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Reiko Catherine Akimoto (秋本・カテリーヌ・麗子, Akimoto Kateri-nu Reiko) is a female main character from the long-running Japanese manga and anime series Kochikame by Osamu Akimoto. She is appointed as a Patrol Officer in the Police Box.

Appearance[]

Reiko (manga - colour)

Reiko's appearance in the manga (full colour).

Reiko is portrayed as the main female beauty in the series, alongside her male counterpart Nakagawa and fellow colleague Maria. She has long, blonde hair that reaches her hips, bangs and eyes that have been portrayed as both blue in the manga and a shade of amber in the anime. She is rather tall and has distinctly large breasts which are especially emphasized in the manga series, and are her feature assets.

When working at the Police Box, she wears her signature pink uniform specially designed for her, which consist of a short skirt and coat with long sleeves. In the manga series, her cleavage is often visible and sometimes become a point of focus for certain suggestive scenes. The emphasis on her breast size and cleavage in clothing are toned down for the anime series.

In her free time, she can be seen wearing expensive, lavish or otherwise fashionable clothes when out with other characters, sometimes of an attention-catching nature. She is also seen more often during these times sporting different hairstyles, such as pigtails or bobs, depending the occasion. Like other characters, her sleeves on her uniform are cut down to T-shirt size in episodes set in summer months.

Personality[]

Reiko manga debut

Reiko's appearance in her manga debut.

Reiko is well-known as the pleasant and sympathetic character who is willing to help others in need and offer advice, alongside her busty and blonde appearance. While in the Police Box, she is known to make tea for the others when not assigned with a particular task. Along with Nakagawa, she is often having to argue with Ryotsu over controversial topics or ideas that are likely to get him into trouble; although this is out of care and consideration for Ryotsu, neither Reiko nor Nakagawa's rebuttals are efficient enough to stop him from doing what he wants to do.

Reiko is a mix of both Japanese and French parents, which would mean that she is Eurasian; having lived in France prior to arriving in Japan, she has received high-class education and is especially skilled in cooking, ballet, music (the violin and piano in particular) and sports. She is in a way a visual representation of a female character who bears both beauty and brains in one.

She appears to show little interest in pursuing men, while on the other hand a lot of men have attempted to win her as a result of her attractiveness and beauty.

Relationships[]

Family[]

Yu Akimoto[]

Yu is the younger sister of Reiko.

Francoise Akimoto[]

Francoise is the mother of Reiko Katherine Akimoto.

Pyunpyunmaru Akimoto[]

Reiko is often seen being either embarrassed or having to save herself from embarrassment out of the things that her father sometimes says. He is extremely keen to have her marry as soon as possible, often asking her if she has found any man worthy of marrying yet, to her constant annoyance. He is the president of Kobe-based Akimoto Trading Zaibatsu.

Police Box Colleagues[]

Kankichi Ryotsu[]

Reiko is typically on very good terms with Ryotsu, oftentimes depicted offering him a cup of tea whilst he is busy or distracted from work, and is the only female character who is consistently keeping him company at the Police Box. She, like Nakagawa, gives to Ryotsu her own opinions and perspectives regarding the topic of discussion which is more based on a global viewpoint which contrasts Ryotsu's heavy Japanese background.

She too ends up having to discourage or oppose the more potentially dangerous schematic ideas that Ryotsu suggests. The tension between the two is somewhat higher, given their gender differences in instances where one or the other is in some way touched or seen partially or fully nude; in Reiko's case, she occasionally has to deal with revulsion from accidentally seeing Ryotsu when his private parts are exposed (prominently in the anime), whilst Ryotsu tends to wonder in excitement in instances where he sees or perceives a partially or fully-nude Reiko, sometimes daydreaming of 'surprise' encounters (although he does this in regards to other female characters, too).

Reiko addresses Ryotsu as Ryo-chan, which indicates that she shows a casually affectionate connection to him.

