eriko more than anyone else.

Kobayashi Kendo as Iwai Zenji

A detective in the First Investigative Division’s Special Crimes Unit and Eriko’s subordinate. He is the physical sort who is macho, has a 3-dan black belt in judo and 4-dan in kendo and learns combat sports. He used to be in the Metropolitan Police Department’s Organised Crime Control Division but often got into trouble because he is rough and quick with his fists so he was sidetracked and placed in this current unit. Although he is tough-looking, there are suspicions that he is gay because he boldly touches male butts.

Nukumizu Yuichi as Yamamura Keisuke

A detective in the First Investigative Division’s Special Crimes Unit and Eriko’s subordinate. He is the veteran on the team and has the nickname “Otoshi no yama-san” but it is only because he has many lost articles. He has a theory that “The ability to force confessions from criminals is powerful” and another theory that “There are many lost articles because people are careless.” He doesn’t show his true feelings and is always behaving frivolously but that seems to be his strategy to give the other part a false sense of security. In his personal life, there are rumours that he has divorced twice.

Updates, Credits & Translations by: Jade_frost @ JDrama Weblog

bigger version

6.Multimedia & Subtitles

CM/Features/Promos

Waratte Ittomo! ~ Haru SP (2009 April 13) - Download @ D-addicts

Watch CM online or Download CM (credits:Lilcrash at Post #24 )

Watch CM #2 online (credits:Lilcrash at Post # 44)

Episodes

Episodes are available for download at D-addicts.com (torrents) and Nomanymore's blogspot (megaupload)

Subtitles

Haruspex & TimeLesSub are collaborating to release hardsubs for this drama. Announcement was made on 2009 February 25.

TimeLesSub reminders:

TimeLesSub strictly forbids its work to be uploaded to any online streaming sites including but not limited to Youtube, Megavideo,Google,veoh, crunchyroll regardless of credits being given or not. This is because we all know that fansubbing itself is illegal and therefore we discourage our viewers from uploading any of our projects. The risk of getting into trouble with the law is quite big, so please - no streaming. Sadly there are still people who simply choose to ignore our distribution policy. We however have no problems with affiliates as long as they provide the link back to us.

Fansubbers continue to thrive at d-addicts and through torrents. Please support their request.

7.News & Interviews

Amami Yuki Interview

Sanspo & Boss Official Website: Kobayashi Kendo and Tamayama Tetsuji joins Boss (Japanese only)

8.Pictures

Episode 1 GIFs (April 16)

Official Staff Blog Updates April 14 to 15

Part Two Screencaps Boss in Waratte Ittomo! Haru SP (April 13)

Part One Scrteencaps Boss in Waratte Ittomo! Haru SP (April 13) & Official Staff Blog Updates April 12 to 13

Official Site and Staff Blog Updates April 10 to 12

Official Staff Blog Updates April 06 to 08

00 Introduction Photos from official website 2009 April

Boss Press Conference 2009 April 7

Official Website Update 2009 April 6

Amami Yuki Interview

Character Chart Magazine Scan

Amami & Takenouchi at non-Boss-related calendar

CM GIF

CM Caps

Kobayashi Kendo and Tamayama Tetsuji joins Boss

9.Ratings

Episode 1 : 18.1%

Episode 2 : 15.1%

Episode 3 : 15.2%

Episode 4 : 15.8%

Episode 5 : --

Source: Video Research, Ltd.

Other Source: DramaWiki

10.Episode Synopsis & Screencaps

Episode 1

"The best female detective around 40 becomes boss."

Credits: Jade_Frost at Jdramas.wordpress.com

2009 April 19

Caps by Semi-fly at Post #66

40 years old and single, Osawa Eriko, a former career official is selected to be the head of the First Investigative Division’s newly established Special Crimes Unit upon her return from America. Eriko had a promising future ahead of her but some scandal caused her demotion and she went to study in America on the pretext of training. She spent 5 years learning at the FBI and has just returned to Japan.

Nodate Shinjiro, an aide to the counsellor and Eriko’s contemporary, was the person who had led the establishment of the Special Crimes Unit. Nodate explains to journalists gathered at the Metropolitan Police Department that the Special Crimes Unit is a team that will address violent crimes through specialised investigations like forensic science.

Happy to be working as a detective again, Eriko meets the detectives that have been assigned to the Special Crimes Unit. She had heard that they are an elite group but the members are Kimoto Mami, who has been thrown out of the Forensics Science Unit because she cannot wake up in the morning; Katagiri Takuma, who is disgusted to belong to the organisation; Yamamura Keisuke, a man from the Community Safety Division with the nickname of Metropolitan Police Department’s biggest blunderer; Hanagata Ippei, a rookie detective who only has more motivation than others; and Iwai Zenji, who has been thrown out from the Organised Crime Division because of his involvement in violence. They can hardly be called elite detectives.

