Ikebukuro West Gate Park, which became famous as a TV drama series, is based on a short story written by Ishida Ira and won the 36th All Yomimono Mystery Novel Newcomer Award. This work, which has been developed in many ways including novels, TV dramas, comics, and stage plays, deals with various social issues and is characterized by many stories that refer to actual events. It has also been decided that it will be made into an anime in July 2020, and IWGP will once again attract attention. This time, I would like to introduce the final episode of the TV drama, "The Battle of the Warriors." The screenplay for the TV drama version was written by Kudo Kankuro, and the chief director was Tsutsumi Yukihiko. Please be careful if you are planning to watch it as it contains spoilers. Who killed Rika and Shun? What is the outcome of the conflict between the G Boys and the Black Angels? What will happen to Hikaru? Finally, everything will be revealed. Let's go!
Friday, June 23rd - Tomobiki
The final episode, Episode 11 "Shi no Kai" - The Longest Day In Ikebukuro 6/23, is an episode packed with the events of a single day.
The truth of the incidents up until now was revealed on this day, and the conflict between the G Boys and the Black Angels came to an end, making it an unforgettable day for anyone connected to Ikebukuro.
Another Hikaru
The video starts with Makoto holed up in his house. In the video, Hikaru makes a bombshell statement right from the start: "I killed Rika. I'm going to do what makes Hikaru the most sad..."!
No wonder you want to hole yourself up in the bathroom. In "The Battle of the Jitte" (episode 10), Makoto is taken to his house by Hikaru, who is waiting for him, and hears the whole truth from Hikaru, who records it on video.
The other Hikaru calls herself "White". Unlike Hikaru, she has a calm and ruthless personality. She says that she takes responsibility for everything that Hikaru doesn't like. In order to show Hikaru the truth, White has Makoto record a video and tells the truth. White's goal is to make Rika suffer. He couldn't forgive Hikaru for pushing all the things she doesn't like onto him and living a leisurely life in a large room. He claims that he has the right to make Hikaru suffer.
The Truth Behind Rika's Murder
Hikaru met Yamai on the day Makoto and Rika escaped together. Yamai said he would do anything for Hikaru, so White plans to use this to make Hikaru suffer.
White, who had never had a good impression of Rika, asked Yamai to "scare Rika to death." Yamai killed Rika, pretending to be a strangler, and then disappeared from Ikebukuro for a while.
So that's why Yamai told Hikaru that he was leaving Ikebukuro for a while.
And why he ordered Shun to stab Kana...
When Masa was mugged by some high school girls, Hikaru was the first to realize the truth and confronted them with Shun. At this point, Hikaru changed his attitude and was seen by Shun beating up the girls.
Thinking that he would be exposed, White and Yamai threatened Shun and ordered him to stab Kana. Shun was forced to stab Kana, using his girlfriend Kaoru as a shield. When he stabbed her, he said "I'm sorry" and the wound was shallow, so it makes sense that he had no intention of killing her.
And finally, even Shun...
After stabbing Kana, Shun hangs out less with Makoto and the others, doesn't contact her, stays at home, and is clearly acting strange.
White wonders if Shun will tell the police about him and Yamai, so this time he asks Yamai to kill Shun. With the backing of Hasunuma of the Kyogoku-kai and thinking that Yokoyama can't do anything, Yamai no longer hesitates to kill people.
He kills Shun, making it look like the Black Angels' work, and creates an excuse for the G-Boys to get involved.
What's Worth Hikaru's Biggest Problem
At the end of the video, he says, "Now I'm going to do the thing that will make Hikaru the saddest," and attacks Makoto with an ice pick.
Hikaru will never recover from killing Makoto, who he loves so much. However, Makoto hits White with the video he had, and the video ends there.
Makoto escapes reality
After learning the truth, Makoto has been unable to leave the toilet in his house. In front of the toilet, his mother, Masa, Saru, Kazunori, Chiaki and other friends who have been helped by Makoto so far have come to encourage him.
The words of encouragement from everyone except Masa and Saru are too unique (lol) No matter how much his friends encourage him, Makoto won't come out, but then Yoshioka comes and says something!
"Makoto! Mitsuko Shibusawa has been arrested!"
Hearing this, Makoto leaves the toilet and runs to Ikebukuro Nishi Police Station.
Hikaru is speechless after learning the truth
Hikaru is called by Yamai and asked what he should do. Hikaru, who knows nothing, is confused and starts crying, but as soon as Makoto comes in, he changes his attitude, dismisses Yamai as useless, and loses consciousness.
To explain everything to Yokoyama who sees this, Makoto, Hikaru, and Yokoyama go to another room and decide to watch the video. Hikaru is shocked and speechless when he finds out that he is a person with multiple personalities and that he was the mastermind behind the murders of Rika and Shun.
Yokoyama removes the handcuffs in response to Makoto's heartfelt request to "remove the handcuffs." Yokoyama probably has no words to express his feelings for Hikaru.
"Hikaru, I'm exhausted and can only say obvious things, but do your best!" is a typical Makoto line that conveys his feelings for Hikaru.
You can't fight on an empty stomach!
After the incident with Hikaru, Makoto returned home and ate yakisoba. "This is no time to be leisurely eating fried noodles!" Makoto's mother urges him to hurry up and fight, to which he replies, "You can't fight when you're hungry!".
"This may be the last time I eat this old hag's fried noodles, so let me eat them slowly!" he adds. These lines seem to express Makoto's feelings for his mother and his determination to settle things.
