While watching Taiho Shichauzo with some friends, they had raised some questions concerning some parts of the anime. I found these issues quite interesting, and so I had decided to place their queries (and subqueries), along with the answers I and other people had given them, in this particular page.

If you have any other questions not addressed by this site (or any views or corrections that you would like to share), please don’t hesitate to e-mail me. Me and my friends will try to answer them as best as we can. Note, however, that any question with an obvious (or practically impossible) answer will not be entertained, so please think carefully before you send us a note. Thank you!

ISSUES/QUESTIONS RAISED:

Q: Since Miyuki is emotionally attached to "Today", then it must be her car, right?
A:     Claiming that Miyuki owns a car solely for reason of emotional attachment is weak. She has the tendency to have emotional highs when she sees a car after her own taste, and even more so for vehicles she had tuned herself, even if it isn’t hers. An example of this is how Miyuki reacted as her partner chased after a con-artist in Natsumi’s R2, which Miyuki had completely overhauled.

Q: (So) Does Miyuki own "Today"?
A:      My answer as of now, based on observations other than emotional ones, is "yes". The police vehicle that one uses doesn’t necessarily have to be one that was issued by the police force - think Natsumi’s Moto Compo and R2, plus Nakajima’s KLE-500. Aside from this, note that just below the GPS laptop in front of Natsumi is etched the name "Miyuki" (File 36, Manga), much like the "Natumi" label on the Moto Compo. I personally doubt that a person as responsible as Miyuki would personalize "Today" by placing that label even if the car wasn’t hers, and I don’t think the higher officials would allow her to do that either. I also highly doubt that she would spend so much money on the car, all the while knowing that one day (upon retiring, for example), she would never use it again.

Q: Assuming that Miyuki owns "Today", plus she also has her Yotahachi. Where did she get the money to buy them, much less modify them, with her police-issued paycheck?
A:     My friend and I have two guesses, both of which are applicable at the same time, with reasons covering even if it was proven that Miyuki does not own "Today". The easiest to explain would be that she has a side job as a mechanic along with being a policewoman - Miyuki’s comment in OVA File 1, of how she fixed Natsumi’s Moto Compo "on the house", is enough proof that she charges people whenever she fixes their vehicles for them.
        On the other, less believable side, my friend has proposed that perhaps Miyuki came from a rich family (somewhat like Chie and Aoi).

Q: Miyuki is rich?? Where’s the proof??
A:     We’re not saying she’s definitely rich. It’s just a proposal that has the following arguments to back it up:
        One. The name "Kobayakawa" in itself was once respected as the name of a family of well-known samurais with access to the shogun. Family fortune may have been passed down, and Miyuki’s family is included as they bore the same name.
        Two. Let’s consider that Fujishima-san did not care about the relevance of family names, rendering the first argument completely obsolete. Before Miyuki met Natsumi, she already occupied a beautiful two-room apartment on her own. Miyuki had no one to share with her utility bills and rentals. Going inside Miyuki’s room, you’re treated with various electronics, such as her own television (note that there’s another one in the living room), a component system, and even her own computer. This does not even apply for her arsenal of airguns. And yet she still found the money to extensively modify "Today". Given these, she’s living pretty well-off in Japan’s high-cost society, and that’s before Natsumi shared with the bills. Even when they were already living together, Natsumi always borrows Miyuki’s extra cash (current calculation of debt: 500,000 Yen, around US$4,000), and then tries to get Miyuki to treat her to a free meal right afterwards!
        Three. If it was also before Natsumi’s arrival that Miyuki got her Yotahachi (which is now heralded as a classic collector’s item and is most likely expensive), plus her Nissan Fairlady Z which she also owns in the manga, then Miyuki definitely has a stack of cash coming from somewhere, and family would perhaps be the most likely source of incoming money. Let’s also not forget the Ford Mustang that she owned at the "No Mercy!" special. And this list of cars given does not even include the RUF CTR that one Japanese page had stated that she also owned in the manga (which I’ve yet to confirm)!!

Q: …are you really sure Miyuki is rich?
A:     No, we’re not. (laughs) These are all speculations. There is even a counter to the third argument raised above. Brian, a site visitor, has this to say about Miyuki’s Yotahachi:
      "…the Toyota S800 is an awesome car, but not that valuable. The last one that sold at Christie’s in London in 2006 went for the euro equivalent of about 44 grand US$ (in perfect restored condition). They are collectable, but not very valuable. She could have got that one for a LOT less in Japan.
      "…And I would estimate that since Miyuki’s car was probably purchased in the early mid-80’s (just before the start of the manga?) that it would have been much, much less.
      "The renaissance in Japanese classic cars did not start until the mid 1990’s, when dedication to Japanese automotive companies grew beyond cult status in the US. And that’s when the prices started to go up."
      And there you have it! Thanks for the insight, Brian!