Eriko’s appointment as the first female unit head of the First Investigative Division pays off and is well received by the mass media. The top brass of the Criminal Affairs Department, head of criminal investigations Tanba Hirohisa and counsellor Yada Kenzo, snicker that even if the Special Crimes Unit were to end in failure, it would be a setback for Nodate.

As this is taking place, the unit receives a report that the charred body of an unidentified man has been found at the river bank of the Arakawa. Strangely, only the upper torso had been burnt and one of the arms is broken. Eriko immediately heads to the scene with Mami and Katagiri. However, they are treated like a nuisance by the detectives of the First Investigative Division and turned away. The head of the First Investigative Division Onoda Tadashi declares to Eriko that the First Investigative Division brings together the best men so she should back off.

Before long, the identity of the victim is determined. He is Maeda Satoru, a black market financier who charged exorbitant interest. Narahashi Reiko, the Forensic Unit’s medical examiner reports to Eriko that the cause of death was heart failure but there were chemically synthesised materials that had stuck to the skin on his upper torso when the explosion had occurred. She also knows that Maeda had gone up the steel tower at the scene just before he died, had suffered a heart attack and had fallen down after his death.

There is finally proof to indicate that Maeda had been threatened by someone and made to go up the steel tower against his will. It also emerges that the dead body of a homeless person with a charred upper torso just like Maeda’s had been found. Eriko deduces that these are serial murders which were committed by the same criminal using explosives. There is a strong possibility that the criminal is a technician who isn’t highly educated and a third murder will definitely be committed sometime soon.

A new victim emerges, just as Eriko had conjectured. The victim is Kojima Fumihiko, a bank employee. At that moment, a man thought to be the culprit is arrested. That man is Nogaki Taizo, the owner of a local factory that handles chemicals.

Nogaki is thought to have planted the next bomb but he is evasive, warding off questions during the interrogation so the detectives are unable to obtain information from him. Then Eriko takes over the interrogation, prodding the proud Nogaki with a bluff, she eventually makes him tell her how to defuse the bomb.

The fourth target is Noguchi Yoko, the president of Koukyou Chemicals who has caused the decline of Nogaki’s factory. Noguchi, who is outfitted with a bomb in the style of a vest made by Nogaki, has a terrifying time. The bomb disposal crew that has arrived there defuses the bomb with the information from Eriko. Noguchi narrowly escapes death.

Eriko’s big gamble with Katagiri and the rest had not only completely fooled Nogaki, but also Onoda and the detectives of the First Investigative Division, Nodate and Mami. Anyone who had seen her skill couldn’t help but think that it was splendid. The members of the Special Crimes Unit begin to realise the importance of Eriko’s existence in the days since she took up the position as the head of the unit.

Meanwhile, Eriko, who has finished work, walks along the streets with light steps. Then she sees the figure of a person standing in wait. A smile lights up her face and she rushes over. The man, Ikegami Hiroshi, who is dressed like a blue-collar worker, smiles at her. They exchange glances and seem to have the happy mood of a pair of lovers …

Episode 2

"I want to know … The crime of curiosity."

Credits: Jade_Frost at Jdramas.wordpress.com

2009 April 25

Caps by Semi-fly at Post #74

Eriko hears from Hanagata that a person has posted messages about killing people on a crime related website. This person calls himself “god” and has even made the names, addresses and photos of the dead bodies of three females he had killed public but in these messages there is also information on the fatal stabbing of a female university student which they have just been notified of. Because the other two cases are actual incidents and “god” had written about the locations and circumstances of death before the police announcements, Eriko suspects that they are serial killings.

She instructs Mami, Katagiri, Yamamura, Hanagata, Iwai to review the two cases and brings Mami to the scene where the dead body of the female university student had been found.

Hearing from the investigators that the female university student had died from a single stab to the heart, Eriko guesses that it is a crime by an experienced killer. However, Mami says that from the angle of the murder weapon, only the victim could have stabbed herself.

Then Reiko, who has examined the second case of unnatural death that “god” says he had committed, concludes that it wasn’t a murder but an accident. Yamamura and Iwai, who are pursuing the first case which was a drowning incident, also report that it had been an accident.

Meanwhile, praises for “god” spring up on the internet and people commissioning “god” to commit murder even emerge. Katagiri and the others obtain 23 names and contacts of murder targets from the supporters of “god” and arrange for the protection of 21 of them.

