The appeal and reviews of Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens: A thorough explanation of the recommended points

The charm and depth of Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

novel

■ Broadcast period

January 12, 2018 - March 30, 2018
From 22:30

■Broadcasting station

AT-X, TOKYO MX

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 12

■Original Story

Chiaki Kizaki

■ Director

Kenji Yasuda

■ Production

・Animation production: Satelight

■Works

©2017 Chiaki Kizaki / KADOKAWA ASCII Media Works / Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens

■ Story

"There is someone you really want to kill. How do you kill someone?"

Fukuoka may seem like a peaceful city at first glance, but crime is rampant behind the scenes. It is now a battleground for the assassin business, and there is even an urban legend that there is a hitman who specializes in assassins. Hitmen, detectives, revengers, informants, torturers, etc. - when the stories of men in the underworld are woven, "hitman killer" appears.

■Cast

・Baba Zenji/Ono Daisuke/Hayashi Noriaki/Kaji Yuki/Saito/Kobayashi Yusuke/Enokida/Ono Kensho/Jiro/Namikawa Daisuke/Misaki/Yuki Aoi/Jose Martinez/Maeno Tomoaki/Yamato/Matsuoka Yoshitsugu/Saeki/Hirakawa Daisuke/Shigematsu/Hamada Kenji/Gouda Genzo/Hirota Yukio/Saruwatari Shunsuke/Nakamura Yuichi/Nitta Kyoya/Matsukaze Masaya

■ Main staff

・Original work: Chiaki Kizaki (Published by Media Works Bunko)
・Character design: Hako Isshiki ・Director: Kenji Yasuda ・Series composition: Shogo Yasukawa ・Character design: Hideki Inoue ・Sound director: Yoshikazu Iwanami ・Music: Kotaro Nakagawa ・Animation production: Satelight

■ Main Characters

・Baba Zenji A detective who runs the "Baba Detective Agency" in Hakata. Born and raised in Hakata, he is a Kyushu man. He likes tonkotsu ramen, mentaiko, and baseball. He always has a hunched back.
・Norimichi Hayashi A hitman employed by the new mafia "Kakyu-kai". He has been training to kill since he was nine years old. He dresses as a woman when he works. His specialty is knives.
Saito is a new employee at the murder contracting company "Murder Inc.". Six months after joining the company, he was demoted from the Tokyo headquarters to the Fukuoka branch and came to Hakata.
・Enokida Informant. He used to be a member of an overseas hacker group. He is known for his platinum mushroom head and flashy clothes. His base is an internet cafe in Fukuoka City.
Jiro, the Revenger. He used to be a hairdresser, but after his girlfriend was killed by a hitman, he changed his career. Contrary to his appearance, he is a transvestite. He works with his assistant Misaki (an elementary school girl).
Misaki is an elementary school student and an assistant to the Revenge Shop. She has been with Jiro ever since he took her in due to a past incident.
Former ace of the murder contracting company "Murder Inc." A dangerous man with a thirst for blood. He regards Baba as an enemy.
Jose Martinez is from the Dominican Republic. He is a chiropractor on the surface, but his real job is as a torturer who can either kill or save people. He is gay.
・A popular host at Yamato Host Club "Adam." He's a bit of a playboy, but his pickpocketing skills are top-notch.
・Director of Saeki Cosmetic Surgery Clinic. A dark cleaner with advanced surgical skills who handles and procures corpses.
A veteran detective who is familiar with the underworld and is on friendly terms with Baba Shigematsu and others. He often deals with cases that cannot be judged by law.
Genzo Gouda: The owner of "Genchan", Baba's favorite food stall in Nakasu.
Nitta Kyoya is a skilled consultant who employs a popular assassin. In high school, he was a battery partner with Saruwatari.
・Chegaru A member of the multinational mafia and an agent stationed overseas. The leader who brings together Shiva and Irazawa ・Shiva A hacker with the world's best cracking skills who cooperates with a cyber terrorist organization ・Irazawa A former boxer turned assassin who gets pleasure from punching people ・An assassin from the Scarlet Wolf Continent. He has a deep connection with Hayashi

■Subtitle

Episode 1/Play Ball Episode 2/Irregular Episode 3/Teamwork Episode 4/Bottom of the 9th Inning, Two Outs Episode 5/Tryout Episode 6/Pinch Hitter Episode 7/Leadoff Man Episode 8/Trick Play Episode 9/End Run Episode 10/Shortstop Episode 11/Brawl Episode 12/Goodbye Home Run

■ Theme songs and music

OP1
・"Stray"
・Song: Kishida Kyodan & THE Myojo Rockets

ED!
・DIRTY BULLET
・Song: TRI4TH

The charm and depth of Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens

Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens is a TV anime series that aired in 2018, and is based on a novel by Chiaki Kizaki. Set in Fukuoka, it tells a dark story of underworld assassins, detectives, and revengers. The series has gained many fans due to its unique worldview and the appeal of its characters. Below, we will take a closer look at the appeal and depth of Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens.

The appeal of the story

The story of Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens depicts the battle between crime and assassins that unfolds behind the scenes of the seemingly peaceful city of Fukuoka. The story begins with the question, "There is someone you really want to kill. How would you kill that person?" This question encourages viewers to think deeply and increases their interest in the story.

Fukuoka is a hotbed of hitman activity, and there is even an urban legend that there is a hitman who specializes in hitmen. In this story, a variety of unique characters, including Baba Zenji, Hayashi Noriaki, Saito, Enokida, Jiro, and Misaki, appear and the story of their underground business is woven. In particular, the existence of the "hitman killer" adds depth to the story and draws the viewer in.

