Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens Season 1 Episode 7 Leadoff Hitter
- TV-MA
- February 23, 2018
- 23 min
The Japanese anime series Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens follows a group of professional killers in the city of Fukuoka who take on dangerous assassination jobs for various clients while trying to uncover a larger conspiracy.
In season 1 episode 7, titled "Leadoff Hitter," the team is tasked with assassinating a baseball player who has ties to a drug trafficking ring. The player, named Kosaka, is in town for a game and the team must navigate through the crowds and security measures at the stadium to get close to him.
As they plan their approach, viewers get a glimpse into the backstories of two of the team members. The first is Saito, a former police officer who left the force after he was unable to solve a case involving the death of a young girl. The memory still haunts him and he becomes emotional when he sees a similar victim in the news. The second backstory belongs to Jiro, a transgender woman who was disowned by her family after coming out. She explains to her roommate that she took on the assassination job to help pay for her medical bills and surgery expenses.
Meanwhile, the rest of the team begins to move in on Kosaka. Lin, the team's leader, disguises himself as a baseball player and tries to approach Kosaka on the field. However, he is intercepted by Kosaka's bodyguard. Elsewhere, Banba sets up a sniper rifle on a nearby rooftop but is thwarted by another sniper who's been hired to protect Kosaka.
As the team regroups to come up with a new plan, they realize that they are being watched by a mysterious figure in a red suit. The figure seems to have connections to the larger conspiracy that the team has been trying to unravel.
As the episode builds to its conclusion, the team manages to get Kosaka alone in a restroom and prepares to take him out. However, they are ambushed by the bodyguard and the sniper. In a tense standoff, it's revealed that the bodyguard is actually a member of the yakuza who has been protecting Kosaka in exchange for a cut of the drug profits. He agrees to let the team take Kosaka out as long as they give him a share of the assassination fee.
In the end, the team completes their mission and makes their escape, but not before the mysterious figure in the red suit appears once more and reveals a shocking connection to one of the team members.
Overall, "Leadoff Hitter" is a suspenseful and action-packed episode that delves deeper into the personal lives and motivations of the team members while advancing the larger plot of the series. Fans of the show will not be disappointed.