At that moment, Onoda’s team arrests “god”. The person who was arrested is a young man called Fujiwara Masaru who is an eavesdropping enthusiast. Fujiwara obtains information on accidents involving the loss of life from the fire department’s transmitter that he taps and rushes to the scene before anyone else. He then posts the photographs taken of the victims on the internet and makes them public.

Just when it seems that the case has been solved, two consecutive murders take place. The dead are the two people whom “god” had been commissioned to kill and couldn’t be contacted. An “X” marked in blood is left on the walls of both crime scenes and surveillance videos show a man dressed in a black gown with a huge knife in his hand.

From the consistency of the murder’s technique and outfit with the information that has been written on “god” on the internet, Eriko conjectures that they are crimes committed by someone who admires “god” so much that he imagines that he is the real “god”. Now that he has succeeded in two murders, the murderer will carry out the commissions posted on the internet and commit one murder after another. Eriko suggests using herself as a decoy to lure the murderer. She says that if her own name is posted in the website where the commissions are gathered and it is written that murder is hoped for her, the murderer should respond and make his move. The top brass is not pleased to hear of this but Nodate offers Eriko his full support.

At the Special Crimes Unit, Hanagata immediately commissions Eriko’s murder with the post, “Only god can kill the police”.

And their operation gets underway …

Pretending to go home at night, Eriko enters an isolated house. Mami is inside the house. Katagiri and the rest of the team members as well as the detectives of the First Investigative Division have hidden themselves around the perimeter of the house. As time quietly passes by, a man clad in black who is thought to be the murderer finally appears. However, he seems to realise that there is a police stakeout and makes a getaway. The team members give pursuit and Katagiri faces off against the man. He raises his gun and aims at the man but is unable to pull the trigger and the man runs off.

Eriko is disgusted to hear over the wireless that her team had let the man slip through their fingers. She rushes out of the house and chases after him.

At that moment, Hanagata is having a scuffle with the man who has taken refuge at a place that looks like a warehouse. However, the man holds him at knife-point and he finds himself facing certain death. Then Iwai appears with a gun in hand. The man throws the knife at Iwai, jumps through a glass window and leaps outside. Eriko gives chase. Hanagata and Iwai also link up with her before long. The man is now inside a shed. Eriko asks Hanagata and Iwai to provide cover for her and she attempts to enter the shed. However, she instantly detects the smell of gasoline and tells Hanagata and Iwai to get away as she backs off too. At that same moment, an explosion occurs and the cabin is in flames. Onoda’s team soon rushes over and finds the dead body of the man in their search of the shed.

Onoda urges a weary looking Eriko to go home. She leaves for home with a police officer, Inoue Kosuke, as her escort. When they arrive outside her apartment, Inoue asks to use the bathroom. She readily consents and lets him enter her home.

At that moment, Katagiri receives a call from Reiko who says that the dead body found in the cabin isn’t that of the murderer.

In the bathroom, Inoue starts to remove his police uniform to reveal that he is dressed in a black gown. Holding a knife in his hand, he quietly emerges from the bathroom and approaches Eriko. As he is about to brandish the knife at Eriko, who has her back to him, she turns around and retaliates. Mami, Katagiri and Hanagata burst in at that moment but Eriko has already pinned Inoue’s arms behind his back. When Hanagata asks Eriko how she had known that Inoue is the murderer, she replies that it is because the lace-up police shoes that Inoue is wearing is an old pair that is no longer used now.

Several days later, Eriko meets Hiroshi again. Hiroshi, who doesn’t know that she is a detective, worries that she seems to be having a hard time at work. Eriko is delighted by his tenderness …

Episode 3

"I definitely won’t let the enemies of women off!"

Credits: Jade_Frost at Jdramas.wordpress.com

2009 May 3

Caps by Semi-fly at Post #78

Eriko is put in charge of a case involving a succession of assaults on the models who are readers of the female magazine ‘Episode’. Nodate says detectives have been attached to the other models as a precaution but another incident happens at that moment.

The third victim, Higuchi Yukari, didn’t sustain serious injuries but suffered emotional trauma. Sympathising with her circumstances, Eriko leaves Mami behind in the hospital room for protection. Then she explains the details of the case to Katagiri, Hanagata, Iwai and Yamamura. The three victims had been threatened with a knife, then handcuffed and gagged. Material evidence such as the handcuffs were left at the scene but no fingerprints have been found. In the midst of this, Nodate brings information on a man called Mikami Hiroaki. He says that Mikami is the employee of a usual haunt of the models and also has a police record for bad conduct and stimulants.

