Himitsu – Top Secret

Himitsu – Top Secret
秘密 -トップ·シークレット-
(Himitsu - Toppu Shiikuretto)
Genre Mystery, Psychological, Sci-fi
Manga
Written by Reiko Shimizu
Published by Hakusensha
Demographic Josei
Magazine Melody
Original run December 19, 2001 – ongoing
Volumes 9
TV anime
Top Secret ~The Revelation~
Directed by Hiroshi Aoyama
Studio Madhouse Studios
Network NTV
Original run April 8, 2008September 30, 2008
Episodes 26
Anime and Manga Portal

Himitsu - Top Secret (秘密 -トップ·シークレット- Himitsu - Toppu Shiikuretto -?, lit. The Top Secret) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Reiko Shimizu. It has been serialized in Melody.

It has been adapted into an anime series, called Top Secret ~The Revelation~ (秘密(トップ·シークレット) 〜The Revelation〜?) by Madhouse Studios and broadcast in Japan on NTV between April 8, 2008 and September 30, 2008.

Contents

Plot

The story takes place five decades from now, when brain scanners have been perfected to the point that the government can retrieve up to five years' worth of memories from people's minds — even if they are dead. The investigators of the National Research Institute of Police Science's 9th Forensics Laboratory must weigh the ethical choices in the ultimate invasion of privacy as they delve into people's minds to solve crimes.

Characters

Anime

The anime uses two pieces of theme music. "Kokoro Film" (ココロフィルム Kokoro Firumu?) by ALvino is the opening theme, while "Kemuri" (?, lit. smoke) by Makichang is the ending theme.

Episode list

# Title Original air date
01 "The Brain and Man's Journey"
"Nou to tabi suru otoko" (脳と旅する男) 
April 8, 2008
A woman is murdered right outside her home, but the suspect is a man who was thought to have been dead for years. 
02 "Top Secret (Part One)"
"Toppu shīkuretto (zenpen)" (トップシークレット(前編)) 
April 15, 2008
The President is murdered, but his only priority upon dying is to dispose of a photo and memo taken from his wallet. 
03 "Top Secret (Part Two)"
"Toppu shīkuretto (kouhen)" (トップシークレット(後編)) 
April 22, 2008
04 "Joyful Song"
"Koufuku na Uta" (幸福な歌) 
April 29, 2008
A group of elderly men are killed when the van they were riding in rolls off of a cliff and into the sea. Upon viewing their memories, a sad truth is revealed. 
05 "Kinuko (First Part)"
"Kinuko (zenpen)" (キヌコ(前編)) 
May 6, 2008
A man who brutally killed his family is finally executed, but upon viewing his memories of the incident, it is revealed that an entirely different scenario took place. 
06 "Kinuko (Last Part)"
"Kinuko (kouhen)" (キヌコ(後編)) 
May 13, 2008
07 "Hidden Face"
"Mienai Kao" (見えない顔) 
May 20, 2008
A wealthy businessman dies in a fire, but upon viewing his memories, it is discovered that he left his inheritance to a young girl who claims to have never met him. 
08 "Remodeling"
"Kaizou" (改造) 
May 27, 2008
A young woman is killed during an extreme body modification ceremony and the team must discover the culprit before another person is killed. 
09 "*(Asterisk)"
"*(Asutarisuku)" (*(アスタリスク)) 
June 3, 2008
An elderly man scarifices his own life in order to save a woman from a serial killer who leaves an asterisk mark on his victims. 
10 "Wind Inside the Box"
"Hako no naka no kaze" (箱の中の鼠) 
June 10, 2008
Inmates awaiting execution are murdered during blackouts in a facility, but the team only has a limited time to find the culprit. 
11 "Don't Reach For That Neck"
"Sono kubi ni te wo dasu na" (その首に手を出すな) 
June 17, 2008
A man is murdered in a small village and Aoki is sent to retrieve the body, but it seems as though someone doesn't want the murderer to be revealed. 
12 "Client (First Part)"
"Raihou sha (zenpen)" (来訪者(前編)) 
June 24, 2008
A group of teenage boys commit suicide and it soon comes to light that they are related to an earlier case that forced Maki to kill his best friend. 
13 "Client (Last Part)"
"Raihou sha (kouhen)" (来訪者(後編)) 
July 1, 2008
14 "The Woman's Red High Heels"
"Akai haihiiru no onna" (赤いハイヒールの女) 
July 8, 2008
A designer shoemaker is murdered and the only clue is his memory of red high-heel shoes. 
15 "Lament"
"Aika" (哀歌) 
June 15, 2008
A young man takes a woman and her baby hostage and his only demand is to have Section Nine view the memories of a prominent man who recently died. 
16 "Final Take"
"Fainaru·Teiku" (ファイナル·テイク) 
July 22, 2008
A famous film director is murdered by a person wearing a Hannya mask and the only clue they have is a woman named Sumire who doesn't exist. 
17 "Witness"
"Mokugeki" (目撃) 
June 29, 2008
The murder of two police officers leads to the truth behind a secret that was meant to be forgotten. 
18 "No One Sees Anything (Part 1)"
"Daremo miteinai (zenpen)" (誰も見ていない(前編)) 
August 5, 2008
19 "No One Sees Anything (Part 2)"
"Daremo miteinai (Chuuhen)" (誰も見ていない(中編)) 
August 12, 2008
20 "No One Is Watching (Final Part)"
"Daremo miteinai (kouhen)" (誰も見ていない(後編)) 
August 19, 2008
21 "Infringement"
"Shinshoku" (侵食) 
August 26, 2008
22 "Countdown"
"Kauntodaun" (カウントダウン) 
September 2, 2008
23 "Search My Body (Part One)"
"Search My Body (zenpen)" (Search My Body(前編)) 
September 9, 2008
The team receives a brain, but it is discovered to belong to Amachi who had recently gone missing. 
24 "Search My Body (Part Two)"
"Search My Body (kouhen)" (Search My Body(後編)) 
September 16, 2008
The team searches Amachi's dreams for clues to the whereabouts of her body and the identity of the person responsible. 
25 "Sacrifice"
"Sakurifaisu" (犠牲(サクリファイス)) 
September 23, 2008
26 "Paradisus"
"Rakuen (Paradisosu)" (楽園(パラディソス)) 
September 30, 2008

