Fumo Chitai 1.03

aka The Waste Land

Episode 3

Iki learns that news reporter Tahara of The Maicho, a Japanese newspaper, is working on a story that will run in the next day's paper about the crash of the Luckheed F-104. Iki goes to Minister Hisamatsu and asks him for help in killing the story. Hisamatsu exercises what influence he has and the paper kills the story in The Maicho.

Tahara refuses to give in and unable to get it printed in the story in the Maicho, hands over his findings to a fellow reporter at The Toto, another newspaper, which prints the story. Iki responds by convincing his boss to fly the president of Luckheed in to explain to the Japanese press how it was actually pilot error and not a mechanical error that caused the crash.

Samejima responds by having Ashida, a Japanese Defense Department official who has been seen in the company of Iki's assistant Koide, tailed until they discover enough to pass along to the Japanese military. Ashida is arrested trying to escape from the military police while he has share of Kinki's stock in his possession.

Chisato is pressured by her uncle to get married. He has gone so far as to arrange a match with a man of high status.

Samejima offers a bribe to Minister Hisamatsu. Iki is in the next room and hears the entire conversation. Iki and the minister talk after Samejima has left.

Naokko, Iki's daughter, spends some time after school at the library studying with one of her classmates, a boy whose last name is Samejima.

Yoshiko, Iki's wife, asks about what's going on with Koide after Koide's wife calls the house. Iki tells her that he can't talk about it but that he will take care of things. She gets angry but he remains firm.

Ashida tells the police that he turned classified information over to Koide, who is in turn arrested by the police. Koide refuses to speak, at first, but eventually he learns that the police have evidence that he copied documents that he handed over to his boss at Kinki. Eventually he names Iki as the one behind the scheme. The police show up at Iki's house and ask him to come in to the police station and answer some questions.

Thoughts

It looks like Iki may be headed to prison. I didn't think they would push things this far this fast. There are 16 episodes left in this show. Iki really seems like he is up the creek without a paddle. Will Samejima try to get Iki to change sides? Will Kinki Trading do anything to try and protect Iki? What role if any will Tahara play in the next episode? So many questions. Will I be satisfied with how Iki escapes from where they left things at the end of this episode?