However, several days later, Mikami’s dead body is found. Eriko, who heads to the scene, hears from forensics that there’s a high possibility that Mikami had committed suicide. In fact, a memo that looks like a suicide note and a syringe used to inject potassium chloride, which was the cause of death, had been left behind at the scene. Returning to the Special Crimes Unit, Eriko declares to the detectives who are about to close the case that Mikami was murdered. Reiko also says that Mikami had been bound hand and foot and had died from an injection of drugs. Eriko points out the differences between the first, second and third crimes, and surmises the existence of another assailant.

At that moment, a man called Kaneda Toshihiko emerges as a suspect in Mikami’s murder. Kaneda had been submissive because he was Mikami’s junior but grew to hate Mikami as a result of the indignities that he had been subjected to. Katagiri and Iwai try to take Kaneda in for voluntary questioning to but Kaneda refuses to take advantage of its “voluntary” nature. Kaneda’s involvement in Mikami’s murder and the assault on the ladies seems clear but because there is no conclusive evidence, they cannot search his house.

Due to the urgency of the situation, Eriko decides to get the female victims to meet Kaneda. She says that the victims had seen their assailant up close so if they have close contact with Kaneda they’ll know if he is the criminal. The team members object because it is too dangerous but Eriko decides to implement the operation. Yukari’s role is to confirm if Kaneda is the assailant.

During the stakeout later, Yukari waits together with Yamamura for Kaneda to appear. He soon turns up and draws near to Yukari and Yamamura as he walks over. Amid the rising tension, the gap between the two of them finally closes and Yukari identifies Kaneda as the assailant. Then in the next instant, Kaneda reaches for Yukari’s hand and attacks her. Yamamura jumps at him with a tackle. Katagiri, Hanagata, Iwai and Onoda also come and take Kaneda into custody.

Several days later, Eriko visits Yukari who has returned to work as a model. Eriko says she has obtained a warrant to search the house so they can seize everything inside. Yukari looks relieved. In response to Yukari’s smile, Eriko tells her that the house they are searching isn’t Kaneda’s house but hers and Yukari is astonished. Eriko says Yukari was the one who had used Mikami and Kaneda, and instructed them to attack the models. At first, she had given Mikami money to commit the assaults but when Mikami wanted more money she got angry and asked Kaneda, who likes her, to kill Mikami. A dutiful Kaneda did as he was told and killed Mikami. He also carried out the second assault.

Yukari pretends to be innocent in spite of this. Eriko presents the evidence gathered by Mami, Yamamura and the rest of the members, and drives her further into a corner. Yukari finally admits to the crimes which was motivated by the greater popularity of the other two models. She looks at Eriko and asks when Eriko had suspected her. Eriko replies that it was when she had first visited the hospital. Even though Yukari had said that she was attacked on her way home from the launch of a brand’s new product, she wasn’t wearing the latest high heels but a design from two years ago. That was the moment things clicked into place, Eriko says. In other words, Yukari had worn the old design because she knew that Kaneda would attack and she would get dirty. This stuns Yukari.

That night, Eriko meets Hiroshi at a pub. They spend a happy time together. Then Hiroshi excuses himself to go to the toilet and asks Eriko to let him settle the bill. She opens his bag in order to take his wallet. There’s a postcard inside and on it is a cherry blossom seal which is found on all mail that comes out of prison …

Episode 4

"Grief-stricken Avenger"

Credits: Jade_Frost at Jdramas.wordpress.com

2009 May 9

Caps by Semi-fly at Post #86

Eriko and the rest of the Special Crime Unit team members are put in charge of a crime prevention campaign for elementary school students and perform a short skit as part of the crime prevention theme. As Nodate and other top police officials come to take a look, Eriko, Mami and Yamamura take the stage in their costumes, while Katagiri, Hanagata and Iwai watch the scene from the side of the stage.

In the middle of the performance, Mami, who had originally been reluctant to perform, loses motivation and tries to get off the stage. Eriko tells her to stay but in the end Mami gets down. The next day, she just sends an email to the Special Crimes Unit and is absent from work. A furious Eriko says she will fire Mami from her job. Reiko, who was Mami’s former boss, happens to hear about this.

At that moment, a young man dies from being shot in the head and abdomen. Eriko heads to the scene. A portion of the blood which was left at the scene looks like a symbol and that weighs on her mind. The next day, another fatal shooting of a man takes place. His head and abdomen have also been shot and the numeral ‘4′ is written with blood next to his body. Eriko analyses that the traces of blood found at the first crime scene were also in the numeral ‘4′. Her opinion is that the murders are fuelled by a grudge judging from the explicit messages left behind and the numeral ‘4′ signifies the murder of 4 people.

