The appeal and reputation of "Master Keaton": A detailed explanation of his exploits as a detective and archaeologist

"Master Keaton": A masterpiece animated film depicting the double life of a detective and an archaeologist

"Master Keaton" is an anime based on the original work by Urasawa Naoki, Katsushika Hokusei, and Nagasaki Hisashi, and was broadcast on Nippon Television Network from 1998 to 1999. The original work is a long story consisting of 144 episodes, and a part of it was made into a 24-episode film with self-contained parts. Furthermore, 15 new episodes were produced for the video version, making the total 39 episodes. Set against the backdrop of the social situation around the time of the end of the Cold War, this work depicts the protagonist Hiraga (Keaton) Taichi as he takes on various cases as an insurance investigator for Lloyd's.

story

Taichi Hiraga-Keaton is an archaeologist who graduated from Oxford University and a former SAS survival instructor. He has experience as a non-commissioned officer in the Falklands War and the Iranian Embassy hostage crisis in the UK, and is a man with a wide range of skills. His father is a Japanese zoologist and his mother is the daughter of a prestigious British family. He married a Japanese woman during his university days and had a daughter, but is now divorced. Taichi wants to focus on his archaeological research, but works as an insurance investigator for Lloyd's to raise funds for excavations. As a result, he receives various requests that make use of his past experience, and he faces many dangerous situations.

The story depicts the social situation around the end of the Cold War, archaeology, and the drama of the people surrounding Taichi, with a different incident unfolding in each episode. The highlights of the show are Taichi's reasoning and actions, which make full use of his knowledge and experience, and the storytelling is captivating to the viewer.

character

The main character, Hiraga Keaton Taichi, is voiced by Inoue Michihiro, and his childhood role is played by Miyata Yuki. Taichi is half Japanese and half British, and an elite with British nationality. After graduating from public school, he went on to Oxford University, and is currently working as an investigator for Lloyd's Insurance Association while looking for work as an archaeologist. His diverse skills and knowledge are at the heart of the story, and he solves various cases.

Taichi's father, Taihei Hiraga, is voiced by Ichiro Nagai and portrayed as a zoologist. He was married to Patricia and had a son, Taichi, but is now divorced. Taihei has a chow-chow mixed breed dog named Tasuke and leads a free-spirited life, often flirting with young women, but sometimes helping Taichi out.

Taichi's daughter, Yuriko Hiraga, is voiced by Houko Kuwashima. She is a middle school student when she first appears, and becomes a high school student as the story progresses. She is a smart girl who inherits the strong will of her mother and the steadfastness of her father, and supports Taichi's actions.

Tasuke is a mixed breed dog that Taihei keeps. He is a stray dog ​​with a scar on his forehead. According to Taihei, he has an "extraordinarily good sense of smell and hearing," and he helps solve the case.

Charlie Chapman is Taichi's childhood friend, voiced by Masashi Sugawara. He is a famous Italian detective who considers Taichi his rival. His motto is to solve cases quickly, and although he is sometimes annoyed by Taichi's reasoning, he respects Taichi's courage.

Daniel O'Connell is Taichi's partner in the detective agency, voiced by Shinpachi Tsuji. He is Taichi's sarcastic and joking partner, but also has a soft spot for women.

Yuri Scott is a professor of archaeology at Oxford University, voiced by Katsuyuki Hori. He is Taichi's teacher and a man of great character who left behind many sayings. He is nicknamed "Iron Testicles" because he continued to lecture during the German air force's bombing of London.

Production Staff

The director is Kojima Masayuki, the series composition is Urahata Tatsuhiko, the character design and general animation director is Kosaka Kitaro. The art director is Ikeda Yuji, the cinematographer is Shirai Hisao, the music is Hiijima Kuniaki, and the sound director is Honda Yasunori. The animation producer is Yoshimoto Satoshi, and the producers are Yamashita Hiroshi, Oshima Mitsuru, Tamura Manabu, and Maruyama Masao. The animation is produced by Madhouse, the planning and production is by Nippon Television, and the production and writing is by Shogakukan and VAP.