The subtitles of each episode use baseball terms and are linked to the development of the story. For example, "Play Ball" in episode 1 symbolizes the beginning of the story, and "Goodbye Home Run" in episode 12 symbolizes the climax of the story. This type of direction gives the viewer hints on how to enjoy the progression of the story and helps them understand the work more deeply.

Character Appeal

Each character in Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens is unique and charming. In particular, Baba Zenji is a Kyushu man who runs a detective agency in Hakata, and his love of tonkotsu ramen, mentaiko, and baseball makes his character feel more real. His characteristic of always hunching his back also makes him seem more human.

Hayashi Noriaki is a hitman employed by the emerging mafia "Kakyukai" and has a history of having been trained to kill since the age of nine. The fact that he dresses as a woman when working and specializes in knives also adds depth to his character.

Saito is a new employee of the murder contract company "Murder Inc.", who is demoted from the Tokyo headquarters to the Fukuoka branch six months after joining the company, and the story depicts his suffering and growth. Enokida is an informant who used to belong to an overseas hacker group, and is characterized by his platinum mushroom head and flashy clothes.

Jiro is a character who went from being a hairdresser to being a revenger, and has a past in which his girlfriend was killed by a hitman. The fact that he is a transvestite, despite his appearance, makes his character even more appealing. Misaki is an elementary school student and an assistant to the revenger, and the fact that she was taken in by Jiro due to a past incident gives her character more depth.

Shunsuke Saruwatari is a former ace of the contract murder company "Murder Inc.", and his character as a dangerous, bloodthirsty man makes him feel more real. Jose Martinez is a chiropractor from the Dominican Republic, and his main job as a torturer makes his character more appealing. Yamato is a popular host at the host club "Adam," and his pickpocketing skills are second to none, which gives his character more depth.

Saeki is the director of a cosmetic surgery clinic, and his character as a shadowy cleaner with advanced surgical skills who disposes of and collects corpses makes his character feel more real. Shigematsu is a veteran detective who is on friendly terms with Baba and his team, and his character is portrayed more deeply as he often deals with cases that cannot be judged by law. Goda Genzo is the owner of "Gen-chan," Baba's favorite food stall in Nakasu, and his character adds warmth to the story.

Nitta Kyoya is a skilled consultant who employs a popular assassin, and the fact that he was Saruwatari's battery partner in high school makes his character feel more real. Chegaru is a member of a multinational mafia, and the fact that he is an agent stationed overseas gives his character more depth. Shiva is a hacker with the world's best cracking skills who cooperates with a cyber terrorist organization, and his character adds an element of technology to the story. Irazawa is a former boxer turned assassin who gets pleasure from punching people, and his character adds an element of violence to the story. Hiro is an assassin from the continent, and the fact that he has a deep connection with Hayashi makes his character feel more real.

The appeal of production

Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens was produced by the animation production company Satelight. The director was Kenji Yasuda, the series composition was Shogo Yasukawa, the character design was Hideki Inoue, the sound director was Yoshikazu Iwanami, and the music was by Kotaro Nakagawa. This staff worked together to bring out the unique worldview and charm of the characters of Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens.

In particular, character designer Hideki Inoue has created designs that bring out the individuality of each character to the fullest, making it easy for viewers to empathize with them. Additionally, sound director Miwa Iwanami has brought out the best in the voice actors, effectively conveying the tension and emotions of the story. Music composer Kotaro Nakagawa has provided music that matches the atmosphere of the story, enhancing the emotions of the viewers.

The appeal of the theme song and music

The opening theme of Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens is "Stray" by Kishida Kyoudan & THE Myojo Rockets, and the ending theme is "DIRTY BULLET" by TRI4TH. These songs match the atmosphere of the story and have the effect of eliciting emotions from the viewer.

In particular, the opening theme "Stray" is a song that symbolizes the dark atmosphere of the story, helping to draw the viewer into the story. Also, the ending theme "DIRTY BULLET" is a song that eases the tension of the story, giving the viewer time to take a break from the story. These songs are important elements that further enhance the appeal of Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens.

Viewer reactions and ratings

Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens has been highly praised by many viewers since it was first broadcast. In particular, the unique worldview of the story and the charm of the characters have been highly praised, and many fans have been born. In addition, the fact that the subtitles of each episode are unified with baseball terms was also well received by viewers.

Many viewers responded with comments such as, "The characters are unique and charming," "The story is dark and captivating," and "The subtitles are interesting, using baseball terms." Additionally, many fans of the original novel commented, "It faithfully reproduces the worldview of the original," and "I'm glad the character settings are faithful to the original."

Recommendations and related works

Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens is a work that is attractive for its dark worldview and unique characters. It is especially recommended for those who like stories about the underworld and assassins. Baseball fans will also enjoy the fact that the subtitles are all baseball terms.

Related works include "Black Lagoon" and "Big Order," which are also set in the underworld. These works also have a dark worldview and unique characters, and are recommended for fans of Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens. Baseball-themed works include "Ace of Diamond" and "MAJOR." These works also depict the appeal of baseball, and are recommended for those who are interested in the subtitles of Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens.

Conclusion

Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens is a work that is attractive for its dark worldview and unique characters. Set in Fukuoka, the story of assassins, detectives, revengers, and others from the underworld has the power to draw viewers in. In addition, the subtitles of each episode are all baseball terms, giving viewers a hint to enjoy the progression of the story. Please watch this work and feel its charm and depth.