As they lose contact with Mami, the team learns that the two men who were murdered had been the culprits in the lynching of a youth five years ago. Two people out of the three who were arrested have been killed. Eriko and her team members head over to protect Tokudaiji Yu, the remaining survivor, and Ono Shigeru, who had kept a look out during the lynching. Ono is given protection but Tokudaiji has been murdered. He’s the third victim. If the numeral ‘4′ is a warning on the number of murder victims, who is the final target? And who is the murderer …?　

Egawa Yuki, the older brother of the Egawa Tsugiharu, the youth killed in the lynching, is thought to be the murderer. However, they learn that Yuki is currently living abroad.

At that moment, Yamamura visits Mami’s apartment but there is no answer even when he rings her doorbell. He gives up and as he turns back, finds a candy that had fallen along the way. It resembles the prop that Mami had used during the skit. Yamamura hurriedly calls Reiko and asks her to analyse it.

At the same moment, Eriko is in the Special Crimes Unit reading documents related to the lynching case. According to the documents, the three guys were high school classmates. They had picked a fight with Egawa Tsugiharu, who had been playing arcade games. Not only did they batter him with kicks and punches, they also took pictures which were distributed on the internet. The local police received a call but didn’t respond because they thought it was a prank, and, in the end, Tsugiharu died. The guys were arrested but the police response was condemned. The police response was condemned … Just as an idea occurs to Eriko, Yamamura and Reiko burst in.

Reiko says the results of her analysis shows no signs that Mami had returned to her home since the day of the skit. Furthermore, the candy that Yamamura had found has been identified as Mami’s. She also says tyre marks similar to those left at the murder scenes had been found in the vicinity of Mami’s apartment. Hearing that, Eriko suspects that the murderer’s motive is to exact revenge for the lynching and the fourth person indicated by the numeral ‘4′, is the police which had done nothing and left Tsugiharu to his fate. And she says that person is Mami.

At that moment, an email is received. When an address in there is clicked, a video appears. It is Mami who has been confined somewhere. Her hands and feet have been bound and she has been placed in an empty tank. Water is rapidly filling the tank from above. Tension suddenly fills the room, but Eriko and Katagiri calmly analyse the image. They determine that the place where Mami has been confined is a vacant hospital in the suburbs.

The team rushes to the hospital which is in ruins. They search every room and finally find the room captured in the video. There is an enormous water tank in there and inside the tank is a doll thought to represent Mami. They see the numeral ‘5′ on its chest …

Episode 5

"Face off! The end of a tragic revenge."

Credits: Jade_Frost at Jdramas.wordpress.com

2009 May 16

Caps by Semi-fly at Post #90

Eriko cannot hide her confusion when Mami isn’t at the place that they have headed to for the rescue, and the numeral thought to have been left behind by the murderer is changed to ‘5′ instead of the usual ‘4′.

In the midst of this, Nodate rushes into the Special Crimes Unit and tells them to look at the computer. On the screen, images of Mami, bound hand and foot, are being broadcast live through the internet. Looking at it, Eriko, Katagiri, Yamamura, Hanagata and Iwai gasp.

Furthermore, because the footage of Mami is accompanied with the caption, “The abductee is a detective of the MPD”, the MPD receives a wave of inquiries and claims over the phone. Eriko is blamed by Tanba Hirohisa, the head of criminal investigations, for the fiasco of letting her subordinate get abducted and confined. And at that moment, the computer beeps with a new message alert. It is from the guy who has kidnapped Mami. He instructs Eriko to prepare 5 million yen within 3 hours.

Eriko gives Reiko and the team members instructions, and hurries to figure out the specific place where Mami is confined and the guy’s identity.

Then she is contacted by the guy again. Eriko negotiates with him and despite the brevity of the moment, manages to confirm that Mami is safe. She also readily agrees to his demand for 1 million yen in ransom. The money will be handed over one hour later.

An hour later, a detective who is carrying the money, goes to the appointed location but the guy doesn’t appear and only transmits live images of the waiting detective through the internet.

Receiving a report on the situation, Eriko assesses from the murderer’s modus operandi as well as words and actions that the guy’s purpose isn’t money but revenge. The ransom is to buy time or mock the police.

