Roy Fun Tawan Deurd: Episode 11

The end is near, but not yet. Some of you may rejoice that there’s one more episode to watch Ryu and Mayumi, and others may just want to see some of the bad guys die already. The thing about being a viewer and knowing who the bad guys are and what they’ve done, and watching our good guys scramble to catch up to the bad guys, is that it’s frustrating. You just want them to get there already. So let’s DO IT! Thankfully, our hero makes some strides in this episode and our heroine’s eyes are finally opened to the truth. She decides to trust her beloved with no qualms (ifs ands or buts) and we watch their relationship become stronger and more enduring.

EPISODE 11 RECAP

The death of Masato, the second warrior, brings much sadness and shame on Ryu (who believes he’s the worse Soriyo to date) but it also brings him a measure of resolve, and urgency to heal so that he can avenge the warriors’ death as well as redeem his clan again.

This slice of reality as well as her naiveté surrounding Yuji causes Mayumi to feel insecure and afraid for her man’s life. She’s afraid he would go after Misawa with no preparation and she feels insecure because those nightmares seem so real. Mayumi promises to be strong, worthy of the clan’s lady boss.

After all of the ‘talking’ and little action, it seems that our good guys have something in store for the bad guys. Finally!

Uncle Koji and Ryu sit before the radio the next morning, listening tentatively. Mayumi is confused and presses Ryu to explain, the man relents that the biggest success in war is a war that requires no effort. If they use their brains correctly, they can benefit without wasting blood (cavalry).

We watch this unfold with their voiceover. Masaru has gotten too big in the head and overly confident that no one would dare cross him, and underestimate his foes (Ryu is a handicapped, he’s not capable of doing anything to us.) Masaru relents that if they failed this biggest shipment, it would fall on Takaoh’s shoulder. Next we see smoke entering the freight truck through the boxes and Misawa bodies are dragged out of the truck. The drivers are none other than our two bodyguards.

The truck has been driven and abandoned in front of the police quarters with a letter reporting that drugs are in the truck. Hiro appears (as well as several officers and reporters) and he cuts open the box to display the drugs. The drug confiscation is shown through the television and radio.

The baddies are furious and finger pointing makes its merry go round. Masaru dumps Yuji’s pills into the toilet and laments that it’s time his crush sees him for his real self. Meanwhile Misawa retaliates by blowing up Onitsuka’s three shipments. Ryu orders his men to see to the business on his behalf, leaving him and Mayumi alone at home. This is not a good idea.

Takaoh shows up of course, staring at Ryu who’s now alone. He kicks Ryu until Ryu falls off his wheelchair, ugh, so hard to watch. Apparently the fire was only a diversion so that the guards would leave Ryu and Mayumi alone. Takaoh challenges Ryu to protect his woman, and right when Takaoh is too busy laughing at Ryu’s state, Ryu practically jumps up and kick everyone’s ass. Um.. so he’s been practicing at night? Pretending to be weak during the day? Say what? I don’t care, at least he’s fighting back!

Ryu spites that he has been waiting for this moment, and proceeds to beat the crap out of the baddies. Yay!! I really like the part where Takaoh tries to throw a carving knife at Ryu, but he kicks it into the minion’s corner who was trying to shoot him instead.

The sound of gunshot brings Mayumi outside, where she sees her man actually standing. He’s telling the baddies that his condition was only to trick them. He offers Takaoh a way out (which isn’t really a way out), die the samurai’s honorable way (suicide) or die in his hands. Onitsuka’s guards aim their guns at Takaoh. But dang it, Takaoh reaches for the gun in his back pocket and aims for Ryu, but Mayumi tackles Ryu down in time. Takaoh gets away AGAIN, while Mayumi is grazed in the arm by the bullet. But Mayumi is more hurt because Ryu kept his ability to walk from her, and she distances herself from him, in that she’s more than capable of taking herself to the hospital. Well yunno, Ryu surprised everyone.

This time though, the cops (Hiro) corner Takaoh and he’s not getting out. But of course at the police station, Masaru pulls his weight and interrogates Takaoh on his own. The two play the blame game until Takaoh decides to open Masaru’s eyes: it’s his fault for being smitten with a geisha and took her out of the club. Takaoh surmises that Junko had been the one who sent words to Ryu about the big shipment. And then the biggest reveal yet to Masaru: he’s not the only one smitten with that woman, so is his son. Takaoh finds this to be the funniest thing he has ever encountered.

Speaking of Yuji, he’s with Aikiko now, who’s showing bruises on her face. She hides a butcher’s knife behind her back when Yuji comes to her. Her attempt to stab him doesn’t work. Next thing we know her dad walks past Yuji as he goes to see his daughter at her apartment. Oh boy. He finds his daughter on the floor, bruised and unconscious.

