Aki (James Bond)
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Aki is a fictional character created for the 1967 ''
James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
'' film '' You Only Live Twice''. In the film, Aki, played by
Akiko Wakabayashi is a retired Japanese actress. Career Wakabayashi is best known in English-speaking countries for her role as Bond girl Aki in the 1967 James Bond film '' You Only Live Twice''. Before this, she had made many films in her native Japan, especia ...
, is a
female ninja is a Japanese cant term for . In popular culture, it is often used for female shinobi or practitioner of ninjutsu (''ninpo''). The term was largely popularized by novelist Yamada Futaro in his novel ''Ninpō Hakkenden'' (忍法八犬伝) in 1964 ...
agent with the fictional Japanese Secret Intelligence Service (SIS).


Creation

Aki does not appear in
Ian Fleming Ian Lancaster Fleming (28 May 1908 – 12 August 1964) was a British writer who is best known for his postwar ''James Bond'' series of spy novels. Fleming came from a wealthy family connected to the merchant bank Robert Fleming & Co., a ...
's 1964 novel. She was originally named Suki in
Roald Dahl Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British novelist, short-story writer, poet, screenwriter, and wartime fighter ace of Norwegian descent. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide. Dahl has be ...
's screenplay. According to ''The James Bond Films'', the character was "Dahl's tribute to the Japanese woman of the Sixties". The character is portrayed as an attractive female Japanese SIS agent, a skilled
ninja A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enem ...
and an expert driver who often uses her skills at driving her white
Toyota 2000GT The Toyota 2000GT is a limited-production Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout#Front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout, front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, two-door, two-seat sports car/grand tourer designed by Toyota in collaboration with Yam ...
sports car equipped with several high-tech communication devices.
Mie Hama is a former Japanese 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 Twi ...
was cast to play Suki, but she had trouble learning English; to solve the problem, she and
Akiko Wakabayashi is a retired Japanese actress. Career Wakabayashi is best known in English-speaking countries for her role as Bond girl Aki in the 1967 James Bond film '' You Only Live Twice''. Before this, she had made many films in her native Japan, especia ...
, originally cast to play the part of almost-silent
Kissy Suzuki 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 (at least the literary version) remains the only character known to the reader who bear ...
, decided to swap their respective roles. Wakabayashi then convinced director
Lewis Gilbert Lewis Gilbert (6 March 1920 – 23 February 2018) was an English film director, producer and screenwriter who directed more than 40 films during six decades; among them such varied titles as '' Reach for the Sky'' (1956), ''Sink the Bismarck!' ...
to change the name of her character to Aki. While Kissy acts as the film's main Bond girl, Aki serves as Bond's main contact and apparent love interest during the early and middle sections. When Kissy is set to be introduced as Bond's cover wife, Aki's role draws to a close. Her death shortly afterwards clears the way for Kissy to take on the role.


Character

Aki is first seen when 007 meets her at a
sumo is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a ''rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (''dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by thr ...
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 This is a list of allies of ''James Bond'' who appear throughout the film series and novels. MI6 M M is a Rear Admiral of the Royal Navy, and the head of the Secret Intelligence Service. Fleming based the character on a number of peop ...
. It is after this meeting that a bikini-clad Aki invites Bond to spend the night with her, famously 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 Spectre, specter or the spectre may refer to: Religion and spirituality * Vision (spirituality) * Apparitional experience * Ghost Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Spectre'' (1977 film), a made-for-television film produced and writ ...
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 Complex commonly refers to: * Complexity, the behaviour of a system whose components interact in multiple ways so possible interactions are difficult to describe ** Complex system, a system composed of many components which may interact with each ...
'' ranked it as the sixth best ''James Bond'' chase scene). 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 Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...
, 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. This proves to be a fortunate decision as Aki never makes it to the island at all. On Blofeld's orders Osato had sent ninja assassins to kill Bond, one of whom stealthily enters the bedroom where Bond and Aki are sleeping together and tries to poison Bond by dripping poison down a thread. (Dahl took inspiration for this by watching a similar scene in the first film in the ''
Shinobi no Mono is a series of jidaigeki novels written by Tomoyoshi Murayama originally serialized in the Sunday edition of the newspaper '' Akahata'' from November 1960 to May 1962. Shinobi no mono is the long form of the phrase meaning ninja, see the Ninj ...
'' ninja film series.) Bond, however, moves in his sleep. At the last moment Aki moves to his position, unwittingly takes the poison instead, and dies after a brief struggle for breath. The scene was accompanied by the musical track "The Death of Aki" by John Barry.


Reception

Various lists frequently ranked Aki among the best Bond girls ever, including as tenth by
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in 2008 ("So beautiful you almost forget that
Sean Connery Sir Sean Connery (born Thomas Connery; 25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond on film, starring in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983. Origina ...
has been ridiculously made up to look Japanese. Almost"), ninth by
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the same year ("Kissy Suzuki is considered the 'main' Bond girl in this film, but Aki has a bigger role and is more memorable"), and eight by WagerWeb in 2009 ("Hot Japanese agent, she kicks ass and look damn fine doing it. Besides, she dies to save James Bond, you have to give her some extra credit for that"). According to
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, "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," but in another article UGO praised her as "Bond's super-hot guardian angel". Den of Geek included her in their 2008 list of ten ''James Bond'' characters who deserve their own spin-off. ''Esquire'' magazine dubbed Aki "the Girl Friday of Tiger Tanaka" and "Tiger's Pussycat".


References

{{James Bond characters Bond girls Film characters introduced in 1967 Fictional Japanese people Fictional female ninja Fictional female secret agents and spies Fictional female soldiers and warriors Fictional secret agents and spies in films You Only Live Twice (film)