G-Men '75
G-Men '75 (Gメン'75, G Men nanajūgo) was a long-running prime-time television detective series in Japan. It aired on Saturday nights in the 9:00–9:54 p.m. time slot on the Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) network from May 24, 1975 to April 3, 1982. A sequel, G-Men '82, followed, as did the specials. With several updates and cast changes, it ran for 7 years. Selected episodes are available on DVD.
G-Men '75 | |
---|---|
Genre | Police procedural Crime drama |
Starring | Tetsurō Tamba Yosuke Natsuki Gō Wakabayashi Yū Fujiki Maria Mori Mari Natsuki Hiroshi Miyauchi Gō Ibuki Takeshi Kaga Bunjaku Han Kyōko Enami Daijiro Harada Yûsuke Kawazu |
Narrated by | Takayuki Akutagawa |
Theme music composer | Shunsuke Kikuchi |
Country of origin | Japan |
Original language(s) | Japanese |
No. of episodes | 355 |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) | Teru Kondo |
Running time | 54 minutes |
Production company(s) | Toei TBS Teru Kondo Productions |
Release | |
Original network | TBS |
Original release | May 24, 1975 – April 3, 1982 |
Chronology | |
Followed by | G-Men '82 |
Plot
The story revolved around a special detective agency, the eponymous G-Men. The principal character, who spanned the entire series (and continued into the sequel and specials), was Superintendent Tetsuya Kuroki, who was portrayed by Tetsurō Tamba. Kuroki directed the members of the group.
The original cast also included Yasuaki Kurata as Detective Yasuaki Kusano, trained in karate. Gō Wakabayashi joined in Episode 105, and remained to the end of the series (and the sequel). His character, Lieutenant Goro Tachibana, replaced a detective who was written out of the script.
Music
Shunsuke Kikuchi wrote the opening theme songs. Various artists, including some cast members, wrote and performed the closing songs. For most years, the lyrics were by Junya Sato, set to Kikuchi's music. Veteran announcer Takayuki Akutagawa narrated the series.
Opening sequence
The opening sequence featured the main cast walking along a runway with a "75" placed at the bottom, with an arrow beside it, as their characters were viewed in separate close-ups (with the name of their actors accompanying). The placement of the arrow and the "75" logo were changed as the series progressed. It was intended to film the opening at Haneda Airport, but permission was not granted, so it was filmed instead at Yashio, a district of Tokyo's Shinagawa ward, and later openings at the JMSDF Tateyama Air Base.
G-Men '75 cast
- Tetsurō Tamba as Tetsuya Kuroki
- Yosuke Natsuki as Odagiri
- Gō Wakabayashi as Gorō Tachibana
- Yūsuke Kawazu as Yoshiaki Nagumo
- Yasuaki Kurata as Yasuaki Kusano
- Yū Fujiki as Hachibe Yamada
- Daijirō Harada as Sekiya
- Fujita Okamoto as Shinichi Tsusaka
- Mihoko Fujita as Keiko Hibiki
- Hiroshi Miyauchi as Kazuhiko Shimaya
- Gō Ibuki as Nakaya
- Harumi Nakajima as Fubuki
Many more actors and actresses took regular roles in the series over the years. Yū Fujiki as Detective Hachibei Yamada, Maria Mori as Detective Ryoko Hayami, Mari Natsuki, Yosuke Natsuki as Detective Noriyuki Odagiri, Takeshi Kaga, Bunjaku Han, and Kyōko Enami were among them.
G-Men '82 cast
- Tetsurō Tamba as Tetsuya Kuroki
- Gō Wakabayashi as Gorō Tachibana
- Kyoko Enami
- Bunjaku Han
- Masahiko Tanimura
- Takeshi Kaga as Kusaka
TV specials
- G-Men '75 Haru Dai Ikyou Satsujin no Onna (1993) Tetsuro Tamba, Masatoshi Nakamura, Mari Natsuki, Show Aikawa
- G-Men '75 Special Kaettekita Wakashishitachi (2000) Tetsuro Tamba, Nenji Kobayashi, Junichi Haruta
- G-Men '75 Special Tokyo-Hokkaido Trick Satsujinjiken (2000) Tetsuro Tamba, Nenji Kobayashi, Junichi Haruta, Raita Ryū
External links
- DVD Selection from Toei
- G-Men '75 on IMDb
- Japanese National Bibliography 音楽録音・映像資料の部 (Audio recordings and film materials)