Q: "Natsumi" or "Natumi"?
A:     The age old question with regards to Natsumi’s name. Many people claimed that her name is spelled as "Natsumi" simply because it is pronounced that way, and that there is no "tu" in the Japanese syllabry.
        Meglivorn, however, had kindly provided us with the answer, which I had slightly rephrased below:
        There are really two ways to spell Natsumi’s name based on how the kanji is romanized. One official romanization formula, "Kunrei-shiki", spells it as "Natumi". But another formula, the more popular "Hapburn-shiki", spells it as "Natsumi".
        In effect, there is no wrong answer. Natsumi’s name can be spelled with either an "s" in the middle, or without it.

Q: Miyuki’s the veteran cop and Natsumi’s the rookie, right?
A:     As far as the anime is concerned, the answer is no. As a matter of fact, Miyuki and Natsumi were classmates during police school and had graduated at the same time as revealed in Files 11 and 12 of Season Two. It just so happened that Miyuki was stationed to the Bokuto Station a year before Natsumi was transferred. Note that in OVA File 1, Natsumi had prayed that she would do well "in her new workplace", and Miyuki had mentioned that while attempting to learn more about her soon-to-be partner, she had looked up Natsumi’s "previous postings". These shows us that Natsumi had worked somewhere else before being transferred.
        As for the manga, there is no proof that Miyuki has been working longer than Natsumi or vice versa.

Q: Wait a minute. Miyuki worked for a year in Bokuto Station before Natsumi arrived? Didn’t she arrive just a few months earlier?
A:     How would she become the "veteran cop" then, if she was only there for a few months? *^^* Kidding aside, when Kachou was introducing Miyuki to Natsumi, Kachou had mentioned that Miyuki had arrived at the station last spring. "Last spring" does not necessarily mean the spring of that year (Natsumi arrived during the summer). Besides. Miyuki was quite familiar with Nakajima’s previous troubles with the Lancia Delta, as shown in OVA File 2, and Ken-chan had lost to the rally car the year before Natsumi arrived. This is why I believe that the reason why Nakajima’s bike had been totalled in Miyuki’s flashback (File 9, Season One) had been because of that incident. (Note that it was also raining hard in that certain flashback)

Q: You said Miyuki lived in Okayama Prefecture, but in OVA File 3 she went to Chiba Prefecture! What gives?
A:     I honestly have no idea where her legal address really is. It’s really awfully vague. All the Japanese pages I had visted claimed that she had heralded from Okayama Prefecture, which is far, far west of Tokyo. And since they’re Japanese, they should know more about the Japanese-made series, right? Who are we to argue with them? But in OVA 3, as everybody else who had seen it knows, Miyuki had a class reunion in Chiba Prefecture, an area just a little ways south east of the Kanto region. We read in the screen that the name of her high school was "Kimitsu High School", and after conducting a research, I found out that there really is a high school in Chiba Prefecture named "Kimitsu"!!
        So it’s either she lived in Okayama in the manga and in Chiba in the anime, or before entering police academy after high school her family moved to Okayama. You decide.

Q: The Moto Compo has always been equivalent to "Today’s" partner, right?
A:     In the anime, that would be a huge yes. In the manga, that would be a "not quite". In fact, the Moto Compo was shown in less than five issues in the manga (three in my current count), as compared to its constant appearance in the anime.
        Why is this so? There are actually three mini-motorcycles in the manga that Natsumi and Miyuki fondly called "juniors". The Moto Compo was "Jr. 2", while Natsumi’s YSR was "Jr. 1". But these little things are not strapped to "Today’s" trunk all the time, unlike the anime. If anything, they even lost space at the back when Miyuki got and extensively modified her new 4WD "Today" by the end of the series.
        A friend told me that the Moto Compo was probably made into a regular in the anime not only for the storyline, but also to please Honda itself, especially since the company had given the producers of the anime the permission to extensively show "Today" (since the car is practically the trademark vehicle of the manga). Of course, that’s only speculation. The best explanation is that out of all the "juniors" in the manga, the Moto Compo has the most appearance.

Q: Can "Today" really carry a Moto Compo at the back?
A:     Perhaps. Although "Today" really wasn’t meant to carry a Moto Compo (it was meant for another car, but I can’t remember the name), since the motorcycle is quite small, there is a huge possibility that it can. Besides, the producers of the OVA had aimed for realism, especially on vehicles, so I suppose it does fit. I’ve yet to see it done in real life, though.
        Here’s an interesting note, though: In a recent car show, Honda had presented a concept mini-car - the only one of its kind - that can carry not one, but two Moto Compos at the back. The developers admitted that the idea of the concept car had been taken from Taiho Shichauzo. *^^*

Q: If Miyuki and Natsumi are Traffic Police Officers, why are they always helping out with the Investigations Unit?
A:     Mainly because they want to (File 11, Season One), Tokuno-san asked for their help (File 26, Season One, and a number of other episodes), or if the local police officers in kobans or if Headquarters asks them to (File 2, Season Two). If ever they do end up working on some serious crime, it’s either because they stumbled upon it (File 30, Season One), it’s related to their field (Files 49-51, Season One), or they had no choice due to the lack of manpower in the station (Movie).

