Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens Episode 2: The Plot Thickens

Review:

This is fast becoming my favourite new show from the winter season. The first episode was interesting but I didn’t want to get too excited because there was such a large cast and so many ways for things to fall apart, but the second episode carefully built on the ideas from episode 1 and now we’re kind of in a good place for a fairly decent story.

Lin get’s the lion’s share of attention this week as he refused to kill the private detective, Banba, until he’s paid for a job from the last episode (not that he actually did the job it was just the person ended up dead regardless). This episode sees some fairly interesting interaction between Banba and Lin as Lin essentially moves in to stop any other hitman from taking Banba out until he gets paid. Banba ultimately deals with this in the most sensible manner; he offers Ling money for information. But that wouldn’t make for a good story if Lin got his money and paid off his debt and lived happily ever after. The final moments of the episode give Ling strong and compelling motivation to stick it out and to get very involved in what is coming.

However, it isn’t all about Lin, and we learn more about Saito (poor guy just can’t catch a break). After being mistaken for someone else last week and being kidnapped by the Avengers, on his release he ends up getting paid anyway because someone else has taken out the target (turns out there’s a connection to the mayor’s idiot son, much like Ling’s story so everything is kind of coming together). Saito decides to have a night out on the town but his luck really has not improved and it will be interesting to see the fallout.

Meanwhile, part of me wonders about all the tourism plugs for food and theatre that pepper this story. While it would make sense in a slice of life or similar story, it seems weird for a hitman to be trying to sell travel to a particular city or region. Yet all those little details are helping to make the setting feel realistic even while the story is pretty far-fetched. It will be interesting to see if they continue to take this path going forward. Either way, I’m really enjoying this series so far.

Thanks for reading.

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