Broadcast information

"Master Keaton" was broadcast on the Nippon Television Network from October 5, 1998 to March 29, 1999. It aired every Monday at midnight at 12:50am, with each episode lasting 30 minutes and consisting of 39 episodes. Broadcasting stations included Nippon Television, Sapporo Television, Miyagi Television, Television Kanazawa, Nagasaki International Television, and Kumamoto Prefectural Television, with broadcast periods and times varying by region. It was also rebroadcast on Kids Station, BS Nippon Television, Channel NECO, NHK BS2, and other stations.

Theme songs and music

The opening theme is "Railtown" and was composed by Kuniaki Haijima. The ending themes are "eternal wind" (lyrics by JUN, music by SAKI, sung by Blüe) from episodes 1 to 13, "Tameiki" (lyrics, music, and sung by Kneuklid Romance) from episodes 14 to 26, and "from beginning" (music by Kuniaki Haijima) from episodes 27 to 39. In the rebroadcast version, "The Relationship Between the Moon, You, and Me" (lyrics, music, and sung by Kneuklid Romance) from episodes 1 to 13, and "EVER" (sung by Blüe) from episodes 14 to 24.

episode

"Master Keaton" consists of 39 episodes, including 24 episodes based on parts of the original work and 15 episodes added when it was made into a video. Each episode is self-contained and depicts Taichi taking on various cases. The subtitles of the episodes are listed below.

• CHAPTER:1 The Man in the Labyrinth
• CHAPTER:2 Little Giant
• CHAPTER 3: The Lazarus Tale
• CHAPTER:4 The Immortal Man
• CHAPTER:5 Paris Under the Roof
• CHAPTER:6 White Goddess
• CHAPTER:7 Faraway Summer Pudding
• CHAPTER:8 Rules for Negotiators
• CHAPTER:9 Journey with the Lady
• CHAPTER:10 Charlie
• CHAPTER:11 Special Menu
• CHAPTER:12 The Women's Incident
• CHAPTER:13 A Gentle Death
• CHAPTER:14 Walls of the Heart
• CHAPTER:15 Long, Thick Days
• CHAPTER:16 The Eternal Elm
• CHAPTER:17 Rose House
• CHAPTER:18 Faker's Miscalculation
• CHAPTER:19 To the Sky...
• CHAPTER:20 Coward's Island
• CHAPTER:21 Thistle Emblem
• CHAPTER:22 Chateau Lajonche 1944
• CHAPTER:23 No Exit
• CHAPTER:24 Op's Birth Day

Additional episodes on video:

• CHAPTER:25 Karliman of the Desert
• CHAPTER:26 Family
• CHAPTER:27 Red Wind
• CHAPTER:28 Message from Alexeiev
• CHAPTER:29 Forbidden Fruit
• CHAPTER:30 Highlands in the Eyes
• CHAPTER:31 The Key to Smell
• CHAPTER:32 Back Streets
• CHAPTER:33 Angel-like Devil
• CHAPTER:34 Agate-colored time
• CHAPTER:35 May Love
• CHAPTER:36 Blue Friday
• CHAPTER:37 Interview Day
• CHAPTER:38 Season of the Hunter Part 1
• CHAPTER:39 Season of the Hunter Part 2

Ratings and Recommendations

"Master Keaton" depicts the exploits of the main character, Hiraga Keaton Taichi, who leads a double life as a detective and an archaeologist, and each episode features a different case, so viewers will not get bored. The highlights of the show are Taichi's reasoning and actions, which make full use of his knowledge and experience, and the storytelling, which is set against the backdrop of the social situation around the end of the Cold War, is also appealing. The characters are also very unique, and the drama surrounding Taichi's family and friends is particularly well-drawn.

This work is recommended for people who like detective stories and mysteries, people who are interested in history and archaeology, and people who want to enjoy human drama. It is widely supported not only by fans of the original work but also by anime fans, and its popularity can be seen from the fact that it has been rebroadcast and made into a video. Please watch it at least once and enjoy Taichi's adventure and growth.