The 10th episode of the TV drama "Secret ~THE TOP SECRET~" (Kantele/Fuji TV, Mondays at 10pm), starring actor Rihito Itagaki and Yuto Nakajima from the popular group Hey! Say! JUMP , will be broadcast on March 31st.
The drama is based on Shimizu Reiko's "Secret - Top Secret" published in the manga magazine "Melody" (Hakusensha) and its spin-off work "Secret Season 0". The script is written by Sato Tsumako, who has worked on the "Unfair" series (same network) and the movie "Onmyoji 0" (2024). The story is set in the Forensic Science Laboratory No. 9, commonly known as "No. 9". Itagaki plays Maki Tsuyoshi, head of the No. 9 laboratory, while Nakajima plays Suzuki Katsuhiro, a former member of the No. 9 who lost his life in an incident, and Aoki Ikko, a rookie investigator who looks just like Suzuki and is later assigned to the No. 9.
The final chapter began with the 9th episode. Takimoto (Mashima Hidekazu), a former investigator of the 9th, returns to "The 9th". After seeing the MRI image of serial killer Kainuma (Kunimura Jun), Takimoto became confused and was supposed to be recuperating, but the reason he appeared before Maki (Itagaki) again was unknown. The last episode was a shocking development in which Aoki's sister Wakako (Satsukawa Manami) was murdered along with her husband on the day Aoki introduced Yukiko (Kadowaki Mugi) to her family for the first time.
In the 10th episode, the second of the final chapter, the brain of Aoki's murdered sister and her husband is examined by MRI at "The 9th". Seeing his sister's changed appearance, Aoki bursts into tears, saying that it is because he has used people's deaths in his investigations up to now. He begs Maki, who has come to pay his respects, not to remove him from the investigation, but his mother Chie (Misuzu Kanno) becomes enraged when she hears this. Suddenly, she pours out her grief over the loss of her daughter and her anger that she has no outlet on Aoki, and Maki, who is beside him, is also unable to move, pale-faced, in despair that the thing she feared has happened to Aoki.
Although Aoki is allowed to join the investigation under certain conditions, when he sees a photo of the murder scene of his sister and her husband, he is unable to accept the cruel reality. Seeing this, Takimoto sarcastically remarks, "Suzuki was a more calm and thoughtful man." He then provokes Maki by speaking on behalf of Suzuki's hidden feelings for Maki. When Maki sees the MRI footage of Wakako and the others, she is shocked to see a person who appears to be the culprit. It is a suspect in a case that only Maki knows about in "The Ninth." When Maki sees the letter in the footage, she realizes that it is a message addressed to her. She then realizes the true reason why Wakako and the others were killed... and so the story unfolds.
Itagaki and Nakajima held a press conference in Osaka on March 28th. Regarding the highlights of episode 10, Itagaki said, "Episode 10 is a non-stop descent to rock bottom, like a roller coaster. There is also a development in which Maki leaves the 9th. The final chapter also features a direct confrontation with 'a certain person.' From rock bottom, I think the ending has a redemptive quality, so I hope you will enjoy it with hope."
Nakajima said, "(The character Aoki) wants to support Maki, but Maki always keeps it all to herself. But this time, 'The Ninth' goes to repay her debt. Maki was also involved in the reason why Takimoto's sister and her husband were murdered, and once again Maki finds herself carrying a secret on her own. The incident and the reason why Takimoto returned to 'The Ninth' are intricately intertwined, so it may be too much information, but the story is carefully unravelled, so I hope you will follow along closely and be surprised as you watch."
He further hinted, "In the final episode, there is a scene where (Maki and Aoki) empathize with each other.It's a scene that makes you think, 'This couldn't have happened with any other relationship than this (between the two of them)'."
Also wrapping up filming are Takahashi Tsutomu, who played the Ninth investigator Okabe Yasufumi, Yui Narumi, who played the anatomical assistant Sugai Ritsuko (Suga-chan), as well as Hamatsu Takayuki, Asa Tatsumi, Morita So, and Umefune Tadenaga, who played the Ninth members.