Q: Considering all their achievements, why aren’t they promoted/moved to the investigations section?
A:     Because policewomen in Japan normally do not get promoted to higher positions - Assistant Police Inspector Kinoshita is already an awfully rare exception. This is because women are expected to resign once they get married, so they found no need to place them in higher places if they’re going to leave in the future anyway. Aside from this, police officers in Japan just don’t get promoted on a whim - they need to take examinations and interviews first before it is decided if they should move to a higher level. Also, women don’t get assigned to the investigations unit, although, like Tokuno-san, the detectives may ask for their help, particularly in undercover investigations.
        Besides, consider the amount of "apology letters" they usually come up with whenever they solve cases. Perhaps, aside from ensuring that the case is solved, they also need to tone down on damages, ne? *^^*

Q: How come it didn’t take long before Toukairin and Natsumi got together, and virtually forever before Nakajima and Miyuki became a couple?
A:     There are actually a few reasons why. One, compared to her partner, Natsumi is direct and voices out her feelings easily, thus the earlier Toukairin realizes that she’s also in love with him. Toukairin isn’t the type of person who gets easily embarassed either. In the meantime, both Nakajima and Miyuki are awfully shy - too shy to say something even as simple as "I like you".
        If ever a perfect moment does come for the two of them to voice out their feelings, in comes reason number two: Everybody meddles with their relationship. While Natsumi and Toukairin have the luxury of privacy, Nakajima and Miyuki has everone’s eyes on them. It does help. Sometimes. But it does more damage than good. How would you feel if everytime you spend time with your crush, everyone is looking at you without even attempting to hide it?

Q: If the other police officers are bothering Miyuki and Nakajima so much, then why doesn’t Kachou do something about it?
A:     Mainly because he himself is among those police officers who are monitoring their relationship. *^^* But before you go on complaining how rude they are, you should know that in Japan, it is possible for police officers, especially section chiefs, to set up dates and such for his unmarried subordinates. Thus, there is nothing really odd about the way Kachou is acting over Miyuki and Nakajima’s relationship. If anything, he’s just doing his job.

Q: Kinoshita’s position is superior to Kachou’s, right?
A:     Wrong. The reason why most people seem to think that Kinoshita is superior to the chief is because Kinoshita is assigned to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Headquarters, and she does seem to be rather more commanding than Kachou is. But this is a huge misconception. Kinoshita’s rank is "keibuho" (assistant police inspector), and section chiefs have the rank of "keibu" (police inspector). This rank is definitely higher than "keibuho" in the hierarchy, thus making Kachou (and even Tokuno-san) superior to Kinoshita.

Q: Does the Bokuto Police Station in the series exist?
A:     No, it doesn’t. A police station named "Bokuto Police Station" really does exist in Tokyo, which housed the most resolute Traffic Control Department in Japan (as one Japanese site had stated). Its other name, "Keishichou 7th District Police Station", could be designated to that station, or to another one that also exists. The location where the Bokuto Police Station in the anime is situated is also definitely real. But the station in itself is non-existent. The current occupier of the lot where the station supposedly stands on is the Tokyo Metropolitan Bokuto General Hospital.

Q: Why would Kosuke Fujishima place a non-existent station on what was supposed to be a hospital when he could just make use of the real one?
A:     Who knows? However, this information may be of some help: Fujishima-san once lived in an apartment in front of the Bokuto Hospital. I’m just not sure if he’s still staying there up ’till now.

Q: "Today" can’t be that fast, even with all those modifications. How come Miyuki could easily catch up with traffic violators who have much, much more powerful cars?
A:     Two reasons. Number one. Looks can be deceiving. "Today" may not be as powerful, but most violators mistake it for being "just a mini-pat" that they’re taken completely by surprise when they discover its actual capabilities, especially when Miyuki turns on the nitro.
        Number two. Usually, the road chases in the series happen in the city. With all the cars, traffic, people, and all the possible routes a vehicle could take, a powerful car cannot make full use of its speed. It will always have to slow down eventually. This is a huge disadvantage to most drivers. In the meantime, Miyuki uses this concept (and her driving technique) to her own advantage - drifting/sliding "Today" into corners won’t let her lose too much speed, thus gaining much needed ground when chasing after the violator.

Q: So you mean to say that if "Today" was chasing after a vehicle in a straight-way, it would lose?
A:     Yes, it would. But this is really where the nitrous oxide boost comes in handy. Haven’t you noticed that Miyuki almost always uses the nitro on straight-ways? This lets her catch up with the vehicle she’s chasing, and most of the time overtake it, especially if the driver has severly underestimated "Today".

Q: That’s the nitro’s only use? To chase after vehicles in straight-ways?
A:     Supposedly yes. It’s extremely dangerous to use a nitrous oxide boost when turning at corners. Actually, even overtaking is dangerous in nitro-induced speeds! A slight wrong movement of the steering wheel on the driver’s part could already spell huge disaster. It’s just that Miyuki’s precise driving lets her control vehicles that are moving even at extremely high speeds (as stated by Daimaru in File 16, 1st Season), enabling her to use the nitro at practically anything. So in effect, the nitro has more than one use for her.