Then, the guy calls again. Eriko asks him various questions in a bid to obtain information but he evades them and instead declares that Mami will die if they don’t find him by morning. Reiko checks the recording of the guy’s dialogue and determines from an analysis of the voice patterns that there is a good chance that he had been an elementary, junior high or high school classmate of Egawa Tsugiharu, the victim of the lynching.

At that moment, Mami listens to the guy’s monologue at the place that she has been confined. He had been bullied by Kubota, Takeda and Tokudaiji during junior high but Egawa had been the only person to help him as his friends turned a blind eye. However, Egawa was lynched and killed for that. He had witnessed the scene and called the police to ask for help but wouldn’t give his name. The police repeatedly asked for his name and lost for an answer, he had hung up the call. Egawa couldn’t be rescued for that reason and was murdered. However, 2 years passed and the three of them were released from the juvenile detention centre. They started going together and having fun again. He says they even celebrated Egawa’s death anniversary every year. When he learnt about that, he vowed to seek revenge against the three of them and the police.

At the same moment, Eriko finally identifies the guy. His name is Tajima Shingo. He had been Egawa’s classmate in elementary school.

However, time passes and morning arrives. Tajima tells Mami if she wants to lay blame then she should blame the police. Then he activates the timing device. The timer has been set for 60 minutes. Seeing that footage, Eriko who hasn’t deduced the location feels anxious but she doesn’t show it and presses Tajima, “Are you running away again?” She says five years ago he had been anonymous when he sought the help of the police and this time he won’t show himself too. He’s still the same as before – a coward and a low life. An enraged Tajima reveals his face on the screen and counters that he had used the same method that was used to murder Egawa to kill the three men because he has become strong. Then he cuts the communication link.

Reacting to Tajima’s words about murdering with the same method, Eriko realises that Tajima intends to get back at the police by killing Mami under the same circumstances. She establishes that Mami is being confined at the biological science research laboratory which was the same place where Egawa had been lynched.

Having finally identified the location, Eriko and the team rush to the scene and disable the timing device in the nick of time. They succeed in rescuing Mami and go to arrest Tajima as he attempts to commit suicide on the rooftop.

Mami offers to persuade Tajima who opens fire and tells her not to come forward. Walking up to him, Mami says she understands his feelings because she had also been in the same situation but a crime is a crime, and the past is the past. Committing a crime doesn’t make things right. She puts down the gun which he has pointed at her and handcuffs those hands.

That night, Eriko is with Hiroshi at a pub. She falls prostrate on the counter and sleeps while drinking with him. Hiroshi gently puts his jacket around her. Then the owner of the pub says he hasn’t seen him for a long time. Since he came with his younger brother, Hiroshi replies and the owner asks how his brother has been doing. Hiroshi says they should be coming together next month. Eriko sleeps soundly …

[lilcrash]

Looks like there are lots of good spring Japanese Dramas coming up!!!

Amami Yuki is good~ Love all the dramas that she's in!

:w00t: Awesome that Takenouchi Yutaka & Toda Erika are in this too!

[elizabeth]

funny how she always portray roles of trying to find a perfect husband or someone to love.

Erika Toda is staring in this drama so maybe I'll check it out.

[mikkichan]

WOW! The spring lineup of dramas looks pretty promising....Toda Erika in another drama YAY!! But as a supporting cast again T__T Nooo....Oh well...at least I got to see her in something

[Guest t3n5h1_chu_k015h173]

Ouw Mizobata Junpei....I always like him since Hana Kimi I just bought Akai Ito profile book about him....this is gonna be his new drama definitely I will watch it

[Guest jade_frost]

funny how she always portray roles of trying to find a perfect husband or someone to love.

Erika Toda is staring in this drama so maybe I'll check it out.

Yeah somehow all female characters who are strong successful career women have to be lousy with men. The Jdrama cliche!

Anyway, Takenouchi Yutaka doesn't seem like he'll be playing her love interest. He's a fellow career detective who entered the police force at the same time as she did and understands her well. And unlike the roles that he has usually played, this time his character doesn't sound brooding. He's flippant and the stuff that he says to his female colleagues seems like sexual harrassment.

[azn*gurlie]

YAY!! Another drama of Erika and Junpei. I wonder if they're gonna be together

I like Amami Yuki ever since Queen's classroom. LOL. But it's such a typical Jdrama. What's with all of these career woman trying to find a love one dramas?

[Guest luthien]

Yeah somehow all female characters who are strong successful career women have to be lousy with men. The Jdrama cliche!

Anyway, Takenouchi Yutaka doesn't seem like he'll be playing her love interest. He's a fellow career detective who entered the police force at the same time as she did and understands her well. And unlike the roles that he has usually played, this time his character doesn't sound brooding. He's flippant and the stuff that he says to his female colleagues seems like sexual harrassment.

