Aki (James Bond)

Last updated

Aki
James Bond character
Akiko wakabayashi.jpg
Akiko Wakabayashi as Aki in You Only Live Twice
First appearance You Only Live Twice (1967 film)
Last appearance You Only Live Twice (1967 film)
Created byRoald Dahl
Portrayed by Akiko Wakabayashi
In-universe information
GenderFemale
OccupationSecret agent
AffiliationJapanese Secret Service
NationalityJapanese
Classification Bond girl
Age26
StatusDeceased

Aki is a fictional character created for the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice . In the film, Aki, played by Akiko Wakabayashi, is a female ninja agent with the fictional Japanese Secret Intelligence Service (SIS).

Contents

Creation

Aki's Toyota 2000GT Open-Top on display at the Toyota Automobile Museum. It was ranked as the seventh best car in the James Bond series by Complex in 2011. TOYOTA 2000GT Bond vehicles.jpg
Aki's Toyota 2000GT Open-Top on display at the Toyota Automobile Museum. It was ranked as the seventh best car in the James Bond series by Complex in 2011.

Aki does not appear in Ian Fleming's 1964 novel. She was originally named Suki in Roald Dahl's screenplay. According to The James Bond Films, the character was "Dahl's tribute to the Japanese woman of the Sixties". [2] The character is portrayed as an attractive female Japanese SIS agent, a skilled ninja and an expert driver who often uses her skills at driving her white Toyota 2000GT sports car equipped with several high-tech communication devices. [1]

Mie Hama was cast to play Suki, but she had trouble learning English; to solve the problem, she and Akiko Wakabayashi, originally cast to play the part of almost-silent Kissy Suzuki, decided to swap their respective roles. Wakabayashi then convinced director Lewis Gilbert to change the name of her character to Aki. [3] [4]

Character

Aki is first seen when 007 meets her at a sumo wrestling show. Bond is there to meet a contact who will take him to Mr. Henderson, M's recommended contact in Japan. He confirms that Aki is his contact by saying the code words "I love you" to her. Aki takes Bond to meet Henderson in her car. After Henderson is killed during their meeting, Bond attacks and kills one of Henderson's killers. Taking the man's place, he is driven to the Osato Chemical Works HQ, where he is discovered by the villains. Aki rescues him, using her skills as a driver, then takes him to meet her boss, Tiger Tanaka. It is after this meeting that a bikini-clad Aki invites Bond to spend the night with her, famously [5] [6] saying "I think I will enjoy very much serving under you", before Bond carries her to bed.

The next morning, Bond returns to the Osato Chemical Works and meets Blofeld's henchman Mr Osato. Leaving after the meeting, he is pursued by SPECTRE gunmen, from whom Aki rescues him again. The gunmen chase Aki's car and she leads them out into the countryside, where a SIS helicopter lifts the gunmen's car off the road with a giant magnet and drops it into the sea (in 2012, Complex ranked it as the sixth best James Bond chase scene [7] ). She then takes him to a quayside to investigate a ship he suspects is being used by the villains. When investigating the ship Bond and Aki are attacked by SPECTRE henchmen. Bond tells her to leave and report to Tanaka; Aki refuses to leave Bond at first, but eventually complies.

Aki next appears after Bond is captured and almost killed by Helga Brandt, when she meets with him back at Tanaka's headquarters and Bond is about to go on another mission that she cannot accompany him on. When Bond returns to the base in Kyoto, Aki meets him there to discuss the plan to disrupt SPECTRE's plot. She had hoped to play the part of Bond's "wife" in the cover operation, however this was vetoed as she was not a native of the Ama island.

While still in Kyoto, Aki helps Bond assume his Japanese disguise and they spend the night together. While they are sleeping ninja assassin stealthily enters the bedroom and tries to poison Bond by dripping poison down a thread. [4] (Dahl took inspiration for this by watching a similar scene in the first film in the Shinobi no Mono ninja film series.) It is a method often attributed to Ishikawa Goemon. Bond, however, moves in his sleep and Aki, also still sleeping, moves to his position and unwittingly takes the poison instead. Aki starts to breath heavily and gasp, waking Bond who then kills the assassin. Aki tries to speak but dies before she can say anything. The scene was accompanied by the musical track "The Death of Aki" by John Barry.

Bond moves on from Aki's death straight away and continues with his ninja training. Soon after he is introduced Kissy Suzuki who had already been chosen to play the part of his cover wife.

