Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens - Episode 5 (Review)
By: RogueSymbiote
Saito can't catch a break! His former employer from Red Rum/Murder Inc has commissioned an assassin named Gwen to eliminate him. Saito knows too much about the secret assassin agency and is a liability for their continued business. Matters are made worse when Enokida is hired to find Saito's whereabouts.
Story Arc
The mysterious assassin from the end of the previous episode is revealed to be another employee of Murder Inc named Sarucchi. Frustrated by the company's lack of appealing commissions, Sarucchi is swayed by Nitta, a former baseball teammate. Nitta is a hitman consultant and believes his former teammate has what it takes to become the best assassin in Fukuoka. Sarucchi becomes interested in Nitta's proposal once he mentions the Niwaka Samurai as a possible target. In order to get the notoriety for such a high profile job, Sarucchi begins to take out a plethora of fellow hitmen.The Tonkotsu team heads off for a practice game. Banba becomes increasingly frustrated at Lin's poor defensive skills and lectures him about not being aware of his surroundings. Lin is embarrassed by the confrontation and holds resentment towards the detective. Saito receives a disturbing call from Enokida informing him that a hitman will be coming after him. Enokida is a straight up dick... but pretty funny to be honest. In a panic, Saito calls Banba, but the charismatic protagonist is black out drunk. Lin intercepts the call and tells Saito to meet him at the train station.Gwen corners Saito on a train car and moves in for the kill. Just as it looks like the end for the unlucky ex-hitman, Lin arrives and engages Gwen. Proving to be a formidable opponent, Gwen throws a fake grenade in order to distract Lin and obtain his knife pistol. In this bleak moment, Lin recalls Banba's advice of environmental awareness. Lin remembers that the train car hits a rough patch at a particular junction and uses this knowledge to capitalize on Gwen's imbalance by recovering his weapon and killing the hitman.
Sarucchi's increased activity has successfully gained the attention of the Kakyu Association. Representatives from the company hire him to kill the Niwaka Samurai. They have dubbed Sarucchi the Submarine Ninja based on his shuriken throwing style. As Sarucchi and Nitta discuss the 100 million yen bounty for the Niwaka Samurai, a couple of scorned employees linked to Banba's assassin group grow devilish smiles revealing fiendish intentions.
Episode Review
Another solid episode from Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens. The banter between Lin and Banba continues to entertain. The music is really growing on me. Like I've said before, this isn't the most amazing series, but it is fun and entertaining. Enokida continues to sell out his friends, but is nice enough to warn them. This world of assassins requires relationships to be much different than a normal society and I'm glad this series is embracing those social abnormalities. The fight scene between Lin and Gwen was exciting. Lin's character arc has potential to be something truly special if handled appropriately. Keep a lookout for the next episode review coming shortly!
