TV-Series
Description
Yūji Endō serves as a loan shark for the Teiai Corporation, utilizing predatory lending with exorbitant, illegal interest rates to trap desperate individuals in perpetual debt. He forces Kaiji Itō onto the gambling ship Espoir to settle a co-signed debt after the original borrower, Takeshi Furuhata, defaults, presenting the gamble as an opportunity despite its severe risks, including forced labor for losers.
Following Kaiji’s loss on the Espoir, Endō directs him to an undisclosed gamble at the Starside Hotel. He later criticizes Kaiji and Nakayama for their hesitation during the Human Derby event, costing them a higher placement, and vaguely promises future opportunities despite the lethal nature of subsequent Teiai games. After Yukio Tonegawa’s demotion, Endō’s standing diminishes due to his association with Tonegawa’s faction. He subsequently drugs Kaiji upon his return from a loss against Kazutaka Hyōdō, sending him to Teiai’s underground labor camp to work off the debt per corporate policy.
During Kaiji’s confrontation with The Bog, Endō forms a temporary alliance, providing 50 million yen in loans for equipment. He safeguards the machine from tampering and later extends an additional 10 million yen loan under extreme duress. Kaiji fails to review the contract terms, which include a compounding 30% interest rate accruing every ten minutes. After Kaiji’s victory, Endō drugs him and Sakazaki, confiscating their winnings to enforce this punitive clause. Despite the chance to seize all funds, he adheres strictly to the agreement’s terms, citing a personal "code of conduct" while expressing contempt for Kaiji’s altruism.
Later, Endō ascends within Teiai, commanding blacksuits during the pursuit of Kaiji, Chang, and Mario Garcia after their escape with 2.4 billion yen. He employs aggressive tactics, surveilling banks, train stations, and hotels nationwide. His investigations lead him to Kaiji’s mother’s apartment, where he interrogates her after she departs. Kaiji evades capture using an elaborate disguise, exploiting Endō’s team’s inability to recognize him without a motorcycle helmet. Endō later assaults Takeshi Arima, owner of an RV rental shop, to uncover Kaiji’s vehicle details, but Arima—forewarned by Kaiji—hides the rental documents, thwarting the search.
Endō’s strategies repeatedly falter from underestimating Kaiji’s ingenuity. He assumes the group uses trains to transport the money and later speculates they might convert cash to gold, abandoning both theories as impractical. After deducing their RV usage during a camping trip with Yoshihiro Kurosaki, he intensifies efforts to locate the vehicle but fails to intercept them.
In the *Chūkan Kanriroku Tonegawa* spin-off, Endō appears during a rehearsal for Restricted Rock-Paper-Scissors. Misinterpreting Tonegawa’s objectives, his actions complicate the rehearsal. He also abandons Honda Masayasu in a forest during an unrelated incident.
Endō views impoverished individuals as "scum" and exploits their desperation to maintain control. Despite occasional alliances, his actions consistently prioritize profit and enforce Teiai’s ruthless policies. His methodology includes gathering extensive personal details on debtors for coercion, exemplified by his intrusion into Kaiji’s family life during the manhunt.
Following Kaiji’s loss on the Espoir, Endō directs him to an undisclosed gamble at the Starside Hotel. He later criticizes Kaiji and Nakayama for their hesitation during the Human Derby event, costing them a higher placement, and vaguely promises future opportunities despite the lethal nature of subsequent Teiai games. After Yukio Tonegawa’s demotion, Endō’s standing diminishes due to his association with Tonegawa’s faction. He subsequently drugs Kaiji upon his return from a loss against Kazutaka Hyōdō, sending him to Teiai’s underground labor camp to work off the debt per corporate policy.
During Kaiji’s confrontation with The Bog, Endō forms a temporary alliance, providing 50 million yen in loans for equipment. He safeguards the machine from tampering and later extends an additional 10 million yen loan under extreme duress. Kaiji fails to review the contract terms, which include a compounding 30% interest rate accruing every ten minutes. After Kaiji’s victory, Endō drugs him and Sakazaki, confiscating their winnings to enforce this punitive clause. Despite the chance to seize all funds, he adheres strictly to the agreement’s terms, citing a personal "code of conduct" while expressing contempt for Kaiji’s altruism.
Later, Endō ascends within Teiai, commanding blacksuits during the pursuit of Kaiji, Chang, and Mario Garcia after their escape with 2.4 billion yen. He employs aggressive tactics, surveilling banks, train stations, and hotels nationwide. His investigations lead him to Kaiji’s mother’s apartment, where he interrogates her after she departs. Kaiji evades capture using an elaborate disguise, exploiting Endō’s team’s inability to recognize him without a motorcycle helmet. Endō later assaults Takeshi Arima, owner of an RV rental shop, to uncover Kaiji’s vehicle details, but Arima—forewarned by Kaiji—hides the rental documents, thwarting the search.
Endō’s strategies repeatedly falter from underestimating Kaiji’s ingenuity. He assumes the group uses trains to transport the money and later speculates they might convert cash to gold, abandoning both theories as impractical. After deducing their RV usage during a camping trip with Yoshihiro Kurosaki, he intensifies efforts to locate the vehicle but fails to intercept them.
In the *Chūkan Kanriroku Tonegawa* spin-off, Endō appears during a rehearsal for Restricted Rock-Paper-Scissors. Misinterpreting Tonegawa’s objectives, his actions complicate the rehearsal. He also abandons Honda Masayasu in a forest during an unrelated incident.
Endō views impoverished individuals as "scum" and exploits their desperation to maintain control. Despite occasional alliances, his actions consistently prioritize profit and enforce Teiai’s ruthless policies. His methodology includes gathering extensive personal details on debtors for coercion, exemplified by his intrusion into Kaiji’s family life during the manhunt.