Reception

Various lists frequently ranked Aki among the best Bond girls ever, including as tenth by Zimbio in 2008 ("So beautiful you almost forget that Sean Connery has been ridiculously made up to look Japanese. Almost"), [8] ninth by Postmedia News the same year ("Kissy Suzuki is considered the 'main' Bond girl in this film, but Aki has a bigger role and is more memorable"), [9] and eight by WagerWeb in 2009 ("Hot Japanese agent, she kicks ass and looks damn fine doing it. Besides, she dies to save James Bond, you have to give her some extra credit for that"). [10] According to UGO, "although Akiko Wakabayashi is charming in the role, her chemistry with Bond is disappointing, and she lacks both the look and the attitude to make her a good Bond girl," [11] but in another article UGO praised her as "Bond's super-hot guardian angel". [4] Den of Geek included her in their 2008 list of ten James Bond characters who deserve their own spin-off. [12] Esquire magazine dubbed Aki "the Girl Friday of Tiger Tanaka" and "Tiger's Pussycat". [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SPECTRE</span> Fictional organisation in the James Bond franchise

SPECTRE is a fictional organisation featured in the James Bond novels by Ian Fleming, as well as films and video games based in the same universe. Led by criminal mastermind Ernst Stavro Blofeld, SPECTRE first formally appeared in the novel Thunderball (1961) and in the film Dr. No (1962). The international organisation is not aligned with any nation or political ideology, enabling the later Bond books and Bond films to be regarded as somewhat apolitical. The presence of former Gestapo members in the organization can be considered as a sign of Fleming's warnings about Nazi fugitives after the Second World War, as first detailed in the novel Moonraker (1954). In the novels, SPECTRE begins as a small group of criminals, but in the films it is depicted as a vast international organisation with its own SPECTRE Island training base capable of replacing the Soviet SMERSH.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernst Stavro Blofeld</span> Fictional James Bond villain

Ernst Stavro Blofeld is a fictional villain in the James Bond series of novels and films, created by Ian Fleming. A criminal mastermind with aspirations of world domination, he is the archenemy of British MI6 agent James Bond. Blofeld is head of the global criminal organisation SPECTRE and is commonly referred to by the codename Number 1 within this organisation. The character was originally written by Fleming as a physically massive and powerfully built man, standing around 6' 3" and weighing 20 st, who had become flabby with a huge belly.

<i>You Only Live Twice</i> (novel) 1964 James Bond novel by Ian Fleming

You Only Live Twice is the eleventh novel and twelfth book in Ian Fleming's James Bond series. It was first published by Jonathan Cape in the United Kingdom on 26 March 1964 and quickly sold out. It was the last novel Fleming published in his lifetime. He based his book in Japan after a stay in 1959 as part of a trip around the world that he published as Thrilling Cities. He returned to Japan in 1962 and spent twelve days exploring the country and its culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bond girl</span> Female love interest and/or sidekick of James Bond

A Bond girl is a character who is a love interest, female companion or (occasionally) an adversary of James Bond in a novel, film, or video game. Bond girls occasionally have names that are double entendres or sexual puns, such as Plenty O'Toole, Holly Goodhead, or Xenia Onatopp. The female leads in the films, such as Ursula Andress, Honor Blackman, or Eva Green, can also be referred to as "Bond girls". The term Bond girl may also be considered as an anachronism, with some female cast members in the films preferring the designation Bond woman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akiko Wakabayashi</span> Japanese actress

Akiko Wakabayashi is a retired Japanese actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yukio (comics)</span> Fictional character in the Marvel Universe

Yukio (雪緒) is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. She is a female ninja of Japanese origin and a supporting character of the X-Men, particularly associated with Wolverine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Domino Vitali</span> Fictional character

Dominetta Vitali, known simply as Domino, is a fictional character and the main Bond girl in the James Bond novel Thunderball. For the 1965 film adaptation of the same name, her name was changed to Dominique Derval, nicknamed Domino, and she was portrayed by French actress Claudine Auger. In the 1983 film adaptation Never Say Never Again, her character was renamed Domino Petachi and she was portrayed by American actress Kim Basinger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kissy Suzuki</span> Fictional Japanese secret agent in the James Bond franchise

Kissy Suzuki is a fictional character introduced in Ian Fleming's 1964 James Bond novel, You Only Live Twice. Despite Bond's womanizing, Kissy Suzuki remains the only character known to the reader who bears a child by him. The treatment of Kissy varies greatly between the novel and the film, where she is never identified by her name, no family name appears in the closing credits and the film ends in the usual Bond-style happy ending.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mie Hama</span> Japanese actress (born 1943)

Mie Hama is a Japanese former actress, television presenter, radio presenter, and author best known for playing Fumiko Sakurai in the 1962 Godzilla film, King Kong vs. Godzilla, Kissy Suzuki in the 1967 James Bond film, You Only Live Twice, and Madame Piranha in the 1967 King Kong film, King Kong Escapes.

