WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Episode 4 of Ikebukuro West Gate Park, "Waltz for Baby" now streaming on Funimation.
This week's episode of Ikebukuro West Gate Park shows the series can create a compelling storyline even if the subject matter is a little heavier: domestic violence and a parent's grief of losing a child. Episode 4 possesses a more heartfelt and human touch that wasn't as apparent in previous episodes. The G-Boys take a backseat but for the better: by essentially isolating Makoto from the hustle and bustle of Ikebukuro, we see Makoto not as the Troubleshooter of Ikebukuro but Makoto Majima, a young boy who wants to help people no matter who they are.
After Makoto notices a man laying flowers on the foot of some steps with a sign asking for witnesses to a manslaughter five years ago, he discovers that this man, Yasuhiro Nanjou, lost his son five years ago. His son, Toshi, used to be a leader of a street gang in Ueno, and while he could be aggressive, Nanjou describes Toshi having a kind side as well. Makoto and Nanjou bond when he remarks that if his son was still alive, he'd be around Makoto's age and Makoto reveals that his father died as well.
Makoto offers to ask around. While they're talking, Nanjou's grandson Akihiro and daughter-in-law Harumi visit Toshi's grave. Makoto notices Harumi's expression change at the sight of a pregnant woman watching them from the shadows. Nanjou drives Makoto home in a jazz taxi while Night Train plays in the background.
With Takashi's help, Makoto learns that Toshi's gang was called Team Apollo. When he tries to ask for information around Toshi, however, everyone in Apollo is tight-lipped. When he refuses to stop investigating, he gets beaten up. Makoto manges to get some information from the current leader Rintarou, who tells Makoto that although Toshi was kind, his kindness was limited to only certain individuals and he had an unpredictable temper.
Rintarou reveals that Toshi used to hit Harumi. When Kouji, Harumi's current husband, became the second leader, Rintarou was cruel to him as well. He's sure that under Toshi's leadership, Apollo would have fallen apart and it was only because of Kouji that it didn't. He warns him that he should tread carefully when talking to Toshi's father -- there was no reason to hurt a dead son.
Makoto figures out that Akihiro must be Kouji's son and not Toshi's. Harumi admits that as time went on, she and Kouji grew closer with Kouji constantly trying to protect her from Toshi's abuse and they eventually fell in love. When Harumi wanted to leave Toshi, he started hitting her. When he noticed that she was trying to protect her baby, she told him that he wasn't the father. He ran out of the apartment, headed towards Ikebukuro station, and she followed but the next thing she knew, he was dead. Makoto promises he will not tell Nanjou the whole story.
A few days pass and Makoto visits Toshi's grave, Nanjou already there. The older man thanks Makoto for his efforts. Misako suddenly appears with her husband and apologizes to Nanjou, confessing that she was the one who pushed Toshi. The night that Toshi had run out, he had bumped into Misako's husband and a fight erupted. Terrified that her husband would get hurt, Misako pushed Toshi down the stairs.
Her husband tells Nanjou that they'll turn themselves in after the baby is born, but Nanjou doesn't want them to. Unable to stay silent any longer, Harumi confesses that Toshi used to hit her and that Akihiro wasn't his real grandson--to which he smiles bitterly. Nanjou cries as he apologizes to Toshi for failing him as a father and for not getting revenge. Nanjou drives Makoto home as Waltz for Debby plays on the radio. As Makoto looks out the window, he tells him that if he was his son, he would be proud of him.
