This is a work of fiction. The characters, organizations, and names herein are fictitious, and bear no relation to existing entities.
Ikebukuro is the greatest.
It's a big town in the northwest part of downtown Tokyo.
At the foot of the huge office buildings and department stores,
throngs of people live peacefully here today.
Right on schedule!
We're just reaching the overpass!
"Ikebukuro West Gate"
That damn junkie!
Everyone's polite and follows the rules.
Move it!
I'll kill you!
Everyone on the street wears a happy smile.
C'mon, move!
There he is!
We found him!
G...
G-Boys!
King!
He's here!
Die!
That's our King!
Kick-ass!
Good job, Makoto.
You always steal the best part.
Takashi.
A town that's nice to everyone.
Ikebukuro is all about love and peace.
That's right, Ikebukuro is the greatest!
"Ikebukuro West Gate Park"
"Majima Produce"
Is there some trouble again, Takashi?
You know that junkie we chased down the other day?
It's related to that.
Is that a new fashion trend?
Hi there, Takashi- kun .
Greetings, Ritsuko- san .
Oh, no.
You're a girl, so you've got to keep that face of yours clean.
A girl?
Does she look like anything else?
There we go, all clean.
Makoto. Don't you have something important to discuss with Takashi- kun ?
I'll mind the shop, so you go look after this girl.
Don't call the shots, Mom.
What's your name?
Mion Kurashina.
How old are you?
Twelve. What're you going to do with me?
Nanao Ramen
Thanks for your patience!
An order of miso ramen!
For Makoto- san , the usual.
A deluxe fruit ramen!
That's what I'm talkin' about!
Only Makoto would be happy to order such a thing.
King, thanks for your patience.
A Rossini, of beef filet and foie gras.
This is a ramen place?
Huh?
Yeah, some former G-Boys run it.
What are the G-Boys?!
For that matter, what's the deal with you guys?!
Explain it to me, already!
You don't know the G-Boys? You're not an Ikebukuro kid.
The G-Boys are a group of bad kids who all hang out in Ikebukuro.
Takashi Andou here is known as "King," and he runs them.
You could say he's the head hooligan.
And that guy over there is Hiroto, his #2.
You said your name's Mion? What happened?
We're not your enemies or anything. What would you like me to do?
Mom is...
My mom is...!
The G-Boys discovered Mion trying to set fire to North Gate Smoke Tower.
As you know, what's commonly referred to as Smoke Tower
is a tall, slender building right next to Ikebukuro Station.
Inside are shops that deal in drugs.
Lately, people who've bought said drugs have been causing trouble here and there.
The one who went berserk in front of the station was on something he bought there.
Mion says her mother was hospitalized after getting hit by some junkie's car.
The perp is on probation.
He's broke, so there isn't much chance of collecting compensation.
Buildings like that should be burned to the ground!
Even if you guys try to stop me, I'm gonna go light it on fire again!
Hey, where's your father?
I don't have one. It's just me and Mom.
She works late into the night every day to raise me...
Even on Sundays and holidays...
But despite that...
You, too, live alone with your mother.
You know how she feels, don't you?
Makoto.
This is an official request from me.
Drive North Gate Smoke Tower out of this town.
It doesn't matter if it's legal or not.
Drugs are the enemy of the G-Boys.
You never can say no to a kid's tears.
More often than you can.
So, what to do next?
Are you with the G-Boys, too?
I'm just a fruit vendor.
And I'm just Takashi's pal, from way back.
For an issue like this...
Yeah, I'd guess it's best to talk to him.
Him, who?
Are you really the Ikebukuro police chief?
It's true. And I've known Makoto since he was a child.
He knows a lot about Ikebukuro, so I often have him help me with cases.
Reiichirou Yokoyama. I call him "Big Rei."
He's a UTokyo grad who knows everything, so I can rely on him at times like this.
Mion- chan , was it? You can order anything you like.
Th-Thank you.
Now, down to business.
After all, we've got to get Mion- chan home before it gets very late.
There've been signs lately that another new type of dangerous drug is trending.
See this, for instance.
A narcotic synthesized from about 3g of a dried plant is sprayed in here,
but it looks like it's simply being sold for its pleasant scent.
Taking it affects the brain, bringing on a temporary high.
In some cases, it can cause seizures, elevated heart rate,
breathing difficulties, lowered blood pressure, or brain injury.
The brain cells just collapse and dissolve.
Can't you just ban it with a law?
In order to ban it, we have to confirm it's an illegal substance.
Therein lies the difficulty.
Dealers add large quantities of masking agents like vitamin E,
and they mix in other chemicals before they ship it.
Analysis alone takes several months, in some cases.
Even so, regulations have still come a long way, and there are less shops.
But at the same time,
they keep coming up with new drugs that exploit legal loopholes,
and they get cleverer about how they sell.
It truly is a game of cat and mouse.
So, even the police can't touch these guys.
Sounds pretty tough.
You're not giving up, are you?!
Well...
I might as well go have a look at their HQ.
They brazenly set up shop these days.
I don't think you'll find any hard evidence if you just waltz in.
These guys are pushers. There's got to be some weak spot we can use.
Besides, if I don't get revenge for her mom, there's no telling what she'll do.
I'll figure something out.
And I'll do it my way.
I actually feel sorry for those guys, now that you're on the job.
However...
There are often dangerous organizations hiding behind drugs.
Be sure not to do anything risky.
All right. I'll be careful.
Okay, listen.
Go home, already!
Didn't Big Rei say not to do anything risky?!
No! I'm gonna get a look at what kind of guys hurt my mom!
I'm going, too, no matter what!
"Aroma candles"
Is this the new one?
Yeah, we only just got it.
