English Dub Review: Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens “Ninth Inning, Two Outs”

The only thing hit men like more than killing: baseball.

Overview (Spoilers Below)

We pick up with Enokida negotating with the two assassins from last episode, telling them of Banba and Ling’s plan to get revenge on the human traffickers Ling used to work for. He sells them out, and we see Ling getting confronted by his former boss and his goons. He tells Ling that Banba isn’t coming to help, before throwing what appears to be Banba’s head out in front of Ling. Then, a figure steps out of the shadows, none other than the Niwaka Samurai.

While Ling gets the piss kicked out of him by goons, the old ramen shop owner discusses with his patrons how Banba is the Niwaka Samurai’s mark. Ling is about to get his head chopped off by the samurai, but at the last moment, the masked assassin turns on his employer and proceeds to completely decimate the kingpin and his minions. In a last ditch effort, one his assassins tries to blow up the Samurai with a bomb, but the deft swordsman swings his sword like a bat and knocks the bomb right back at him. He then introduces the eyepatch-ed assassin to the business end of his katana, and chops him in twain. Freed from his bindings, Ling asks why the Samurai decided to help him, and, surprise surprise! The Niwaka Samurai is Banba! Banba’s head was just a fake he got off that corpse from last episode. Banba explains his deception as the two take a breather and Banba reports back to his broker. There’s no time to rest, though, the two are off to take revenge for Ling’s sister’s death.

For this, they’re gonna partner up with local avenger, Jirou, and while the two drive to their next destination, Banba explains more about himself as the Niwaka Samurai to Ling. Apparently, he wears the mask because its “badass.” Soon, they arrive at their destination, and place a call to Reiko, the female bodyguard watching over the mayor’s psychotic son at a condo downtown. Banba tells Reiko he’s on his way to kill him, and reveals that he knows exactly where the mayor’s son is. Enokida, that sly dog, had deceived the mayor’s assassins, and placed a listening device under Reiko’s collar. Knowing that the jig is up, Reiko decides to cut her losses, not about to die for the sake of a psychotic killer. She’s about to leave, but is confronted by Jirou, who knocks her out with a swift punch to the stomach. (I don’t think that’s how that works)

Ling and Banba enter the apartment, ready to do some business. Ling finds mayor’s son in the closet, panicking and pointing a gun right at him. Knowing that this is the end, the mayor’s son tries to shoot Ling, but he’s beaned in the head by a baseball thrown by none other than amateur assassin, Saitou, who had tagged along with them. They tie up the mayor’s son in a chair, and make him confess everything he’s done on a live video feed to the people of Hakata. Ling, hearing the confession, flies into a rage and starts knocking the boy senseless, one anger-filled punch to the face after another. Ling leaves, and Jirou and pals take some time to finish the torturing properly.

Ling is somewhat relieved for his vengeance, but also feels empty for not having anyone he’s attached to in town. Banba quickly steps in and reminds him that Ling owes him five years of “spicy pollock roe,” so he can’t skip town just yet. Ling tries to get mad, but his wounds open up, and Banba carries him home.

To finish things up, Banba and our cast of colorful killers decide to play a baseball game together, cementing Saitou’s and Ling’s place in their crew as the newest members of their team, the “Tonkotsu Ramens.” All’s well that ends well!

Our Take:

This is quite an odd episode, in a show that’s already kind of baffling me as it is. Four episodes in: all the major plot threads have been wrapped up, there’s no antagonist left, and it feels like the last episode of a series, where everyone plays baseball and lives happily ever after. I’m a touch confused, and disappointed that there were no greater mysteries to uncover or challenges to develop and grow our shallow and underwhelming cast. It’s functional, I suppose, but not a terribly interesting episode to watch, and this episode has put a stop to whatever momentum it may have had.