Wait And See (Love Theme From Abunai Deka)

I was a kid raised on action movies, particularly of the cop variety. Rush Hour 2, Bad Boys, The Naked Gun, Beverly Hills Cop—all of these movies delivered great action and even better laughs. They really don’t make ’em like they used to.

So color me surprised when I discovered that Japan had its own answer to the buddy-cop formula in the form of Abunai Deka (あぶない刑事; “Dangerous Detectives”).

Between 1986 and 1987, viewers followed the adventures of Hiroshi Tachi—of COOLS Rockabilly Club fame—as Toshiki “Taka” Takayama, alongside Kyōhei Shibata as Yūji Oshita. The two play detectives working out of the fictional Minato Police Station in Naka-ku, Yokohama.

The show definitely feels like it took a few cues from Miami Vice: two hardcore detectives who don’t play by the rules, taking down serious criminals while looking impossibly cool doing it. There are plenty of explosions, car chases, playful banter, and angry police chiefs to go around. And considering the series was originally pitched as a Japanese take on Starsky & Hutch, that influence makes a lot of sense.

What really stood out to me, though, was the phenomenal soundtrack.

You can tell composer Takashi Shōji was a big fan of Blaxploitation soundtracks, because several tracks sound like they could have come straight out of Shaft. Funky basslines, horns, dramatic guitar—the whole soundtrack gives Yokohama this stylish, larger-than-life crime-drama atmosphere. Arguably the most iconic song from the show is the love theme, “Wait and See,” sung by Kiyomi Suzuki (鈴木聖美).

It’s a cheesy ballad that absolutely sounds like it was written for a television drama, but it still manages to be genuinely heartfelt. For some reason, Suzuki sings the entire song in English, which admittedly makes it sound a little hokier, although she does a pretty good job with it.

You’ll probably recognize Kiyomi Suzuki as the sister of Masayuki Suzuki, particularly from songs like “Lonely Chaplin.” That makes me curious why they never recorded a Japanese version of “Wait and See”—or, better yet, turned it into a duet between the two of them.

Funny enough, Suzuki did eventually perform the song as a duet with none other than Michael McDonald, which somehow feels both completely bizarre and appropriate.

Another fun connection for any gamers out there: the song’s lyricist, Linda Hennrick, also worked on music for the Mother/EarthBound series, including songs such as “Pollyanna (I Believe in You),” “Eight Melodies,” and “Bein’ Friends.”