List of You're Under Arrest characters
The Japanese manga series You're Under Arrest features a cast of characters by Kosuke Fujishima. The series centers around two female police officers, Miyuki Kobayakawa and Natsumi Tsujimoto, who have different personalities, and their activities involving Bokuto Station.
Main characters
Natsumi Tsujimoto
Miyuki Kobayakawa
Ken Nakajima
Voiced by: Bin Shimada (Japanese); Marc Matney (English) Ken Nakajima (中嶋 剣 Nakajima Ken) is a motorcycle patrol officer stationed in Bokuto Precinct who is such a gifted rider that he might have a successful racing career if he wanted it. Ken is strong, tough and handsome but at the same time, was terribly shy. He and Miyuki share strong feelings for each other, but have difficulties expressing them. He is the only son of Daimaru Nakajima (who manages a motorbike shop called ZAPPER) and the stepson of his teenaged stepmom Sena Wakabayashi. Details on his mother was not revealed, but it is known that his father became a widower before the OVA and first season series started.[1] His peers call him "White Hawk" for his skills as a motorbike officer in chasing down various offenders. His family was from the Mie Prefecture.
Ken, through the anime and live action versions, uses various motorbikes in and out of police work. He uses a Suzuki GSX-R750 fitted with sirens and horns meant for police use in the TV series and a Kawasaki ZX-9R in the movie . He used a Kawasaki KLE-500 when he tried to chase down a high-speeding offender in the OVA. When off-duty, he uses a Yamaha V-Max. The only exception is in the drama version when Ken is seen using a Honda motorbike.
He is portrayed in the live action by actor Kazushige Nagashima.
Yoriko Nikaidou
Voiced by: Etsuko Kozakura (Japanese); Pamela Weidner (English) Yoriko Nikaidou (二階堂 頼子 Nikaidō Yoriko) is a dispatcher at Bokuto Station who later becomes a patrol officer and partner of Aoi Futaba. She is an incorrigible gossip who pokes her nose into everything that happens at the precinct. Unfortunately, she frequently misinterprets things she sees and hears about, resulting in embarrassment and complications. She keeps an especially close eye on Miyuki and Ken. Yoriko also enjoys heckling her colleagues, especially when she talks about anything supernatural or paranormal.
She is also clumsy in anything she does but always can somehow cover the trouble created with her luck, which made her the top in class during her years in the Metropolitan Police Department Academy and earned the ire of her classmate Chie Sagamiono, who had aspired to become valedictorian back in their academy days.[2] She is also insecure about her job for a short period of time when she saved an elementary student from Yakuza thugs.[3]
She is portrayed in the live action by actress Otoha.
Aoi Futaba
Voiced by: Rica Matsumoto (Japanese); Amy Tipton (English)
Aoi Futaba (葵 双葉 Aoi Futaba) is a transgender woman officer who joins Bokuto Station in the first season. The Japanese version explains that she came from the Anti-Chikan Unit. Chikan refers to men who molests women. Aoi "went native" and now is more feminine in appearance and personality than most of the other female officers. In Second Season. Her colleagues treat her as a woman, although they speculate on her romantic preferences. In a story where actor Mr. Kitakoji proposes to her, she turns him down and wears men's clothes for the only time in the series. In another episode, she gets involved in an Internet romance and is torn about meeting this man and revealing her secret. Prior to entering the force, Aoi played golf and attracted many female admirers. In the anime, Aoi played basketball. In the Full Throttle episode "Aoi-chan Becomes a Man!?", Aoi meets her ex-superior Udamura Kumanosuke who had headed the sting operation.[4]
Saori Saga
Voiced by: Sakura Tange (Japanese)/ Mayumi Iizuka (2nd Season)(Japanese), Megan Hancock (English) Saori Saga (佐賀 沙織 Saga Saori) is introduced as a high school student who had trouble with the law during the first series. After reforming herself, Saori graduated from high school and studied in the Metropolitan Police Department Academy since she admired Natsumi and Miyuki for their hard work in the force and was assigned to Bokuto Station's Traffic Division. On her first day, she got into trouble with them after trying to make a big impression by making the Traffic Division office neat (unwittingly getting rid of many personal belongings from others while she is at it). In the first few days of work, she scorned her colleagues and superior for being lax in their duties in the office and constantly reminds them of their responsibilities as police officers,[5] even though Natsumi and Miyuki advised her to relax a bit since she was taking police work too personal.[6] As time went on, Saori had learned to accept them and became fast friends with her Bokuto station co-workers, especially with Natsumi and Miyuki.