It costs 10,000 in other shops.
They seem kind of ordinary.
Not knowing how bad drugs are doesn't automatically make someone a fiend.
It's not just them here.
This building has plenty of shops that have nothing to do with drugs.
Mion, you tried to burn all those people to death, too.
Hi, folks, are you looking for something?
Hey, children aren't allowed in here!
Not the high-grade herbs!
Run for it!
Catch them! We'll get them to pay for it!
There was no need to up and throw a bottle!
But I was startled!
Stop!
Don't look back!
Emergency Exit
This way!
Hey!
We're jumping! Follow me!
Huh?!
Okay, now you!
They went up!
Shit!
Looks like he's not chasing us anymore!
Don't get careless!
There's a building up ahead we can enter from the roof!
We'll hide in there!
Weren't we not going to do anything risky?!
That's why I picked a route that'd be easy even for you!
Quit complaining!
That was a close call...
It was bad news, huh?
Yeah. But they didn't find out who we are or what we were doing, so we're okay.
They probably think we're just nutty customers.
It's been a while, Makoto.
Yoshioka...
Someone else you know?
Episode 1
So, you're a policeman, too, Yoshioka- san .
Yeah, I've known Makoto since he was a kid.
I know pretty much all the bad stuff he's done.
Like what?
Let's see.
When he was about your age, and in protective custody at the police station,
we caught him and his pals trying to peep into the ladies' changing room.
You don't have to bring that up!
God! This is why I don't wanna see you!
Anyway, now he's a hardworking young man.
It's a shame, what happened to your mom.
I've been wanting to do something about that shop for a while, too.
That's why I come check in like this, once in a while.
There are things we can do, even if the police can't touch them.
If you know anything, could you tell me?
Don't be dumb. How can a cop give an outsider investigation info?
Ohkoshi.
That's the name of Smoke Tower's owner.
That's all I can tell you.
Thank you, Detective!
Makoto!
"No smoking"
I found him.
He's the most likely hit, from underground websites and old drug-related news.
"The owner of Ikebukuro North Gate Smoke Tower, the herbal world's new..."
That's him!
This is Ohkoshi. Seems he's famous in the medicinal world.
Also, I hacked into a Smoke Tower computer and stole some sales data.
He's a master hacker, and he can access just about any info.
His name's Zero-One. Remember that.
Sales are down only on Wednesday of each week.
He might be closing early to check his merch or hold a meeting.
In other words, on Wednesdays, Ohkoshi...
...comes to the shop, probably.
If he's into meds so much he runs a shop,
I bet he's personally involved with illegal drugs, too.
He must be obtaining them through some channel.
If we pin down where it happens, we can tip off the police.
Nanao
We tailed Ohkoshi for several days.
He also has other shops, and he goes around to a different one each day.
Every other day, he drops by an old apartment before going home.
Maybe there's something at that apartment?
On the days Ohkoshi doesn't go,
the Smoke Tower clerk stops by after the shop closes.
We got the lock code from some security camera footage.
From here on, it gets too dangerous.
You wait here.
Be careful, Makoto.
You stay here, too.
Fewer people will stand out less.
This is...
An illegal drug factory, probably. I'd say.
I hear they call setups like this "homegrown."
Ohkoshi was personally cultivating and producing
both natural products and dangerous drugs.
Illegally, of course.
Yeah.
We've got him now.
You're in the G-Boys, too, right?
Yeah.
Are you close with Makoto?
Not really. He's just somebody King knows. He's not one of us.
Oh, okay.
What's wrong?
That's the guy from Smoke Tower!
What?! He's here early!
Hey! What're you gonna do?!
Ow!
What's the big idea?!
Ya little shit!
There! Gotcha!
Makoto!
You okay, Mion?!
Makoto!
Today you stole the best part?
After that, we moved quickly.
They knew my face now, so some G-Boys went to Smoke Tower and posed as customers.
They hid some drugs we took from the apartment on a shelf.
At the same time, Zero-One sent an anonymous tip email to the police.
After receiving that, Yoshioka and his men searched the shop.
Ohkoshi and his pal were arrested.
The shop was shut down.
North Gate Smoke Tower vanished from Ikebukuro.
That job's over.
What's up
A world where guys with plans are the first to fade away
The thought hit me after being out all night
A gulf forms with the respectable types
Makoto!
The MIC you nervously gripped
Look! Mom's out of the hospital!
Leave it behind on the stage
I'm Mion's mother. I understand you really looked after her.
Unable to trust in the next move
You get down off the stage of dreams
Aw, I hardly did a thing.
Fade away from the bustle of the scene
I haven't told her any of the details.
Do you know what becomes of him after that?
You keep quiet, too.
In fact, are you even prepared to know?
Sure, it's a secret.
Now that we're involved, I want to watch you take off
Between a couple of kids.
I guess grown-ups are pretty cool after all!
From the runway you chose
If we happen to meet again today or tomorrow
I don't know my dad, so I think it'd be great to have someone like you for a dad.
Somewhere on this Earth
Huh?
Let's have fun freestyling
Like we did that time
What's up
After the live show
In a train window
A brother's face, I find
There's something that bothers me.
Comes suddenly to mind
Right now, I don't feel like lookin' back on the past
Big Rei was saying how drug shops like that
But no way in hell am I forgettin' it
have dangerous organizations backing them.
After the live show
Those guys haven't been rounded up yet.
In a train window
A brother's face, I find
There's probably no need to worry about them getting even.
Comes suddenly to mind
Right now, I don't feel like lookin' back on the past
They don't know who we are.
But no way in hell am I forgettin' it
Yeah, it's just... that bouncer at the shop had a Kansai accent.