“Informa”. Netflix Series

Informa is a Japanese series directed by Michihito Fujii starring Kenta Kiritani, Reo Sano and Go Morita.

Fancy a series about committed journalists? Yes, the kind that seeks the news and fervently fights to get the scoop… like in the movies before the Internet era.

Informa has just arrived from Japan.

Storyline

Kanji Mishima (Leo Sano) is a reporter for the Weekly Times, a newspaper that mainly reports gossip. He feels a sense of emptiness and discomfort as he spends his days chasing celebrity scandals without a shred of the journalistic spirit he had aspired to. One day, Mishima goes to Amagasaki to pick up a certain person under the direction of Asuka Nagasawa (MEGUMI), the editor-in-chief. Nagasawa sends him off by chance to fulfill Mishima’s former wish to “see a world you would never see if you lived a normal life,” but what awaits him is Keijiro Kihara (Kenta Kiritani), a man who is not a security guard by any stretch of the imagination. Kihara is a former assistant to the second Nishinomiya-kai young leader, and is now well known as an “informer,” an urban legend among informers who is well versed in all areas of the underworld, politics, and the entertainment industry.

Where to Watch Informa

Netflix

The Cast

Kenta Kiritani / Keijirou Kihara	Reo Sano / Kanji Misima
Go Morita / Saeki	Kana Kita / Nana
Yasushi Fuchikami / Kyosuke Kawamura	Ryo Tajima / Okabayashi
Takashi Yamanaka / Toru Hakozaki	Megumi / Asuka Nagasawa
Kazuya Takahashi / Katsuji Maruyama	Renji Ishibashi / Mysterious Gentleman

Episode List

Episode 1

Kanji Mishima (Leo Sano) is a reporter for the Weekly Times, a newspaper that mainly reports gossip. He feels a sense of emptiness and discomfort as he spends his days chasing celebrity scandals without a shred of the journalistic spirit he had aspired to. One day, Mishima goes to Amagasaki to pick up a certain person under the direction of Asuka Nagasawa (MEGUMI), the editor-in-chief. Nagasawa sends him off by chance to fulfill Mishima’s former wish to “see a world you would never see if you lived a normal life,” but what awaits him is Keijiro Kihara (Kenta Kiritani), a man who is not a security guard by any stretch of the imagination. Kihara is a former assistant to the second Nishinomiya-kai young leader, and is now well known as “Informer,” an urban legend among informers who is well versed in all areas of the underworld, politics, and the entertainment industry. At the same time, a mysterious man (Tsuyoshi Morita) is having a business meeting with a man who looks like a secretary at a hotel in Tokyo. Offered a large sum of money, the man promises success, saying that he will finish the deal in three days… Kihara calls Mishima a “clunker” and appoints him as his own driver. He says he has not been to Tokyo in five years. He goes to a cabaret club in Kabukicho, where he is greeted by Nana (Kitakana), a hostess who knows him well. When Nana learns that Mishima has been named “Ponkotsu,” she says something to the effect of “Don’t die, second generation Ponkotsu-kun.” However, just as Mishima is about to ask why, his phone rings, and Kihara’s expression changes completely. It was news of the first murder, which is unprecedented…

Episode 2

A second murder case! Mishima (Leo Sano) is asked by Kihara (Kenta Kiritani) to send an errand boy to find out the whereabouts of a mysterious man (Tsuyoshi Morita), but is threatened by the head of the Rokuguruma Rengo clan and finds himself in a tight spot… Finally, he heads for the man’s hideout! Yamamoto (Takashi Irie), Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, was set on fire and died in the city. Kihara (Kenta Kiritani), convinced by the gruesome manner of the crime that it was the work of a trio including a man (Tsuyoshi Morita) with whom he had a history, heads for a certain restaurant with Mishima (Leo Sano) in tow. Waiting for them is Kawamura Kyosuke (Fuchigami Yasushi), the leader of the Rokuguruma Renmei. When Kawamura confirms the data Kihara gave him, he rages, “Who sent you?”, causing Mishima to tremble. He immediately asks for help from chief editor Nagasawa (MEGUMI), but Nagasawa blasts him and tells him to “show some press guts”. Just when it seems like he is on the verge of extinction, Kihara appears. It was all a ruse by Kihara. Kawamura learns that Mishima has been named “Punkotsu No. 2” by Kihara, and like Nana (Kitakana), he seems to have some feelings for Mishima. Kihara, who has learned the whereabouts of the mysterious trio, heads for the hiding place with the members of the Rokuguruma Rengo. Sensing that his life is in danger, he attempts to escape, but Kihara will have none of it, and Mishima is ordered to accompany him to the hideout and turn on the camera. What he sees there…