When she noticed that Miyuki wanted to break up her partnership with Natsumi, Saori was the only persistent one in convincing her to amend their ties since she couldn't see to see her get depressed over Natsumi's supposed selection into the Special Assault Team. She is Miyuki's new partner before being transferred to a different station.,[7] which was Johoku Station as a cyber crimes division officer.[8]
She is portrayed in the live action by actress Miho Yoshioka.
Chief
Voiced by: Issei Masamune (Japanese); Dave Underwood (English)
Kachou (花蝶 Kachō, lit. "flower butterfly") is the head of the Bokuto Station's Traffic Control Department. His name is pronounced the same as the "chief" (課長 kachō) position he holds, but the spelling is revealed in second season by his monk uncle (a.k.a. Fox). He is a stern, but fair leader who uses a relaxed touch to keep his team of misfit officers in line. Natsumi had a long-standing crush on him before she met Toukairin.[9] Though he allows his subordinates to do as they normally please in the station, he reminds them of their priorities as police officers.
In the movie, he got in trouble with Superintendent Arizuka when he was linked to Emoto, who was suspected of starting the Hachi-Ichi-Go (Bee Number 1) crisis in the Greater Tokyo Area. First stripped off his command and thrown into a cell by Arizuka due to suspicion of coercing with Emoto, he eventually disclosed details regarding both Emoto and Project "Hachi-Ichi-Go", as well as the fact that Emoto severed connections with him as well. During the final confrontation in Tokyo Tower, Emoto shot him in the leg, reinforcing the fact that he was not Emoto's accomplice.
He uses a Honda NSX as his personal car when doing police work in the OVA. In the rest of the series, he uses a Honda Legend.
Secondary characters
Officers
Takao Arizuka
Voiced by: Takeshi Watabe (Japanese); Andrew Masset (English)
Takao Arizuka (蟻塚 貴男 Arizuka Takao) is a superintendent from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department with the rank of Superintendent; he is feared by low-ranking officers since his mere presence in a police station during inspection would mean the end of someone's career as he always bring a notebook with him.[10] However, in reality, he is lenient and willing to make arrangements (even if he has to make personal sacrifices to make such an arrangement possible as is) to accommodate the need of his subordinates so long as they get the job done in the end. On the other hand, Arizuka is strict and always reminds his subordinates to follow the guidelines set by their superiors while doing their best according to their capabilities. For this, Yoriko dubbed Arizuka as the king of Hades.[11]
In the movie, Arizuka realized that he, as a Superintendent, knew less about the disappearance of Tadashi Emoto as well as the Hachi-Ichi-Go paper that Emoto made for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department than the Chief of the Bokuto Precinct Traffic Division and temporarily stripped Kachou off his rank and command when the latter refused to provide details regarding them.
Kaoruko Kinoshita
Voiced by: Yoshiko Sakakibara (Japanese); Shiela Brothers (English)
Kaoruko Kinoshita (木下 かおる子 Kinoshita Kaoruko) is an assistant inspector (警部補 keibuho) from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department who appears in the anime series near the end of the first series in a car theft case. A strict, no-nonsense kind of person, she initially comes off as cold-hearted, but beneath that imposing demeanor is actually a woman who is selflessly dedicated to her duties and those that fall under her command. She is ready to help the females of Bokuto Station and is approachable whenever she is around at the station.
During the course of her career, Kaoruko had participated in at least one Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Color Guard parade.[12]
Chie Sagamimono
Voiced by: Michiko Neya (Japanese); Courtney Wright (English)
The only daughter of the rich Sagamiono family, Chie Sagamiōno (相模大野 千恵 Sagamiōno Chie) entered the Metropolitan Police Department Academy in hopes of winning a suitable, preferably rich, husband[13] and making herself a bit more popular to society, earning questions from some of the officers as to why a rich girl would join the police force.[14] She had lost her chance to graduate on top of her class when Yoriko earned it via luck, marking her as Chie's rival. She uses her family's financial position to use a modified Porsche 911 outfitted with sirens and a radio for police use.
The two had been at odds with each other from catching crooks in a contest,[2] to playing wargames [15] to a Color Guard parade contest.[16]
Shouji Toukairin
Voiced by: Tomokazu Seki (Japanese); Cullen Moss (English)
A mountain rescue specialist and lieutenant, Shouji Toukairin (東海林 将司 Tōkairin Shōji) met Natsumi during a rescue mission at the Tokyo Tower. They would later encounter each other once again when Shouji is temporarily stationed at Bokuto Precinct as an instructor for rescue courses. It is then discovered that Shouji is the only character that has the physical strength and appetite to surpass Natsumi's. Although Natsumi initially views him as a nuisance and a rival, they eventually fall in love. Despite being frequently absent in places like the Himalayas, he and Natsumi have a strong relationship. Later on, Shoji named a monkey he befriended as Natsumi.[17] He enjoys eating bananas.
