Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad Season 1, Episode 4: Strum the Guitar

1

The View at 14

Koyuki Tanaka is in a dead end. At age 14, he has lost his passion for life. But a casual meeting of Koyuki with a young musician named Ryusuke is about to open a new path in front of him.

25 min

2

Live House

When Koyuki accepts Ryusuke's invitation to see his band perform live, he unwittingly sets down a path of self-discovery. But what Koyuki finds both disturbs and intrigues him, as the youngster uncovers the best and worst aspects of human nature.

25 min

3

Moon on the Water

Koyuki hangs out with Ryusuke and finds out more about music, and meets his sister, Maho, who later takes Koyuki to see Beck, her brother's dog.

25 min

4

Strum the Guitar

While Koyuki takes his first tentative steps toward learning guitar, Maho suggests that he'd be the perfect lead vocalist for Ryusuke's new band. But an accident threatens to shatter Ryusuke and Koyuki's friendship forever, as well as putting an end to Koyuki's musical aspirations-until help comes from a very unexpected source.

25 min

5

Beck

Koyuki's guitar training is coming along slowly but surely, until Saitou decides to speed things up by entering him to play in the annual summer festival! Meanwhile, Ryusuke and Chiba put their heads together to come up with a name for their new band.

25 min

6

Hyodo and the Jaguar

Taira, the newest member of Beck and the others have their first session together to start the band off on a good note. Koyuki's teacher is on maternity leave and a new cute teacher is introduced. As coordinator of the choir contest, she wants Koyuki to be the leader for the class to get them ready for the contest.

25 min

7

Prudence

Koyuki tries to memorize the scales at Saitou's place. Later we can see Koyuki talking with the bullies and then scolded in the teacher's office. Maho meets with him, and at Saitou's place, Koyuki tells her why he started to work for the old man.

25 min

8

Broadcast in the School

Koyuki visits an instrument shop and practices some more. The school year ends. Next Momoko meets Koyuki accidentally going in Saitou's place and decides to go with him to check whether he works there. Koyuki tries to sell off Saitou's pornographic magazines.

25 min

9

Night Before LIVE

Koyuki and Saku become friends. Koyuki gets nominated for the most difficult swimming races in the school's competition. Koyuki takes Saku to see Beck's show.

25 min

10

FACE

Koyuki and Saku become friends. Koyuki gets nominated for the most difficult swimming races in the school's competition. Koyuki takes Saku to see Beck's show.

25 min

11

Summer Holidays

The band tries to raise some money and Chiba finds out that Dying Breed is coming to Japan. Later on Koyuki talks to a teacher about his decreasing grades. Momoko asks the band to enter the school festival.

25 min

12

Secret Live

Dying Breed performs in concert live in Japan, with Koyuki unexpectedly guest singing. Later on, Koyuki and Izumi meet again and she invites him for night-swimming, much to Maho's chagrin when she finds out.

25 min

13

Ciel Bleu

Ryusuke's been bothered by Erica Blige's death and often checks the news. At school, Saku and Koyuki form a band for the cultural festival with Tanabe and a bassist. Tanabe names the band Ciel Bleu. Hyodo tries to ruin Ciel Bleu's practice.

25 min

14

Dream

Mitty brings the cover design for the Beck band logo. Izumi meets up with Maho to clear the misunderstanding between them.

25 min

15

Back to School

Koyuki tries to learn for his exams, but it doesn't go well. At school there's a rumor about Momoko working in a lingerie pub.

25 min

16

Indies

Gordie comes to see Eddie about the stolen stuff including Prudence. Then Eddie and Ryusuke talk about it on the phone. Koyuki still works hard to earn cash for the Telecaster and we can see a girl who works next door for the second time. At school, Tanaka finds out that one of Maho's friends is quite famous. Beck performs and is heard by Chicagoan records agent, named Frank Albin, allowing for a possible big break.

25 min

17

Three Days

Ryusuke wants to release Beck's album in America. Koyuki finally buys the Telecaster. Koyuki sees at school the same girl, named Hiromi, who he saw in the doughnut store next to his workplace.

25 min

18

Leon Sykes

Koyuki talks with his boss about his band. Saku then joins Koyuki at Saito's swimming practice. Beck is allowed to perform at the Marquee's evening show as Hitode's support, because the manager really liked Koyuki's singing.

25 min

19

Blues

Ryusuke (along with Beck and Prudence) get kidnapped by Sykes, who takes him to meet his uncle, the bluesman John Lee Davis, who wanted to know who had stolen Prudence.

25 min

20

Grateful Sound

At the fishing pond the band talks with Kazuo about Greatful Sound. She wants Ryusuke to ask Eddie to come. Ryusuke agrees, but he also wants Beck to play although Ran is strongly against it.

25 min

21

Write Music

Ryusuke talks with Chiba and Taira about his talk with Sykes. Back at school, Hiromi talks with Koyuki and Saku about playing guitar.

25 min

22

The Night Before The Festival

The band tries to improve the new song and Koyuki tries to write the lyrics, at Ryusuke's request. Saito tries to help Koyuki come up with some lyrics.

25 min

23

Festival

The Greatful Sound festival is on, with Belle Ame on the primary stage, Malcolm (a Sykes-managed rapper) on the second stage, and Beck on the smallest third stage.

25 min

24

Third Stage

After the band seems to break up before their time on the third stage, the band is slowly reforming just in time to play their hearts out for the growing crowd.

25 min

25

Slip Out

As Beck's set finishes up, the reality that it's Beck's last performance finally sets in.

25 min

26

America

Koyuki plans to revive Beck and sets out to get the band together.

25 min