Having made a power fried noodles with three fried eggs, Ritsuko falls asleep on Makoto's lap. Normally she would yell, "What are you doing, old hag!" but she remains silent...
Though she doesn't show it in her attitude, this may be a unique example of filial piety for Makoto, who loves his mother very much.
The Final Battle! G-Boys VS Black Angels
The two, impatient with Makoto's arrival, have already begun fighting. Makoto finally arrives and apologizes, telling Takashi to take charge from here on out, but he is dismissed by Takashi.
He doesn't want to stop the fight, but he yells for Takashi to listen to him, but Yokoyama steps in, saying, "Don't stick your neck out!" Yokoyama urges Takashi and Kyoichi to "reunite quickly," but Makoto asks for a little time.
However, Yokoyama is adamant that "I don't need time for these guys!", and Makoto reveals that Yokoyama and Kyogoku-kai are connected, that the Black Angels are backed by Kyogoku-kai, and that they were trying to destroy the G-Boys.
Young men used by the yakuza and the police
Kyoichi learns that Yamai is a subordinate of the Kyogoku-kai and was used by Yamai and Yokoyama. When someone says that the Hazawa-gumi is also backing the G-Boys, Hidaka, the young leader of the Hazawa-gumi, appears and says, "We have nothing to do with it!"
Hidaka confirms with Hasunuma that it was Kyogoku-kai that spread the rumor. Saru holds down one of the Black Angels who is carrying a gun, and the Yakuza disband thanks to the Hazawa-gumi.
The truth of the incident finally comes to light
It turns out that the fight was staged, but Takashi tries to restart it. Shun and Mitsuru were killed, so there's no way it can be resolved by talking now. Everyone is in a murderous mood, and it seems like nothing can be done to stop it.
Makoto says that the deaths of Shun, Mitsuru, and Rika are all his fault, and confesses that Yamai and Hikaru are the culprits.
Everyone is frozen and speechless at the unexpected truth.
Takashi's Beliefs
While Makoto says there is no reason to fight, Takashi tries to restart the fight for the simple reason that there is no reason to fight in the first place, and he hits Yoshioka because he wants to hit him. Kyoichi agrees and gets ready for battle.
The riot police try to stop them, but Yokoyama stops them and hands Yoshioka his resignation letter, saying, "It hasn't been 10 minutes yet." Yokoyama is so cool at this time.
Makoto says, "This is annoying!" and attacks everyone, regardless of friend or foe, and starts raging, saying that if there is no reason, he should hit him too. "You can start when your hands touch the ground, but until then just stay quiet and watch!" Takashi says, and starts punching Makoto.
No matter how hard he punches Makoto, he doesn't go down. It becomes unbearable to watch, and the others start to back away. Kyoichi, unable to bear watching, tells him to stop, but Takashi continues punching him, crying, saying, "If you're not going to quit that easily, then don't come charging at me like that!" Takashi, who cared about his comrades and led the G Boys with conviction, avoided the conflict until the very last moment. However, as a leader, he had to settle for this conflict that began with Shun's murder.
It's a tear-jerking scene that shows clearly that he doesn't call himself King half-heartedly.
The end of the battle, Takashi's end
Takashi, with both of Makoto's hands on the ground, had completely lost his will to fight. Seeing the fierce exchange between Makoto and Takashi, no one around could move and no longer wanted to fight.
Takashi, who disbanded the G Boys with King's final command, made his friends throw away their weapons. Seeing this, Kyoichi also threw away his weapons, and the Black Angels also threw away their weapons.
At the end, Takashi straddles Makoto, kisses him, and says, "No matter what you say, Mako-chan is the most troublesome!", as if to bring the fight to an end, but then a girl appears.
The girl whose brother was killed by the G-Boys runs towards him with a knife. Takashi accepts the girl, knife included, and closes his eyes, saying that when he dies he will leave Ikebukuro to Makoto.
As Makoto holds Takashi in his arms, Yokoyama hands him a note that reads, "Hikaru has jumped off." Makoto runs to Hikaru with his battered body, and the fight comes to an end.
One year has passed since then...
A statue of Takashi was erected in Ikebukuro West Exit Park, and G Boys was functioning as a company. The members were dressed in respectable adult attire, such as work clothes and suits, and were no longer all yellow.
Kana was working as a nursery school teacher, and Makoto was still earning pocket money by playing bowling. Yokoyama, who was at the bowling alley, had quit his job as a detective and was running a detective agency. He made Makoto's business card without permission, so he must like Makoto after all. It's nice that he's gotten better at bowling, which seems like an afterthought. Hikaru survived and is receiving counseling at a sanatorium, and he has a kokeshi doll that reminds him of Makoto. Next to him is a cardboard box full of fruit, which we can tell Makoto sent. I sincerely hope that he gets better soon and finds happiness with Makoto.
Two gals try to pick up Makoto, who is alone at Ikebukuro West Exit Park, but he has no money. The cut, which reminds us of the first scene of the first episode, Strawberry, makes us sad that it's the final episode.
At the end, he gets an autograph from Mayo Kawasaki and concludes with "IWGP is the best!!"
The truth of the incident is finally revealed? ! Summary of the final episode of the TV drama (including spoilers)
What did you think?
The final episode was about the events of just one day, but it was packed with content.
There were a lot of gags and comedy elements in the beginning, but from the middle to the end, there were more serious scenes.
However, the IWGP ends on a bright note, which is great! Be sure to check out the original work and the anime!