Keiichi Nakagawa[]

Reiko is considered the female counterpart to Nakagawa, due to their very similar background and mannerisms. As a result, it could be seen that the two share as both are of a Japanese and French mix, have extremely rich parents, and possess high degrees of skill over various talents. Both appear to give similar forms of opinions and advice to Ryotsu and other characters in the series.

Reiko is on very good terms with Nakagawa, and both are able to converse over a wide span of topics, seeing as though both have undergone a vast array of experiences that are out of reach to Ryotsu and sometimes other Japanese characters.

Distinct differences between Reiko and Nakagawa concern their physical appearances, and the choices of several interests; for instance, Reiko is skilled in ballet and cooking whilst Nakagawa concerns himself with business management and finances as an heir. 

Reiko refers to Keiichi as Kei-chan, indicating that she displays a casual and familiar connection to him.

Daijiro Ohara (Bucho)[]

Reiko is consistently viewed positively by Bucho and vice-versa, due to her diligent and understanding character at the Police Box. He trusts her in the work she does, and Reiko shows concern for him in cases where he may be in any sort of problem with himself or Ryotsu. Just like Nakagawa and Terai, she also finds herself often having to explain or break to Ryotsu the news behind Ryotsu's misbehavior and hidden schemes.

In times where Reiko is in some way viewed as exceptionally beautiful (i.e. outside of her work uniform) or partially nude/sexually suggestive (particularly in the manga), Bucho shows a degree of wonder/fascination in her and may daydream about a potential encounter. However this tends to be the case with most other male characters she encounters in such cases.

Katsushika Police HQ[]

Komachi Ono and Naoko Seisho[]

In the anime series, Reiko appears to get on very well with both Naoko and Komachi. She can be seen in several episodes with the duo engaged in a wide array of activities, often related to events or causes organised by the Katsushika Police force, such as cooking or sewing items to put out for sale through group effort. 

Ai Asato (Maria)[]

Hayato Honda[]

Reiko is appreciative of Honda's nature, and alongside Nakagawa, is sometimes seen having to prevent Ryotsu from pressuring Honda into doing dangerous or potentially distressing activities, given his sensitive personality. 

Other characters[]

Reiji Shiratori[]

Almost every story featuring the appearance of Shiratori is accompanied by him attempting something which he has continually failed at on a continual basis (and to her indifference). Despite Reiko's apparent disinterest in him and his behaviour, he continues his efforts in spite of his many rejections.

Trivia[]

  • Reiko's birthday happens to fall on 7th July, which coincides with the Japanese Tanabata Festival. This festival pays tribute to a cultural Japanese story concerning the Weaver as seen in the night sky, and on this day, people typically write wishes to attach onto bamboo trees.
  • Reiko's bust-waist-hip sizes are said to be 95-59-90 centimeters respectively.
  • Reiko is often portrayed as one of the three main characters of Kochikame, alongside her colleague Nakagawa and boss Ryotsu. Although she is the last of the trio to be introduced into the manga story, she has since appeared in each consecutive storyline following on from her debut, making her one of the most prominent characters in the series, both from the manga and anime.
  • Biologically speaking, it would not be genetically possible for Reiko to inherit blonde hair. Due to the fact that she has a Japanese father with dark hair, the trait for this shade of hair colour is dominant, whereas the blonde hair trait is recessive and is only present if either both parents are blond, or both carry the recessive blond trait (which is not present in full-blooded Japanese Asians). The same rules similarly apply to blue-eye inheritance, although this would only apply to Reiko in the colored manga.
    • Unless her father was an albino carrier and passed down to her the albino gen. Albino + blonde hair = blonde hair, and albino + blue eyes = blue eyes. There are pure-blooded Japanese albinos, and they are way more frequent than pure-blooded Japanese redheads (who also exist).
    • Also, while not going to the extreme of "blonde", half-Japanese/half-Caucasians that do not inherit black hair from their Caucasian parent with often show hair in shades of brown. This may mean that among the different alleles for black hair present in Japanese people, at least one of them is codominant with lighter tones instead of dominant.
  • It is suggested that Reiko is able to speak a total of 30 languages.

Gallery[]

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