Reception

The Himitsu – Top Secret has been recommended by a jury at the 2007 Japan Media Arts Festival[1] and again in 2008.[2]

The fourth volume of Himitsu – Top Secret was ranked 4th on the Tohan charts between January 29 and February 4, 2008.[3] The fifth volume of Himitsu – Top Secret was ranked 5th on the Tohan Charts between July 29 and August 4, 2008.[4] The sixth volume of Himitsu – Top Secret was ranked 29th and 23rd between February 24 and March 9, 2008.[5][6] The seventh volume of Himitsu – Top Secret was ranked 11th on the Tohan charts between October 26 and November 1, 2009,[7] and 28th the following week.[8]

References

  1. ^ "2007 Japan Media Arts Festival Jury Recommends Works". Anime News Network. 2007-12-25. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-12-25/2007-japan-media-arts-festival-jury-recommends-works. Retrieved 2009-02-19. 
  2. ^ "Tsumiki no Ie, Piano Forest, Kaiba Win Media Arts Awards". Anime News Network. 2008-12-10. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-12-10/tsumiki-no-ie-piano-forest-kaiba-win-media-arts-awards. Retrieved 2009-05-25. 
  3. ^ "Japanese Comic Ranking, January 29–February 4". Anime News Network. 2008-02-06. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-02-06/japanese-comic-ranking-january-29-february-4. Retrieved 2009-02-19. 
  4. ^ "Japanese Comic Ranking, July 29–August 4". Anime News Network. 2008-08-06. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-08-06/japanese-comic-ranking-july-29-august-4. Retrieved 2009-02-19. 
  5. ^ "Japanese Comic Ranking, February 24-March 2". Anime News Network. 2009-03-04. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-03-04/japanese-comic-ranking-february-24-march-2. Retrieved 2009-05-25. 
  6. ^ "Japanese Comic Ranking, March 3–9". Anime News Network. 2009-03-18. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-03-18/japanese-comic-ranking-march-3-9. Retrieved 2009-05-25. 
  7. ^ "Japanese Comic Ranking, October 26-November 1". Anime News Network. 2009-11-04. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-11-04/japanese-comic-ranking-october-26-november-1. Retrieved 2009-11-13. 
  8. ^ "Japanese Comic Ranking, November 2–8". Anime News Network. 2009-11-11. http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-11-11/japanese-comic-ranking-november-2-8. Retrieved 2009-11-13. 

External links