Shouji is an expert in mountain climbing and rappelling and he uses his time in Bokuto Station to practice these two techniques (often a night, which once scared the other officers who believed him to be a ghost).
He is also an expert in Kendo, being able to cut a banana in half with a Shinai with extreme concentration (self-proclaiming that he can only do it at a 50% success rate) but admitted defeat against Kachou at his challenge against him despite Kachou was not in his best shape.
Inspector Tokuno
Voiced by: Ikuya Sawaki (Japanese); Joe Gallison (English)
Stationed at Bokuto Police Station's Investigations Division, Inspector Tokuno (徳野警部 Tokuno Keibu) happens to be the only known officer in Bokuto be married and with a family and an old veteran at the station since it was established. Most of the younger officers in the station look up to him as a mentor whenever they need help or advise from him. Like Kachou, Natsumi was infatuated with him since she liked older men before meeting with Shoji.[9] Tokuno is partnered up with a younger detective named Sugihara when attending to cases in the field. Like Kachou, he appears to be lenient with most of the officers in their capacity to be good officers in their speciality.
He uses a Honda Legend as his personal police vehicle whenever he is conducting detective work.
Shunsuke Okabayashi
Shunsuke Okabayashi (岡林 俊介 Okabayashi Shunsuke)
- Shunsuke is played by actor Noboru Kaneko, he is depicted to have similar characteristics to Shouji Toukairin, though he is a suit-wearing, slightly uptight detective.
Civilians
Daimaru Nakajima
Voiced by: Takeshi Aono (Japanese); Marc Matney (English)
Daimaru Nakajima (中嶋 大丸 Nakajima Daimaru) is the Ken's father, and the owner of the ZAPPER motorbike shop in Sumida's Bokuto district, he is an old man who is an expert on motorcycles and was an excellent rider in his younger days. Now widowed, he is currently remarried to his second wife, Sena Wakabayashi. Though he is senile at certain times and his unthoughtful on certain matters, Daimaru still cares about Ken and Sena as they are his only remaining family left. He had a good impression on Miyuki when she kindly called him father, indicating that he still liked the younger generation to appreciate him like a caring parent.[18]
He has a Ducati motorcycle that he uses personally. During his first encounter with Miyuki and Natsumi, Daimaru initially thought that Natsumi was Ken's girlfriend until realizing Miyuki was the better choice.[19]
Due to his knowledge of motorbike handling, Daimaru tries to teach Ken techniques to befit his duties as a motorbike officer, to the point of "breaking him."[20] He has a scar over his left eyebrow.
Sena Wakabayashi
Voiced by: Hiroko Konishi (1st Season) /Fumiko Orikasa (2nd Season) (Japanese), Ashley McDaid (English)
Sena Wakabayashi (若林 瀬奈 Wakabayashi Sena) is introduced as a 20-year-old woman who owns a Lotus Super Seven racer vehicle, she was married to Daimaru after meeting him in a highway where she usually drives around[21] before being in love with him.[22] Sena was soon married to Daimaru and was also the co-owner of the ZAPPER motorbike shop. She manages the place if Daimaru is not around.
Though she and Ken had their differences, mostly in age, Sena truly cares for him like he was her own son.
Strikeman
Voiced by: Hideyuki Hori (Japanese); Jason Hatfield (English)
A costumed vigilante who calls himself a superhero, Strikeman (ストライク男 Sutoraiku Otoko) uses baseballs and related items to punish offenders such as public drunks, flashers, and parking violators. He has come to the attention of Bokuto Precinct on several occasions, earning notoriety as a major nuisance and complete loon. He seems to have a fixation on Natsumi, considering her both his nemesis and his sidekick while referring to her as "Home-Run Woman." As of Full Throttle, there has been no clue so as to who the identity of Strikeman is. At one time during the 1st season, Nakajima was even suspected by his colleagues to be Strikeman, due to some events and a very similar appearance, but was found to be not the case.
Many attempts were placed to apprehend him, but Strikeman escapes due to the various fastball pitches that he uses as weapons. When he tries to enact "proper justice" on the offender's property such as their cars, Strikeman uses baseballs with sharp spikes on them and in fact, has used them against Miyuki and Saori as a means of distraction. He uses a Harley-Davidson Softail motorbike, designated FLSTF.[23] He had recently returned after months of self-exile into the mountains to defeat Natsumi in another game of baseball.[24]
Much like many of the other characters, Strikeman had an American counterpart in You're Under Arrest: No Mercy!.