<i>You Only Live Twice</i> (film) 1967 James Bond film by Lewis Gilbert

You Only Live Twice is a 1967 spy film and the fifth in the James Bond series produced by Eon Productions, starring Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It is the first Bond film to be directed by Lewis Gilbert, who later directed the 1977 film The Spy Who Loved Me and the 1979 film Moonraker, both starring Roger Moore. The screenplay of You Only Live Twice was written by Roald Dahl, and loosely based on Ian Fleming's 1964 novel of the same name. It is the first James Bond film to discard most of Fleming's plot, using only a few characters and locations from the book as the background for an entirely new story.

<i>You Only Live Twice</i> (soundtrack) 1967 soundtrack album by John Barry

You Only Live Twice is the soundtrack for the fifth James Bond film of the same name. It was composed by Bond veteran John Barry. At the time, this was his fourth credited Bond film. The theme song, "You Only Live Twice", was sung by Nancy Sinatra, the first non-British vocalist of the series, with music by Barry and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse. The soundtrack has previously been available in two versions on CD – the first, a straight reissue of the LP soundtrack, and the second, an expanded reissue including several previously unreleased tracks. The film soundtrack was recorded at CTS Studios, London. It debuted on the top 40 Billboard 200 album chart on 19 August 1967, and went up to 27.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anya Amasova</span> Character from James Bond

Major Anya Amasova is a fictional character in the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me, portrayed by Barbara Bach. Amasova is an agent of the KGB.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tracy Bond</span> Fictional character

Teresa "Tracy" Bond is a fictional character and the main Bond girl in the 1963 James Bond novel On Her Majesty's Secret Service, where she becomes the first Bond girl to marry 007. In the novel’s 1969 film adaptation, Tracy is played by the actress Diana Rigg.

Akiko is a feminine Japanese given name.

<i>Ninja Girls</i> Manga by Tanaka Hosana

Ninja Girls, is a manga by Tanaka Hosana. The manga sets during the civil war in Japan and revolves around a boy named Raizou Katana who is loathed for having a short horn on his forehead. He saves a female ninja, who then tells him that she's his servant and he is an emperor, and she introduces him to her clan of female ninjas who are devoted to restoring his family name.

<i>Servant × Service</i> Japanese manga series by Karino Takatsu

Servant × Service is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Karino Takatsu. It was serialized by Square Enix in Zōkan Young Gangan (2007–2010), Zōkan Young Gangan Big (2011) and Monthly Big Gangan (2011–2014), with its chapters collected in four tankōbon volumes. A 13-episode anime television series adaptation by A-1 Pictures was broadcast from July to September 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sévérine</span> Fictional character in the 2012 film Skyfall

Sévérine is a fictional character who appears in the 23rd James Bond filmSkyfall (2012). Played by Bérénice Marlohe, Sévérine is a former sex slave who works as an accomplice of Raoul Silva. She collaborates with James Bond to stop her boss, but is captured and killed by Silva.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madeleine Swann</span> Character in James Bond films

Madeleine Swann is a character in the James Bond films Spectre (2015) and No Time to Die (2021), played by actress Léa Seydoux. She is one of only two Bond girls to appear in two films and first in the film series to have a child with Bond.

References

  1. 1 2 "7. The "Modern" Car – The Complete Guide To James Bond's Cars (Video)". Complex. 30 November 2011. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  2. Steven Jay Rubin, The James Bond Films: A Behind the Scenes History (p.75)
  3. Paul Simpson, The Rough Guide to James Bond (p.11)
  4. 1 2 3 Cornelius, Ted (15 October 2008). "Aki – Best Bond Girls". UGO.com. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  5. "James Bond girls are feminist icons says Cubby Broccoli's daughter". The Daily Telegraph. 20 September 2008. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  6. "Lucire Living: Releasing from Bondage, as the Bond girls find feminism". Lucire.com. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  7. "6. You Only Live Twice (1967) — The 10 Best James Bond Chase Scenes". Complex. 29 March 2012. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  8. Top 20 Hottest Bond Babes, Zimbio, 23 September 2008. Archived 6 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  9. From Octopussy to Jinx: The Best of the Bond Girls, Canada.com, 14 November 2008
  10. "We rank the top 25 Bond Girls of all time". Entertainment.wagerweb.com. Archived from the original on 31 October 2009. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  11. "Akiko Wakabayashi – Aki | Bond Girls | UGO's World of James Bond". Jamesbond.ugo.com. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  12. "10 James Bond Characters who deserve their own spin-off – Den of Geek". Denofgeek.com. 27 October 2008. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
  13. Robert A. Caplen (2010). Shaken & Stirred: The Feminism of James Bond. Robert Caplen. ISBN   9781453512821.