Asian Addicts Anonymous

Wow. This is one of those dramas that keeps you guessing. Not in a bad way. I’m really wondering who is good, who is bad, and just who is the mastermind behind everything.

So, why is Tokage in the bar where Terashima is supposed to meet the Spider? Is he following Terashima? Our detective gets a call from the Spider refusing to meet since Tokage is there. When Terashima confronts Tokage, the undercover sleuth replies that he only is at the bar and casino because they were both places Modegi frequented. Apparently Terashima knows this as well. Tokage wonders who was on the other end of the phone, but of course Terashima is unwilling to share any information with him.

The next day Terashima meets with a very jump Shinozaki who cannot give him the information he so desperately desires. We then cut to a body being discovered. The victim was a stock broker with a popular newspaper column. He was staying in the Alexa Hotel renowned for its privacy and high profile customers. Of course, the hotel refuses to cooperate with the investigation citing their clients privacy as the reason—isn’t against the law as they are obstructing justice? Since the hotel is not being cooperative, Kishimori plans on sending in Tokage. Yamane thinks this is a bad idea given Terashima’s attitude towards the agent, but Kishimori overrules him. He also tells Yamane that he will consider the nervous man’s application for his current position.

Tokage will be going undercover as Otani, a hotelier. Kaori’s role will be as a maid. Both Yanagida and Sota enjoyed their practice for their respective roles and wished they would continue acting this way (waiting on them hand and foot lol). Tokage starts working at the hotel and is tested on what to do in certain situations. One questions is what to do if he sees a crime being committed at the hotel. Tokage quickly replies he would immediately report it to the manager. That was the right answer as the manager smiles at this and then tells Tokage he gets a 1-week training period. I won’t bore you with the filler happenings with the soccer star guest.

Anywho, Makihara and Terashima go to the roof to discuss their current case and the ongoing search for the Spider. Since a lot of high profile people stay at the Alexa Hotel, then that is the perfect place for the Spider to be. Does Terashima think the Spider is really the ex prime minister Odagiri? Terashima just isn’t too certain. It’s only a theory with no solid evidence at the moment.

Tokage spritzes down the room the victim stayed in, but finds no traces or evidence of blood. He does, however, find some trace amounts in the hallway. When Yanagida runs the blood it’s a perfect match for the victim’s. So he was killed at the hotel and not elsewhere. Too bad all security footage has been erased for that day. Kaori then says she has heard of another strange person in the hotel—Kota. So their next step is to investigate this person.

Tokage sneaks into the manager’s office to go through stuff and hack the computer while it is Kaori’s job to go through Kota’s room. She smells a familiar scent and sees a familiar pill bottle. Enter Kota. Kaori quickly hides under the bed and when the pill bottle falls and rolls under, she quickly pushes it out again to avoid detection. When the guest enters the bathroom, she quickly rushes out of the room and reports to Tokage that she knows the identity of Kota—it’s Yamane! Shocking! The two report their findings to Yanagida who is surprised to learn that Yamane is staying under a pseudonym at the hotel. Tokage goes through the information from the office and there is TONS of confidential information stolen from the guests. Looks like the manager is involved in some pretty shady deals and blackmail. There is a surprising lack of information about the victim, though. To cover up the murder maybe?

Kaori  reports her findings about the manager at the usual meeting. She then sits down next to Yamane and talks about the strange Kota. The already nervous man gets more so and takes off. When Makihara confronts Kaori about her insinuations, Kaori reveals that Yamane is staying at the hotel under an assumed name. This makes Makihara recalls Modegi’s and Kishimori’s words and she takes off after Yamane. Her little brother then tells Kaori that he told Terashima the charm was from her. The nervous Kaori slides over next to the distracted Terashima. She asks what’s wrong and then offers herself as a confidante. Terashima turns her down since she is Tokage’s partner. Kaori says that Tokage is not a bad person and says she believes in both Terashima and her partner and is certain they can work together.

Tokage investigates Yamane’s room and finds evidence that the victim was killed there. So…did Yamane really commit the crime? Meanwhile, Terashima is talking to Shinozaki and is being spied on by Yamane who is being spied on by Makihara. When Yamane leaves Makihara asks Terashima why Yamane would be following him. Terashima replies doesn’t know. The girl then demands to know who Shinozaki is, but Terashima says nothing and just walks away. Suspicious behavior that.