Episode 3

The second victim, following the Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, turns out to be the managing director of a construction company involved in an urban development project. Kihara (Kenta Kiritani) learns that the third target is the leader of the Takizawa clan (Tetsuya Chiba) from documents left behind at the hideout of the mysterious man (Tsuyoshi Morita). However, he is unable to locate Takizawa, perhaps fearing an attack. Kihara then takes Mishima (Leo Sano) to the Takizawa clan, and in front of the wakagashira Aida (Hannya) and other energetic clan members, he proudly declares that he already has an idea where Takizawa is. Mishima is bewildered, not understanding Kihara’s intentions, but that night, while drunk at a cabaret club, he is suddenly attacked by someone. Soon after, Mishima discovers that Takizawa is hiding in a certain place, and as usual, he accompanies Kihara, who is aghast. Kihara happily pushes his way through the strange space occupied by men who are apparently not guilded men. He easily defeats the giant of a man standing in his way with a single blow, and then meets up with Aida once again. When Kihara finally confronts the gang leader, he proposes a plan to Takizawa, who is adamant that he has no reason to fear for his life. After receiving a large sum of money from Takizawa, Kihara calls Detective Maruyama (Kazuya Takahashi) and asks him to pass information about Takizawa to the investigative headquarters. Meanwhile, Mishima learns from his senior reporter Hakozaki (Takashi Yamanaka) that a young man was shot dead five years ago in a mysterious gang war, and he thinks it may have been “Clunker No. 1,” his predecessor and Kihara’s driver…

Episode 4

As Kihara (Kenta Kiritani) reads, the ringleader of the serial murder case (Tsuyoshi Morita) comes to the club in pursuit of his third target, Takizawa (Tetsuya Chiba). Kihara finally confronts his fated opponent for the first time in five years. Kihara says, “I’ve come to pay back what I owed you five years ago,” and as if finally remembering his face, the man makes a provocative remark, “You were the one crying back then, right?” he said provocatively. Kihara’s expression wavers slightly. When a fierce brawl between the man’s gang and the Rokuguruma Rengo begins, the man takes advantage of the chaos and disappears. However, with the support of Kawamura (Yasushi Fuchigami), Kihara succeeds in capturing Kim (Wataru Ichinose), a close associate of the man. Together with Kawamura, Kihara tries to hurt Kim and find out the man’s whereabouts. Kawamura is more passionate than ever, saying, “I owe these guys a debt.” Kihara, while trying to control Kawamura, orders Mishima (Leo Sano) to “take a video” of the incident. However, Mishima, who witnessed the gruesome and merciless act, flees from the scene…

Episode 5

After failing to capture Takizawa (Tetsuya Chiba), the next target of the fireman case, and having his companion Kim (Wataru Ichinose) captured by Kihara (Kenta Kiritani), the man (Go Morita) abducts Kawamura (Yasushi Fuchigami) in retaliation. Kihara is impatient, but a call from Okabayashi (Ryo Tajima) leads to an exchange of custody between Kawamura and Kim at a restaurant. Meanwhile, Mishima (Leo Sano), who is out of the Informer’s coverage, runs into Nana (Kana Kita) on her way home from shopping in town. Next to her is her daughter, Ai (Aizuki Terada), who says that today is her birthday. Ai, the star of the birthday party, is looking forward to the arrival of her “uncle” to celebrate with her, but he never shows up. Afterwards, Mishima takes them home and sees a picture of a man displayed in his room. Kihara heads for the restaurant where he is to deal with the mysterious man, and Hakozaki (Takashi Yamanaka) accompanies him on Mishima’s behalf. As Kihara tells him to do, Hakozaki is taking shots with his camera from a distance when Okabayashi and a man appear with Kawamura. The tense but seemingly peaceful exchange of custody begins, but from one moment to the next, Kihara’s scenario falls apart…

Episode 6

“I used to be my dad’s chauffeur, just like No. 2-kun.” When Mishima (Leo Sano) sees a photo on the altar and asks about the relationship between her late husband Ainosuke (Ryusei Yokohama) and Kihara (Kenta Kiritani), Nana (Kiana Kita) begins to talk about the sad events that occurred five years ago. Ponkotsu No. 1 – Kawamura Ainosuke, younger brother of Kawamura (Fuchigami Yasushi), was Kihara’s driver who started a new business as an informer five years ago. Kihara, who is a “clunker,” calls Ainosuke a “clunker,” but Kihara is always grateful to him and loves him. Then one day, a magazine reporter, Nagasawa (MEGUMI), who was working undercover as a cabaret girl at the time, gets information that a big businessman is holding an orgy with stars and models at his villa. Kihara, who smells a dollar-box deal, rides to the villa with Ainosuke to seize the scene. Meanwhile, a mysterious old gentleman (Renji Ishibashi) has called a group of three men, including a man (Tsuyoshi Morita), to his office. The men are ordered to go on a certain mission with the words, “You must protect Japan,” and head for the villa at the same time as Kihara and Ainosuke. At the villa, Kihara seizes the businessman’s fatal moment. However, an unexpected visitor shows up there.