Thanks for more information, not only here but also in your blog.

It'll be interesting and maybe even funny to see Yutaka in that kind of character. I really can't wait for this drama to come out and it's mainly because of him that got me all excited to see this drama come out. Gosh, so many great actors this coming spring's line-up! Fujiki, Yutaka, MatsuJun, Tsumabuki Satoshi, Abe and even Odagiri!

[mikkichan]

Thanks for more information, not only here but also in your blog.

It'll be interesting and maybe even funny to see Yutaka in that kind of character. I really can't wait for this drama to come out and it's mainly because of him that got me all excited to see this drama come out. Gosh, so many great actors this coming spring's line-up! Fujiki, Yutaka, MatsuJun, Tsumabuki Satoshi, Abe and even Odagiri!

Now that you mention it, all the great actors that haven't been in drama for quite sometimes really do come out in the spring, though Takenouchi Yutaka and Odagiri Joe are the most shocking one to me LOL Not that I'm complaining though :tongue2:

And jade_frost: Oh my! no wonder why your username is awfully familiar but I don't remember where I saw it. Now it finally hits me that you're the owner of the blog that I visit almost like everyday.

[gerryg]

Yeah somehow all female characters who are strong successful career women have to be lousy with men. The Jdrama cliche!

Anyway, Takenouchi Yutaka doesn't seem like he'll be playing her love interest. He's a fellow career detective who entered the police force at the same time as she did and understands her well. And unlike the roles that he has usually played, this time his character doesn't sound brooding. He's flippant and the stuff that he says to his female colleagues seems like sexual harrassment.

I remember watching Yutaka in Long Vaction. He was very flippant in that show. I really enjoyed his flippant moves so I hope he has a lot of them in this show (especially since he was kind of sexy while making his moves in LV!).

[Guest luthien]

Guess who joined the cast of Boss...

Kobayashi Kendo

Dunno much about him, just that he's a comedian.

I'm more excited about this one!

Tamayama Tetsuji :blush:

Seriously, can spring Jdrama line-up get even more hotter than this?

In the news:

NO English translation, anyone care to translate or give a gist? Gist posted below by jade_frost.

お笑い芸人のケンドーコバヤシ（３６）が、４月１６日スタートのフジテレビ系「ＢＯＳＳ」（木曜後１０・０）で、連ドラデビューすることが１５日、分かった。

　主演の天海祐希（４１）扮する“女ボス”、警視庁捜査一課特別犯罪対策室室長の部下で、ゲイ疑惑のある刑事役。その“熱い視線”のターゲットとなるのは、同僚刑事役の玉山鉄二（２８）や、後輩刑事役の溝端淳平（１９）らイケメン俳優たちだ。

最近は、公開中の映画「ヤッターマン」で悪役・トンズラーを好演し、「オールナイトフジ」の復活番組として注目を集める同局系「キャンパスナイトフジ」（４月１０日スタート、金曜深夜１・０５）の司会にも決まるなど、活躍の場を広げているケンコバ。

　初の連ドラに「非常に緊張しています！　役作りのために（ゲイバーが密集する東京・新宿）２丁目に行ってこようと思います」と気合十分。同局の村瀬健プロデューサーは「ケンドーさんは、ゲイの方に最も人気のある芸人さんだそう。今回は玉山さんへの切ない片思いなども、こっそり描いていこうかな」と期待を寄せる。

　ゲイを公言するお笑いタレント、前田健（３７）も実はケンコバファンの１人。ゲイ役で、ケンコバの新たな一面が見られそうだ。

Source: Sanspo

Update from official website:

４月16日（木）スタートの木曜22時枠ドラマ（木曜劇場）、天海祐希さん主演の『BOSS』にケンドーコバヤシさんが出演します。映画では現在公開中の『ヤッターマン』をはじめとして、俳優としての活躍も目立つケンドーさん。その演技力は既に折り紙付きですが、連続ドラマにレギュラー登場するのは意外なことに今回が初めてのこと。

また『天地人』での好演が光る玉山鉄二さんも出演決定。プライベートを重視し、決して熱くなることのないクールなイケメンにしてケンドーさんに“熱い視線”を送られてしまう刑事役を演じます。

ケンドーさんが今回出演することになった『BOSS』はアメリカ帰りの新米女性“BOSS”大澤絵里子（天海祐希）のもとに集まった警察の落ちこぼれ集団が難解な事件に取り組んでいき、やがてはひとつのチームになっていくというストーリー。