Mayumi, although not in life threatening condition, refuses to be released home.  Ryu got some explaining to do. Mayumi is furious with him, she tells him that he ought to know how fraught with concern she is about him, why didn’t he tell her that he could walk again? She wonders if he finds pleasure in seeing her worried like a crazy person. Ryu takes her hand and apologizes, that he was dying to tell her but he had to keep it a secret because she’s close to Yuji. Ah, his explanation is not helping matters. She’s even more offended now that he thinks she would report to Yuji if she finds out that he could walk. Mayumi relents that she wants to understand him, but not at this time, she tells him to go home.

Taishi spots Aikiko’s dad in the hospital and wonders what that means. Aikiko is admitted in another room and her dad doesn’t believe that nothing is wrong with her. He questions whether Yuji is responsible for this (smart dad!). Aikiko bursts into tears and as her dad opens the door, Taishi stares at him with vengeance. He vows to punish Yuji. Dad tells him to hold his horses, this may be irreparable for Aikiko. Especially when she values her career and reputation above all else.

Taishi goes into her hospital ward and peers at her sadly. And things just got worse for Aikiko: she’s pregnant!

Masaru has some words for Yuji. He finds his son trying to take more drugs and dad flushes it down the shower again. He grabs his son by the lapel and says that Junko may ruin it for all of them. He orders Yuji to cease the drugs and the woman; he just doesn’t tell him that he’s been using the same woman too.

Aikiko goes a little nuts with distraught which hurts Taishi more than anything.

Apparently Yamamoto isn’t finished with Takaoh yet. Masaru visits him in his jail cell and tells him to find his own way out. They need to finish off Onitsuka asap. He leaves a gun on the floor for Takaoh and unlocks his cell.

Misawa minions approach Junko’s apartment but she’s gone.

Aikiko is also gone from the hospital room. We find her at the rooftop, maybe prepared to throw herself off the building. But she suddenly gets a bright idea as she’s touching her belly, and smiles wickedly. Oh boy.

Nana reasons that Ryu lied to Mayumi because he’s worried about her. It’s the same concern that plagued him seven years ago. Mayumi relents that she’s worried about him and is hurt every time he couldn’t walk. Nana tells her that she’s a rational person and understands why he did what he did, so she ought to go home now. Heh. Furthermore, he has so many enemies who want to hurt him, she wouldn’t want to be another person among them to hurt him as well, right? Listen to your friend.

Back in his suit and daisies in hand, Ryu goes to see Mayumi but is reluctant to enter her office. The two miss each other as they turn, and instead, Mayumi is greeted by Aikiko instead, who cries and says that Mayumi is the only person who could help her. Wow, some people’s evil and vindictiveness has no end.

Aikiko lies that she’s pregnant with Ryu’s child. Apparently, Aikiko has found a way to keep the child.

Ryu thinks that Mayumi has headed back home willingly, but she’s sobbing in front of Uncle Koji (who thinks that she’s simply mad at Ryu.) He flashes back to the time that Ryu visited him and he had advised Ryu to keep it a secret so that they can trick the baddies. If Takeshi can miraculously disappear, then Ryu could pretend to be a handicap. Uncle Koji confesses to Mayumi but that’s not the source of her tears.

And what happened next made this episode less blood pressure inducing. Taishi rushes to tell Mayumi that Aikiko isn’t pregnant with Soriyo’s child, the child belonged to Yuji. Mayumi wonders why Aikiko felt the need to lie and Taishi explains that Aikiko wants to have Soriyo. Taishi has known her for a long time and he can tell what she’s up to. Mayumi finally puts two and two together. Yay! Taishi pleads for Mayumi to forgive Aikiko, dang, poor Taishi, he’s so in love with her.

Mayumi meets with Yuji at the orphanage sometime later. She says that she feels sorry for the orphans who lost their parents at a young age, or were abandoned by their parents. Yuji adds that he knows what that feels like, he lost his mom at a young age too. Mayumi asks what that feels like, the man responds that he was lonely. He was very attached to his mother, from morning to night, she was always there for him. Without his mom, he feels lost. Mayumi asks after his father, and Yuji tells her that even though his father was around, he wasn’t truly around. He adds that if he has a child, he would be like his mother. Mayumi finds the perfect opportunity to tell him that he can be that very thing to a child. Mayumi thanks him for bringing her home safely one night, it makes her believe that he’s gentlemanly enough to do as he says. Yuji is confused, until Mayumi tells him that Aikiko is pregnant with his child. No one ever said Mayumi isn’t gutsy.

When Ryu returns home, Junko runs into the driveway with her luggage in tow. She faints as she makes it to him on time. Ryu assigns his men to watch over her while he greets his lady who just got home too. Mayumi tells him that a lot has happened, but it’s all over now. She takes his flowers and they promenade to their backyard.

“Everything that had happened made me realize how lucky I am,” she confesses to him. “That I have a man who loves me, worries about me and protects me with his heart like you.”

