Those Days Note Vol. 2 | Writing down the 'those days' that suddenly come to mind, those days note | Saturday at 10 PM, Kindaichi-san came over

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Pao-san's Memoirs | Saturday at 10 PM, Kindaichi-san came over

When I was in elementary school, I had a special time.

Only on Saturday nights was I allowed to watch TV until 11 PM.
It might seem a bit strange by today's standards, but back then, Saturday was not yet a full holiday.

We had school.
It was the era of the so-called 'half-day' school, where we only had classes in the morning.

I would go home at noon and play with my friends in the afternoon.
And when night came, another pleasure awaited.

Only on Saturdays was I allowed to stay up late.

For me, that was a small privilege.

After 10 PM, the atmosphere on TV would change a little.
It was different from children's programs.
Dramas and movies with an adult vibe would start to air.

It's a secret from my parents, but sometimes I could see scenes that were a bit racy by old standards. Since I'm a man, Pao-san, I want to be honest about that.

Of course, that wasn't the only reason.
Well, maybe it was a little bit.

But there was a program that I, back then, looked forward to every Saturday night.

A drama series starting at 10 PM based on novels published by Kadokawa. I am particularly impressed by the Kindaichi Kosuke series based on the works of Seishi Yokomizo.

That's right.
It's Kindaichi Kosuke-san.

For me, when I think of 'Kindaichi-san,' it was Ikko Furuya.

Later on, I learned that many different actors have played Kindaichi Kosuke in movies and dramas. I think many people have a strong impression of Koji Ishizaka in the movies.
I can understand that very well, too.

But for me, the Kindaichi-san in my heart is still Ikko Furuya.

That figure who seemed a bit unreliable, somewhat nonchalant, yet would close in on the core of the case. Like in the original work? When he struggled with his deductions, he would scratch his long hair and dandruff would fall.

And the drama had dark villages, old houses, complex human relationships, and a kind of damp, eerie feeling.

I don't think I understood everything as an elementary school student.
Even so, that atmosphere remains vividly with me.

Saturday at 10 PM. I remember my parents would be asleep by around 10 PM.

The house becomes quiet.
Only the sound of the television flows through the room.
On the screen, Kindaichi-san is chasing the mystery of the case.

For me as a child, it was a time that felt a little scary, a little grown-up, and a little secretive. Even when the next day was a holiday and I had the day off, I was allowed to watch TV until 11 PM. That is why Saturday nights and the nights before holidays were special to me.

It was not an era like today where you can watch your favorite programs whenever you want.
Recording and streaming were not taken for granted.

If you weren't in front of the TV at that time, you would miss it.
That is precisely why that one hour starting at 10 PM carried weight.

And there is one more thing I cannot forget about this drama.

The ending song.

There were two series of the 'Seishi Yokomizo Series,' and it was Miyako Chaki who sang the ending themes.

'Maboroshi no Hito' for the first series.
'Azami no Gotoku Toge Areba' for the second series.

I still love these two songs even now.

A drama I watched from 10 PM on Saturday nights when I was in elementary school.
The world of Kosuke Kindaichi, which was a little scary, a little grown-up, and a little secretive.

Miyako Chaki's singing voice that played at the end of it remained in my childhood memories.
I don't think I was really conscious of the singer's name at the time.
But that voice and melody remained.

After becoming an adult, I bought a best-of album by Miyako Chaki a few years ago.
Of course, it was because I wanted to listen to 'Maboroshi no Hito' and 'Azami no Gotoku Toge Areba'.

When I think about it, it's strange.

The Saturday night 10 PM drama I watched as an elementary school student, trying to act a little more grown-up after my parents had gone to sleep. Decades later, I searched for, bought, and am listening to that ending song again myself.

I think Saturday nights back then were more than just TV time.

Kindaichi-san's mystery solving.
The scariness of old villages and mansions.
And the song by Miyako Chaki that plays at the end.

All of those things combined have become my memory of 'Saturday night at 10 PM'.