TV-Series
Description
Makoto Edamura, alias Edamame, is a Japanese con artist who initially boasts of being Japan's greatest swindler. He uses his mother's surname to distance himself from his father, the corrupt lawyer Seiji Ozaki, whose involvement in human trafficking later severely impacts Makoto's life. His given name, Makoto, meaning "real" or "genuine," stands in ironic contrast to his deceptive existence.
Struggling financially due to his mother's terminal illness, Makoto joins Kudo's fraudulent health tea company. Arrested and imprisoned for this scam, his criminal record and family stigma block legitimate employment. After his mother's death, he fully commits to a life of crime, targeting tourists and the elderly in Japan.
His path changes when he attempts to con the Frenchman Laurent Thierry in Asakusa and is outmaneuvered. Forced to flee police, Makoto travels with Laurent to Los Angeles, becoming entangled in international cons. Laurent dubs him "Edamame" due to difficulty pronouncing his surname, a nickname highlighting his inexperience. Initially motivated by ego and money, Makoto's involvement in Laurent's first major con—targeting Hollywood producer and drug trafficker Eddie Cassano—reawakens his suppressed sense of justice. Following this operation, he voluntarily serves prison time and uses his share of the profits to repay past victims, seeking redemption.
Despite repeated attempts to live legitimately—working as a mechanic after release and later trying to help a debt-ridden European family—Makoto is consistently pulled back into Laurent's high-stakes scams. These include rigged air races in Singapore and art forgery in London. His moral compass frequently clashes with Laurent's methods, especially concerning harm to innocent people.
During the fourth case, Makoto infiltrates the yakuza-linked Suzaku Association in Tokyo while probing human trafficking ties to his father. He physically transforms, slicking back his hair, wearing suits, and taking up smoking, adopting a colder, detached persona. Suzaku, the syndicate's leader, views him as a surrogate son, intensifying Makoto's internal conflict between loyalty and morality. This arc culminates in a confrontation with his father, revealing Seiji's coerced involvement in trafficking and Laurent's long-term manipulation of Makoto for revenge against Suzaku.
Makoto speaks Japanese, English, and Chinese fluently, though his English initially carries a noticeable accent. He collects gashapon (capsule toys), using them as tokens of luck or decision-making aids. He develops a significant fear of heights during flight-related cons. His personality evolves from awkward and reactive to strategic and manipulative, yet he retains core empathy and moral anxiety. Relationships with Laurent (combining mentorship with exploitation), Abigail Jones (platonic respect amid emotional distance), and Cynthia Moore (shared growth through forgiveness) shape his journey. After faking his death to spare Suzaku emotional pain, he considers opening a café, signaling a potential turn toward stability.
Struggling financially due to his mother's terminal illness, Makoto joins Kudo's fraudulent health tea company. Arrested and imprisoned for this scam, his criminal record and family stigma block legitimate employment. After his mother's death, he fully commits to a life of crime, targeting tourists and the elderly in Japan.
His path changes when he attempts to con the Frenchman Laurent Thierry in Asakusa and is outmaneuvered. Forced to flee police, Makoto travels with Laurent to Los Angeles, becoming entangled in international cons. Laurent dubs him "Edamame" due to difficulty pronouncing his surname, a nickname highlighting his inexperience. Initially motivated by ego and money, Makoto's involvement in Laurent's first major con—targeting Hollywood producer and drug trafficker Eddie Cassano—reawakens his suppressed sense of justice. Following this operation, he voluntarily serves prison time and uses his share of the profits to repay past victims, seeking redemption.
Despite repeated attempts to live legitimately—working as a mechanic after release and later trying to help a debt-ridden European family—Makoto is consistently pulled back into Laurent's high-stakes scams. These include rigged air races in Singapore and art forgery in London. His moral compass frequently clashes with Laurent's methods, especially concerning harm to innocent people.
During the fourth case, Makoto infiltrates the yakuza-linked Suzaku Association in Tokyo while probing human trafficking ties to his father. He physically transforms, slicking back his hair, wearing suits, and taking up smoking, adopting a colder, detached persona. Suzaku, the syndicate's leader, views him as a surrogate son, intensifying Makoto's internal conflict between loyalty and morality. This arc culminates in a confrontation with his father, revealing Seiji's coerced involvement in trafficking and Laurent's long-term manipulation of Makoto for revenge against Suzaku.
Makoto speaks Japanese, English, and Chinese fluently, though his English initially carries a noticeable accent. He collects gashapon (capsule toys), using them as tokens of luck or decision-making aids. He develops a significant fear of heights during flight-related cons. His personality evolves from awkward and reactive to strategic and manipulative, yet he retains core empathy and moral anxiety. Relationships with Laurent (combining mentorship with exploitation), Abigail Jones (platonic respect amid emotional distance), and Cynthia Moore (shared growth through forgiveness) shape his journey. After faking his death to spare Suzaku emotional pain, he considers opening a café, signaling a potential turn toward stability.