Ryu is speechless, he didn’t quite expect this.

Mayumi apologizes for last night, that she was upset with him. She’s just a woman who wants to protect the person that she loves, like him. Mayumi promises to be stronger and trust him without any qualms.

Ryu looks in her eyes and thanks her for her love and her trust. They embrace tightly.

And speaking of trust.. there is one thing he needs to tell her – Junko of course! Mayumi stares at the sight before her, Junko holding on to her man and she has to keep her jealousy at bay.

When Junko rises the next time, she realizes that Mayumi – the lady of Onitsuka –is tending to her. She feels remorse and bows on her knees to explain. Ah, you can’t hate Junko. She explains that Ryu is like a benefactor to her, she doesn’t think anything towards him. Junko doesn’t want her to misunderstand, because Mayumi is Ryu’s beloved, she’s like another benefactor to Junko. Mayumi tells her to consider her as a friend, which about makes Junko cry. A real friend? She assures Junko that she doesn’t misunderstand.

Ryu wants to move Junko to a different place, in order to keep the peace at home and make Mayumi happy. But Mayumi relents that Junko’s presence at her house doesn’t cause any trouble for her. She assures him that moving forward she’s a stronger woman , she’s going to trust him without any qualms. She reasons that Junko helped them to the extent of her life so it’s their responsibility to take care of her with theirs. Aw.

But we all know that Yuji is only painting a warm picture for Mayumi, he doesn’t care that he’s made a child with Aikiko. He visits her that night to punish her for ratting out to Mayumi. Ugh, he’s disgusting.

Junko makes herself even more useful. She has been working with Takaoh for a long time and knows where he keeps his important paperwork – the paperwork that Ryu would need to convict Yamamoto and his minions. Ryu forbids her to return to Misawa but Junko relents that she’s been given another life because of him, she would feel worthless if she couldn’t help. Ryu tells her that the best way to repay him is to stay alive. But Junko is persistent, and we see Mayumi listening from the corner.

Next Mayumi arranges flower to calm her nerves. Junko greets her from the door and compliments that Mayumi certainly knows how to do a lot of things. Mayumi invites Junko to arrange some flowers with her to help with anxiety, because when you’re working with flowers, you are forced to concentrate otherwise risk bruising them. Mayumi encourages her to partake which makes Junko grateful to both Ryu and Mayumi’s generosity. She says she is willing to give up her life for Ryu.

And I don’t know how one can put it together, but Mayumi suggests that Ryu take Junko as his secondary wife. What the hell? Understanding is one thing, but to be noble like this? Gah, Mayumi is an idiot. She wants to use the same excuse that Seiko had to use.. furthermore, Mayumi relents that Junko LOVES him and it should make her happy. I’m pretty sure feeling indebted to someone is far from loving someone. Sigh.

But Ryu sets it straight with Mayumi, she’s insulting his love for her. She hugs him from behind to stop him as he tells her not to bring this up again. Thank god someone is sane. He clarifies that he will protect Junko like his sister because there’s only one woman who will stand beside Soriyo, and that’s Mayumi. Double aw.

Junko spots the flowers that she arranged in the hallway and stands there looking proud. Aw, I always feel so emotional when I see her, because she’s finally seeing the value and hope in herself. But alas, this boost in happiness is only a final hurrah for herself, before she heads over to Misawa to find evidence and do her good deed.

Ryu and company couldn’t catch her in time, but instead of going in and making it worse for her, they decide to wait it out. Good call.

Ahh, and as Junko sift through a document, Takaoh and Masaru enter the room. She hides under the table. Masaru instructs Takaoh to destroy the documents once the drugs and weapons have arrived. Takaoh forgets to lock his drawer.

Thinking she’s in the clear, Junko sifts through the document, but Takaoh returns to the room to retrieve his keys. She’s caught!

Ryu decides to distract Misawa so that Junko can get out alive, and she runs out empty handed. Damn it!

Fighting ensues as Ryu and Taishi protect Junko. But it is a nailbiting moment for Junko as she sees Takaoh reaching to stab Ryu. Without a thought, she jumps in front of Ryu and takes the knife in the stomach. We knew she wasn’t going to survive, right? But it’s sad nonetheless. And why can’t Ryu just kill Takaoh once and for all? (I know, it’s not the damn ending yet, that’s why.) Her death would be even more useful if Takaoh dies too or if she had stolen that damn document successfully!

COMMENTS:

Ryu can walk! And everything’s transparent now! We just need the bad guys to DIE!

I’ve been able to agree with Mayumi’s actions for the majority of this show, but her noble idiocy move was quite disappointing. It’s a good thing Ryu is having none of that. The last two episodes were blood pressure inducing, but our duo continues to remain strong. I’m so ready for the wedding and close this last chapter in the Rising Sun series!