ケンドーさんが演じるのは絵里子の部下のひとり、岩井善治役。柔道、剣道の有段者にして各種格闘技にも長けているというマッチョな刑事で、ヤクザやチンピラ相手に最前線で活躍してきましたが、とある事件での暴力が表沙汰になってしまい警察組織のレールから外れてしまった男です。ある意味わかりやすい設定で、ここまではまさにケンドーさんのイメージにピッタリといったところ。だが、岩井は女性をバカにしているところがある上に、堂々と男の尻を触ったりすることが頻繁にあるため、「ゲイではないか？」という噂のある男だったりもします。

同じ部署の同僚刑事役を演じることが今回新たに決定した玉山鉄二さんや後輩刑事役の溝端淳平さんといったイケメンたちは、もちろん？ケンドーさん演じる岩井のターゲットで“熱い視線”で見つめられることに…。

先日行われたリハーサルで、ご本人は緊張していることをアピールしつつ、早速その“熱い視線”を披露し、共演者たちの喝采を浴びたほか、監督らスタッフからも絶賛され、相当の手応えを感じ取ったようす。

source: Boss Offical Website

[Guest achoo]

Wow, what a lineup of casts. Takenouchi Yutaka, Yuki Amani and now Tamayama Tetsuji

[Guest flydolesqueue]

This content has been removed by a moderator.

[Guest hungrycollegeboy]

Yay Toda Erika. I might check this one out if I have time.

[princessjimyung]

Another Erika drama~

Definately watching.

I definately like the cast.

The plot sounds okay, but I'm mainly watching for Erika Toda and Junpei.

[Guest jade_frost]

Hmm, Amami Yuki reunited with Tamayama in another drama after Rikon Bengoshi ... I don't know how this drama will go. It sounds very cliche. There's only so much that a stellar cast can do with a lousy script.

Anyway, Kobayashi Kendo and Tamayama Tetsuji will both be police detectives who are subordinates to Amami Yuki's character. Kobayashi's character supposedly has suspected gay tendencies and his unfortunate targets are Tamayama and Mizobata Junpei.

[Guest luthien]

^^ I'll try to stay positive and hope that the screenwriter will bring something fresh regardless of the cliched theme.

Thanks for the gist! Wouldn't that be hilarious? I'd love to see Tamayama and Mizobata getting harrassed by him. If only Yutaka's character wasn't flippant, he might fall as a victim to KObayashi's character as well?

[Guest jade_frost]

^^ I'll try to stay positive and hope that the screenwriter will bring something fresh regardless of the cliched theme.

Thanks for the gist! Wouldn't that be hilarious? I'd love to see Tamayama and Mizobata getting harrassed by him. If only Yutaka's character wasn't flippant, he might fall as a victim to KObayashi's character as well?

I think Yutaka's character would be too much of a handful for Kobayashi's to handle I guess the only thing positive to look forward to is the move away from Yutaka's typical reticent, man of few words demeanour.

[Guest jade_frost]

And jade_frost: Oh my! no wonder why your username is awfully familiar but I don't remember where I saw it. Now it finally hits me that you're the owner of the blog that I visit almost like everyday.

Haha. Thank you for visiting

There isn't much information released on the official site but the Japanese forums have some updates.

Characters

Amami Yuki as Osawa Eriko ... 40 (or could be Ozawa Eriko)

Head of the MPD First Investigative Division’s Special Crimes Unit. She studied abroad in the US and has acquired many investigative techniques.

Takenouchi Yutaka as Nodate Nobujiro ... 40

A career bureaucrat in the MPD. He has a wild appearance despite being an elite official and he also makes comments verging on sexual harassment towards females.

Toda Erika as Kimoto Mami ... 24

Eriko's subordinate whose background is in forensic science. She's a specialist in information gathering and information

Mizobata Junpei as Hanagata Ippei ... 23

Eriko's subordinate and driver. He's a non-career detective and has a strong sense of justice. He vexes Eriko because he is the type who goes round in circles but gets nowhere.

[Guest jade_frost]

Luthien, here's the information on the profiles of the scriptwriter and producer. I'm taking heart in the work that the scriptwriter has done so far since I liked most of it and Hagetaka was a brilliant production.

Scriptwriter: Hayashi Koji

- Emergency Room 24 Hrs II

- Big Money

- Rikon Bengoshi

- Rikon Bengoshi II

- Iryu

- Iryu II

- Hagetaka

- Code Blue

Producer: Murase Ken

- Aijou Ippon

- Ai no Uta

- 14-sai no Haha

- Bambino

- Taiyo to Umi no Kyoumini coopersu