Ikebukuro West Gate Park aired on TBS in Japan from April to June 2000 to high ratings. Much of the story was dramatically altered in the graphic novel adaptation for the series, with some characters being changed slightly or removed entirely and some changes to the story arcs to reflect this.
IWGP (TV)
edit| # | Title | Original airdate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Strawberry Episode" Transliteration: "Ichigo Episode" | 3 April 2000 | |
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Makoto meets the beautiful Rika and her friend Hikaru. When Rika comes up mysteriously killed, Makoto enlists the help of the local gang G Boys to find her murderer. They believe that she was the latest victim of a serial rapist, who abducts and strangles his captives. | |||
| 2 | "Carrot Episode" | 11 April 2000 | |
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Reeling from the brutal murder, Makoto swears revenge on the murderer of Rika. With the G Boys' help, Makoto may have found the culprit. However, he swears that he didn't murder Rika. Can he be telling the truth? If so, then who is the true killer? | |||
| 3 | "Mandarin Orange Episode" | 18 April 2000 | |
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Makoto has been enlisted (thanks to Takashi) to find the missing daughter of a Yakuza boss. He has to find her in one week or pay the ultimate price. With leads on her disappearance being scarce to non-existent, Makoto's only hope lies in a mysterious person named Kazunori. A shut in whose only link to the world is through his computers and telescopes, Kazunori shows Makoto evidence that leads him to the discovery of the missing girl and her killer. Not only has he raped and accidentally murdered the yakuza boss's daughter, but he is also the serial rapist everyone was looking for. However, with this discovery Makoto begins to realize that the true killer of Rika is still at large. | |||
| 4 | "Shiitake Mushroom Episode" | 25 April 2000 | |
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Makoto has become quite well known around IWGP as an all around problem solver, and even has a little bit of a following! He's approached by an old classmate, Chiaki, who asks for his help in saving the life of her boyfriend, Ali. Makoto discovers that Chiaki works as a prostitute in one of the local brothels. One of Chiaki's customers got her addicted to speed, and Ali confronted him. Unbeknownst to Ali, the man he confronted was a drug pusher for some very dangerous people, and as such he has to go into hiding. Makoto manages to get the drug ring arrested, but unfortunately was unable to keep Ali from getting deported as a result. Meanwhile, Hikaru is questioning Makoto about what she is to him, and is also approached by Yamai, who tells her that he is leaving IWGP for a while. | |||
| 5 | "GORILLA Episode" | 2 May 2000 | |
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Someone has been broken into Hikaru's room and scrawled nasty messages over her pictures and trashed her room. Hikaru asks Makoto for protection from whmever is doing this. Makoto has now been approached by Sachiko, a former female classmate of his turned male who now calls himself Shou. He has started recruiting lovely young women to star on a live camera website called 'The Fairy's Garden'. Shou wants Makoto to track down and deter a forceful male stalker from harassing a client of his, Ayumi. The stalker, Tsukasa, has been calling her constantly, leaving creepy messages, as well as sending nasty "presents". After a botched meeting to request that he stop, Tsukasa breaks into Ayumi's apartment to force himself on her. Shou manages to stop him and gets the stalker arrested. Meanwhile, Makoto's mother has hired a beautiful new girl for part-time help named Kana, much to Makoto's joy. Also, it is discovered that the one stalking Hikaru has been Yamai. Takashi begins to question what the true link between Yamai and Hikaru is, believing that Yamai must have a deeper reason to follow her. | |||
| 6 | "TBS Episode" | 9 May 2000 | |
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Makoto and Hikaru go out on their first date, with humorous results. They discover a young boy, Hiroki, sitting outside counting stars. He befriends the pair, and confides in them that he has a learning disability, and is also OCD. Hiroki takes several pills in order to correct these. When Hiroki is kidnapped, Makoto is approached about finding him. Hiroki's mother believes that he has been kidnapped by his brother, Erito, who has been having money problems lately. Makoto must find the two brothers before the police or their yakuza father does. The new girl, Kana, has drawn in many new customers, much to the joy of Makoto's mother. Makoto finds himself beginning to fall for Kana's gentle demeanor. Hikaru walks in on a very cozy scene between the two of them, and introduces herself as Hikariko, which she had never referred to herself as before, and begins to act bizarrely. Kazunori also makes a reappearance in this episode as an informant (and has moved out of his room), and helps Makoto track down Hiroki. Also appearing in this episode is a mysterious man, Kyoichi, who appears in the middle of a G Boys ceremony, interrupting Jessie's dance with his own dance. At the end of the episode, Makoto invites Kana out for a drink, and she kisses a very bewildered Makoto. | |||
| 7 | "Youshichi Episode" | 16 May 2000 | |
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Makoto's head is in the clouds after the previous night's kiss from Kana, only to discover that she has quit the job to go work at a kindergarten. Makoto's mother begins to act bizarrely, talking to a woman who isn't there. In fact, everyone is talking to this invisible woman, and the only person who can't see her is Makoto! Makoto traces the name of the invisible woman to his mother's pyramid scheme group, and enlists Kazunori's help in tracking down information about her, as well as the whereabouts of the elusive Kana. Makoto infiltrates the money group, only to hear a moving speech by his mother. Afterwards another group member (bribed by a free meal) states that there is a rumour that the group is a cover for a yakuza group, and that the speaker (Makoto's mother) is dating one of the head bosses of the yakuza. Makoto's newfound respect for his mother (because of her speech) creeps her out, so it is hard for him to question her. Before Makoto can ask her anymore questions, one of his friends appears, beaten by one of the G Boys. Angry, Makoto confronts Takashi, demanding to know who did it. Makoto is also reunited with Kana, who reassures him that it was not his fault that she quit. An angry Hikaru watches them balefully through the window of the restaurant they met in. It is revealed that Kyoichi wants to be the new G Boys King. Makoto discovers that the tea leaves were psychedelic, and that the rumor about the group being a front for the yakuza was correct. Makoto's mother was also mistakenly kidnapped by a group of yakuza who had meant to kidnap Kana. (The picture they were given of Kana also had her in it.) She was returned safely by the chief of police. | |||
Trivia
edit- The title of the every episode is a play on words
- Episode 1 (Ichi): Strawberry (Ichigo)
- Episode 2 (Ni): Carrot (Ninjin)
- Episode 3 (San/Mi): Mandarin Orange (Mikan)
- Episode 4 (Yon/Shi): Shiitake Mushroom
- Episode 5 (Go): Gorilla
- Episode 6 (Roku): TBS
- Ch6 is TBS in Tokyo area
- Episode 7 (Nana/Shichi): Youshichi
- Episode 8 (Hachi): Youhachi
- Youshichi Shimada and Youhachi Shimada are a famous comedian over in Japan.
- Episode 9 (Kyū): Kyushu Island
- Episode 10 (Jū): Jutte
- Episode 11 (Jūichi): Samurai
- 十一(Jūichi) looks like a 士(Samurai).