50 C.C. Old Lady
Voiced by: Kujira
50 C.C. Old Lady (原付おばさん Gentuki Obasan) is an old woman who spends the majority of her time going after discounts and sale events. To the annoyance of every Traffic Division officer in the Bokuto Precinct, she does so relentlessly and is perfectly willing to commit any traffic violation in order to get to the sales location faster, having proven herself just as aggressive on the road as Natsumi or Nakajima (except that she does it all the time) and counting on the reflexes of people or vehicles she was about to collide with rather than her skills in operating a scooter to avoid accidents. However, another situation would intervene (such as repeating motorcycle thefts or bomb threats against a department store) whenever there's an attempt to apprehend her, allowing her to go off the hook. Her name was never revealed.
For transportation she uses a motor scooter (with a 50cc engine, hence her nickname), which tends to be overloaded with groceries and other merchandises that she purchased during discount events.
Most fans of the show have named her Scooter Lady and Scooter Mama as well.
References
- ↑ Not much further details are known beyond this.
- 1 2 See 1st Season, Episode 8: Big Duel for Lucky Yoriko.
- ↑ See Full Throttle, Episode 9: Yoriko Nikaido's Age.
- ↑ "Aoi-chan Becomes a Man!?". You're Under Arrest: Full Throttle. Episode 6.
- ↑ Saori: "We police officers, carrying the burden of justice, have no time to be infatuated with things like Go-kon or love!!" (Live-eviL - 2nd Season, Episode 2: Goukon Victory Equation)
- ↑ Natsumi: "Going to Go-kon is fine. Even police officers are human. Just one or two lovers doesn't matter."
Saori: "No way. My lover is my work."
Miyuki: "Oh dear."
Natsumi: "Newbies always say that." (Live-eviL - 2nd Season, Episode 2: Goukon Victory Equation) - ↑ See Full Throttle, Episode 1: Intense Chase Prologue.
- ↑ See Full Throttle, Episode 18: Beach Run.
- 1 2 In the manga, this was the case until the last volume.
- ↑ Yoriko: "... he carries his Arizuka File with him all over the country and he's sometimes called the Inspector from Hell. Once he sets his sights on you, you're finished." (1st Season, Episode 6: Frightening Judge from Hell, Superintendent Arizuka)
- ↑ Yoriko: "None of you know about the King of Hades. We must do something quickly, or we'll end up being banished." (1st Season, Episode 6: Frightening Judge from Hell, Superintendent Arizuka)
- ↑ See Season 2, Episode 9: The Fight of Women! The Reappearance of a Rival
- ↑ Chie: "A girl needs Mister Rich, not Mister Right." (1st Season, Episode 8: Big Duel for Lucky Yoriko)
- ↑ Chie: "To make my grand debut into society."
Natsumi: "A society girl?" (1st Season, Episode 8: Big Duel for Lucky Yoriko) - ↑ See 1st Season, Episode 15: Game! Sagamiono Chie's Rematch
- ↑ See 2nd Season, Episode 9: The Fight of Women! The Reappearance of a Rival
- ↑ See Season 2, Episode 3: Tokyo Wild-Beast Dragnet
- ↑ Daimaru: "It's nice to be called Father. Especially by this young woman. (1st Season, Episode 16: Mystery! Nakajima's Double)
- ↑ See 1st Season, Episode 16: Mystery! Nakajima's Double.
- ↑ Ken: "I've had enough of this, Dad. Let's stop! We've been at it for two hours already. I'm so hungry, I'm starting to get dizzy!
Daimaru: "We're not quitting. If you can't take the heat, I can't teach you all of my stunts." (1st Season, Episode 16: Mystery! Nakajima's Double) - ↑ Sena: "That was the first time. That mountain pass was as familiar as my own yard and I'd yet lose to anyone. And he was on a motorbike to boot!" (1st Season, Episode 17: The 20-year-old is his Mother)
- ↑ Sena: "I knew then that he was a man of substance. And I've given my heart to him ever since." (1st Season, Episode 17: The 20-year-old is his Mother)
- ↑ See Season 2, Episode 7: Strike Otoko's Back!
- ↑ Strikeman: "Since then, I've retreated into the mountains for deep training. I was cleansing my heart of justice." (Live-eviL - Full Throttle, Episode 12: Showdown! Criminal Affairs Division vs Traffic Division)