Episode 7

Kawamura (Yasushi Fuchigami) is dead. The police put a warrant out for Kihara (Kenta Kiritani), who was caught on security camera, for the murder of Kawamura, but Kihara  is still missing. According to detective Maruyama (Kazuya Takahashi), under pressure from someone, the police intend to frame Kihara as the murderer and close the case. Meanwhile, Hakozaki (Takashi Yamanaka), who was covering the scene on behalf of Mishima (Leo Sano), is also in a critical condition, unconscious and in danger. Nagasawa (MEGUMI), who has had a valued subordinate injured, cannot let the case end like this, and offers Maruyama a deal. At the same time, the Takizawa clan is under investigation for their involvement in Kawamura’s murder. Takizawa (Tetsuya Chiba), the leader of the Takizawa clan, who had escaped once but was terrified that he might be attacked again at any moment, is meekly taken in by Maruyama’s subordinate Mizukoshi (Motoki Nishimura), who tells him that he is still safer at the police station…. At Kawamura’s wake, Nana (Kita Kana) is acting stout-heartedly while Kuzuo (Ryutaro Ninomiya) and the other members of the Rokuguruma Rengo gang are in mourning. Then, Aida (Hannya) and the rest of the Takizawa clan arrive on the scene. They say that Takizawa, who was supposed to have been taken away by the police, has gone missing. Mishima thinks it is the work of a mysterious man (Tsuyoshi Morita). The members of the Rokuguruma-rengo and Takizawa-gumi are in high spirits. But when Kihara finally shows up, he tells Mishima that he has been fired from his job as a driver, and that he should return to his main job as a reporter…

Episode 8

While the Rokuguruma Rengo – whose leader Kawamura (Yasushi Fuchigami) was killed, and the Takizawa clan – which wants its leader back, gather to fight back, Kihara (Kenta Kiritani) receives information from a source that a mysterious man (Go Morita) and his group will appear at a certain building tonight. Kihara decides that this is not a simple matter, so he engages an old acquaintance, an ex-police officer, to help him out with a plan. Mishima (Leo Sano), who has been listening to Kihara’s story, is curious as to who Kihara’s “source” is, but Kihara refuses to answer and tells Mishima to prepare something. At night, Okabayashi (Ryo Tajima) and Kim (Wataru Ichinose) show up with Takizawa (Tetsuya Chiba), as expected. After being detained, Takizawa meets Ishigami (Renji Ishibashi), the former Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, through a computer screen. Ishigami, without changing his expression, tells Takizawa about an incident that happened three years ago. A man is listening in the background. Kihara, Takizawa’s group, and the Rokuguruma Rengo storm into the building, and a fierce brawl breaks out. Mishima (Leo Sano), who was remotely monitoring the scene with a camera, gets involved and manages to fight back, but gradually loses consciousness…

Episode 9

One night after the fierce brawl, Kihara (Kenta Kiritani) rushes to find the hideout of the man (Tsuyoshi Morita) and the others using the GPS in Okabayashi’s (Ryo Tajima) car, while Mishima (Leo Sano) asks something that has been bothering him. “How did you know where those guys were yesterday without GPS?” He replied, “I don’t know.” Kihara, who was reluctant to say who the source of the story was, was not ready to back down, but Mishima, who was ever stubborn, confided in him that there was a certain person in his life. Late at night in the editorial department, Arimura (Ryoka Oshima), who has taken over from Mishima, is investigating Ishigami, the former Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism, when she notices detective Mizukoshi (Motoki Nishimura) ransacking a desk in an out-of-the-way room. Arimura is horrified by Mizukoshi’s out-of-the-ordinary behavior. Apparently, Mizukoshi has come to look for something that chief editor Nagasawa (MEGUMI) has entrusted to him from Maruyama (Kazuya Takahashi). Nagasawa, sensing the danger in proceeding with the story, orders Mishima to back off from Kihara and the others as well. However, Mishima, determined to see Kihara’s fight through to the end, rushed out of the editorial office without hearing Nagasawa’s warning…. Meanwhile, Kihara, who was busy gathering information, was meeting with an unexpected person in order to clear his suspicions, which grew as he pursued the man.

Episode 10