Yamane goes back to his room to find Tokage there. He sits down and says it was about time they met. However, when he realizes that Tokage really knows nothing, Yamane clams up and says that they have nothing more to talk about since Tokage doesn’t even know who the most suspicious guest in the hotel is. The plot thickens.

The next day the soccer star and his girlfriend’s scandal breaks and the manager takes them and  Tokage through an escape route. Tokage pays close attention to everything and is surprised to see that there is no room number 2013. It goes from 2012 straight to 2014. When he asks the manager about this situation, the manager replies that is because it is the floor for international guests and many have superstitions about the number 13. Sounds plausible. There are some place that really do take the number 13 out of things. Anywho, not so believable when there is a room 1913.

After work, Kaori brings more evidence against Yamane found by another cleaning lady. Tokage finds this suspicious—why didn’t he find it when he completely searched the room? Besides, since Yamane knew he was going undercover…would the other detective really be that stupid? Tokage then flashes back to a time when his father framed him to show him what obvious evidence can do—it can lead to false accusations. So…something’s rotten in the Alexa Hotel. Kaori is to investigate the cleaning staff further and Yanagida is once more brought in to help.

Kaori gets her fellow cleaning member Matsuoka to open up about her sick grandchild and working hard for the money to treat her. Meanwhile, Yanagida plays an officer who approaches Kaori to question her about the murder. The manager quickly approaches and says the hotel information is confidential. When Yanagida accuses him of helping along a murderer, the manager is quick to give up the strange customer in room 2004 (Yamane). Tokage then later reports to the manager that he discovered Kota was really a cop. Really? This surprises the manager but he tries to force a smile and say the situation has already been taken care of.

Kaori gets a call from Terashima to meet for a personal reason. The excited woman rushes to the bathroom, undoes her ponytail, puts on some makeup and spritzes on perfume. Terashima shows her Odagiri’s picture and tells her to keep an eye out for him in the hotel. She must, of course, keep this secret from Tokage. The girl happily returns to her cart only to find Tokage there. He isn’t stupid and demands to know what Terashima gave her. He takes the photograph away and recognizes Odagiri. So…he’s in the hotel, too? Kaori and he rush off and hide out to see Odagiri and entourage get off the elevator on the 20th floor. The two rush after the men, but they disappear. Now what?

Makihara confronts Yamane about Shinozaki and he takes her up to his room and explains that he is only at the hotel to search for Odagiri. He also explains just who Shinozaki is. He then complains about her seeming suspicious of him. Well…can you deny he’s suspicious? He also says that he is suspicious of Terashima and his emotions involved in this case. Why? He was very upset when Modegi chose Tokage for his partner. Makihara says that he doesn’t know Terashima well at all if he thinks this way.

Matsuoka goes to start her shift. After she leaves the manager comes in and plants something in her locker. He then calls to meet with her in room 2005 (unoccupied). when she goes there, he has a noose ready for her. Since they can’t pin the murder on a cop, the only solution is for her to kill herself in remorse. Matsuoka says she is not the killer. If she doesn’t take the fall for the manager, then he will stop paying for her grandchild’s treatments. Matsuoka obeys only to be cut loose by Tokage who pops out of the ceiling. He shows the manager the evidence against him. He then demands to know about the Spider. The manager doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Tokage then threatens him with a knife to get him to tell him how to get to Odagiri. The man cave and as Tokage goes to leave he tells the grandmother that her child won’t be taken care of if she dies. True.

While Tokage was getting the info from the manager, Shinozaki contacted Terashima with the information himself and says that pays what he owes. As Tokage is on his way to the hidden room 2013, a gunshot is heard. Yamane rushes out to see Terashima fleeing. Enter Kaori, Makihara and Tokage. The undercover agent demands to know what happened and Yamane says he heard a gunshot from behind the wall. Tokage opens up the secret panel and inputs the code to open the wall. They then rush in to find Odagiri dead. What the heck? Yamane then says that Terashima has been staying in the hotel for awhile, too, in the room directly below that one. Yamane then puts in a call to Kishimori saying that Odagiri has been killed and Terashima is their prime suspect.

So…has Terashima been the Spider’s spy all along? If so…why is he trying so hard to find him? Because he doesn’t know who he is! Or so that is what or quartet deduces. We then cut to see Terashima running around like a hunted man and getting a call from the Spider who thanks him for the good work. So…I guess that means that Terashima might have really killed Odagiri believing he was the Spider. But…is Terashima really the mole? Is he really a bad cop?

We’ll find out in the next episode or so.