Tokyo Megure Keishi Series (Japanese: 東京メグレ警視シリーズ, Hepburn: Tokyo megure keishi shirīzu) is a Japanese detective television drama series broadcast on TV Asahi, produced by Asahi Broadcasting (ABC TV) and Telepack.[1][2] It is the fifth drama co-produced by TV Asahi. It aired from April 14, 1978 to September 29, 1978. It was broadcast in one-hour episodes from 9 PM to 10 PM on Friday nights, for a total of 25 episodes.[3]

Tokyo Megure Keishi
Promotional release poster
Japanese東京メグレ警視シリーズ
Genre
Based onJules Maigret by Georges Simenon
Written by
  • Akira Hayasaka
  • Issei Iki
  • Ren Saito
  • Tetsuro Abe
  • Ei Ogawa
  • Ayuko Anzai
  • Kimiyuki Hasegawa
  • Kei Hattori
  • Ryoji Sunada
  • Akira Yokomitsu
  • Shiro Ishimori
Directed by
Starring
ComposerRyudo Uzaki
Country of originJapan
Original languageJapanese
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes25 (list of episodes)
Production
Producers
  • Kazuki Nakayama
  • Hisashi Yamauchi
Running time54 minutes
Production companyAsahi Broadcasting Corporation
Original release
NetworkTV Asahi
ReleaseApril 14 (1978-04-14) –
September 29, 1978 (1978-09-29)

Synopsis

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The series is based on Georges Simenon's Jules Maigret; it is a detective drama series in genre. Although based on Maigret's stories, the setting of this drama is actually in Japan. Kinya Aikawa, chiefly known for his voice roles, plays Megure, a Japanese-born version of Maigret.[3][4]

Reception

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The series was praised by Georges Simenon himself, who especially praised Tomomi Sato's portrayal of "Madame Maigret", stating that she was the best "Madame Maigret" he had ever seen, even including those from French adaptations.[5]

Cast

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Episodes

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No. Title Guest stars
Episode 1 Keishi to seifu kokan
(警視と政府高官)
Satoshi Yamamura, Eiji Okada, Etsushi Takahashi, Kiyoshi Maekawa
Episode 2 Keishi machigau
(警視間違う)
Fubuki Jun
Episode 3 Keishi to tsuma o netora reta otoko
(警視と妻を寝取られた男)
Takuzo Kawatani
Episode 4 Keishi to satsujin-sha-tachi
(警視と殺人者たち)
Yasunori Irikawa
Episode 5 Keishi to garufurendo
(警視とガールフレンド)
Hiromi Kurita
Episode 6 Keishi to Monmarutoru no on'na
(警視とモンマルトルの女)
Mako Midori
Episode 7 Keishi to uchiakebanashi
(警視と打ち明け話)
Sei Hiraizumi
Episode 8 Keishi to kuchi no katai shonin-tachi
(警視と口の固い証人たち)
Bunjaku Han
Episode 9 Keishi to benchi no otoko
(警視とベンチの男)
Yusuke Takita, Hiroko Kiiro, Masayuki Suzuki
Episode 10 Keishi to kubi-nashi shitai
(警視と首無し死体)
Morio Kazama and Eiko Muramatsu
Episode 11 Keishi to saifu o tta otoko
(警視と財布を掏った男)
Orie Sato
Episode 12 Keishi to kayo no asa no homon-sha
(警視と火曜の朝の訪問者)
Hiroshi Yagyu, Sakura Kamo
Episode 13 Keishi fujin no inai yoru
(警視夫人のいない夜)
Narumi Kayashima, Hajime Kimura
Episode 14 Keishi to korosa reta yogi-sha
(警視と殺された容疑者)
Choichiro Kawarasaki, Mojiro Sato, and Yoshio Oran
Episode 15 Keishi to minamijūjisei
(警視と南十字星)
Mayumi Ogawa
Episode 16 Keishi to hitori botchi no otoko
(警視とひとりぼっちの男)
Yoshika Yonekura, Kaori Shima
Episode 17 Keishi to koen no on'na
(警視と公園の女)
Miyoko Akaza, Shogen Nitta
Episode 18 Keishi to kieta shitai
(警視と消えた死体)
Murasaki Fujima, Shogo Shimizu
Episode 19 Keishi to yurei
(警視と幽霊)
Hideko Takehara
Episode 20 Keishi to rokuon mania
(警視と録音マニア)
Akira Yamauchi, Kayoko Tomoka
Episode 21 Keishi to manatsunoyorunoyume
(警視と真夏の夜の夢)
Tsuguaki Yoshida, Ayako Hosho
Episode 22 Keishi to rofufu no nazo
(警視と老夫婦の謎)
Chieko Murata, Romi Yamada
Episode 23 Keishi to zenryona hitobito
(警視と善良な人々)
Akira Nakao, Shuko Motoami, Ai Suwa
Episode 24 Keishi to satsujin yokoku
(警視と殺人予告)
Higashi Terumi
Episode 25 Keishi to saigo no jiken
(警視と最後の事件)
Hiroyuki Nagato and Kotonei Hatsui

Trivia

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Tomomi Sato sang the series' theme song Toki no Nagareru Mama ni. She even sings it while playing the piano in an episode's scene. Inspector Juzo Megure from the manga Case Closed is named like the main character of this series.[6][7] Indeed, Jules Maigret served as the model for the manga character.[8]

References

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  1. ^ びぶろす (in Japanese). Vol. 36. 官廳図書館研究会. p. 296.
  2. ^ 東京大学; 新聞硏究所 (1981). 東京大学新聞硏究所紀要 (in Japanese). Vol. 29. 同硏究所. p. 277. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Maigret Films & TV". www.trussel.com. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  4. ^ Vanniyar, Adrian. "Maigret: do you know the Japanese series?". Daily Hind News.
  5. ^ "A picture of Kinya Aikawa as Maigret/Megure, and Simenon's quote from La Revue du Cinéma nº 454, November 1989. Article retrieved on Trussel.com". Archived from the original on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 12 March 2011.
  6. ^ エンタメOVO. "倒錯やフェティシズムに満ちたミステリー『メグレと若い女の死』/監督と2人の俳優との三つどもえの戦い『コンペティション』【映画コラム". www.ovo.kyodo.co.jp (in Japanese).
  7. ^ Alikhan, Anvar (30 June 2017). "How Rowan Atkinson has been brilliantly miscast (or the strange case of Inspector Maigret)". Scroll.in. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  8. ^ Masami Shimura. "『名探偵コナン』目暮刑事のモデル、メグレ警視が身元不明な女性の殺人事件に挑む【映画】" (in Japanese). Yahoo Japan. Archived from the original on 16 March 2023. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
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