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Kaitou Saint Tail Vol 1 Episodes 1-4
Fansub: VKLLEpisode 1
10-12-1995 Toujou! Cute na Oodorobou!? Anatano Heart Nusumimasu.
Entrance! A cute thief!? She'll steal your heart.
Item stolen: The Blue Meteorite (a sapphire)The series opens at night with a view of Seiko City's bay. As we move around we spy a figure leaping across the dark rooftops. Closing in on a large house we see one of the windows break inwards. Turning at the sound several police officers appear to be expecting such a break in. Rushing into the house they find the owner on his knees before a wall crying that the painting he loved more than life has been stolen. Behind them we can see a flash of pink and black, and the officer in charge, Asuka Heiji, turns in time to catch a glimpse of the retreating form of...
"Kaitou Saint Tail!"
Giggling, she glances over her shoulder, clutching the missing painting.
In an act of sheer silliness, the police officers build a sort of human pyramid, which Asuka Heiji runs up, leaping into the air... his hand stretching to grasp her foot, and he misses, sending all the officers crashing to the floor. Meanwhile, outside the house, we see a young man shimming up a tree very near the house. He is muttering to himself that tonight he will get the evidence that he needs. Immerging near the tree's top we see the flash of his camera lens.
Back in the house the own, still bemoaning his loss comments that it took a lot of time and effort to swindle the painting out of the pervious owner. Asuka Heiji catches the tail end of this and angrily asks the man to repeat what he said, but an officer interrupts this exchange by calling to Asuka Heiji to come look at a painting. Asuka Heiji recognizes it as "Tsukimisou" (evening primrose) and that it had been stolen from the city museum the week before. The owner, flustered, makes some noises like he'd like to explain, but then another officer points to another painting, stolen two months ago. Asuka Heiji and the man look sideways at each other and Asuka Heiji demands an explanation.
In the attic Saint Tail opens a window and slips out onto the roof, catching the attention of the young man in the tree. In his excitement to catch her on film he stands up for a better view, and falls from the tree. Cursing he looks to the roof, and sees she is gone.
It's morning at St Paulia's Academy where the topic for the day is the theft last night by Kaitou Saint Tail. The girls turn to Meimi and ask her if she's heard. Meimi chides them for talking about Saint Tail as if she were a ghost. Another girl, Seira, arrives and describes Saint Tail as a pony-tailed thief that steals from criminals. She goes on to say that the thief is known as Saint Tail since no one knows her true identity. (How this follows is anyone's guess.) The other girls comment on how wonderful Saint Tail is, while Seira giggles in the background.
The young cameraman from the night before chimes in, wondering aloud what's so great about her? He says that the police have no idea what the 'saint' or the 'tail' have to do with anything. How great can she be?
Rising in indignation Meimi demands to know why he, Asuka Jr., is chasing her if she's nothing to the police. One of the girls pokes fun at him, asking if she's too much for him. Another says Saint Tail has him running in circles, and which point Asuka Jr. yells at them to shut up, and that Saint Tail's face is probably this ugly, and he makes a face.
Meimi gets in his face but Asuka Jr. demands to know how she would known anything about Saint Tail. As we pan backwards we can see Seira has a death grip on Meimi. Asuka Jr. becomes thoughtful as he recounts the most recent thefts by Saint Tail, saying that in the past few weeks she has stolen 2 painting and 7 gems.
He ends with his conviction that they were all Saint Tail. Meimi pauses to reflect, thinking aloud that she doesn't remember taking any gems, while Seira makes a face behind her. Asuka Jr. asks what she's mumbling about, but Meimi quickly changes the subject saying that just because he's Asuka Heiji's sons that doesn't give him the authority... Asuka Jr. says not to group him with his dad, as he, Asuka Jr., will be the one to catch Saint Tail. We see the girls scatter as the argument escalates, and a hand tap Meimi on the shoulder. Meimi tells Seira to stay out of it, only it's not Seira, it's Sister who has come to start homeroom. Sister then sends the two antagonists into the hall.
After school Meimi running to the chapel, arriving in time to see a small girl leaving. Within, Seira, now dressed as a nun, is kneeling before the altar. Meimi approaches her friend and together they leave the chapel and go to a nearby secluded pond. Meimi calls her friend 'future Sister Seira' and Seira says that she is acting with God's guidance.
Seira asks if Meimi saw the little girl that just left and Meimi says she did. The girl's name is Saori and that she has a problem. It seems her uncle is a gem cutter and that a few days ago a man named Kaidou came with two sapphires. One, called the Blue Meteorite and the other a fake. They were impossible to tell apart. Meimi is shocked that the owner would do such a thing, but Seira says that it's the gem cutter that needs help. Meimi is naturally puzzled. As are we all...
It would appear that the fake was made by the uncle for when the owner came to reclaim the Blue Meteorite the uncle gave him the fake and kept the real one for himself. (I could be wrong about this, but I honestly think it's just a problem with the translation.) But, suffering a bout of consciousness he now wants to return the stone. The owner, Kaidou, has made arrangements for the sale of the gem and Seira wants Saint Tail to make the switch before the transaction happens. Meimi is about to ask Seira how she could possibly, when Meimi's face is a washed by a blue light. Seira is holding the Blue Meteorite! She says she has it for Saint Tail.
Next we see Meimi arriving home. Both her parents are there to greet her and her father, a magician by trade, tries a new trick on Meimi. Meimi smiles and says she loves when he does magic and that his next show will be the best. Mom explodes at this, but dad says Meimi will follow in his foot steps, mom rushes forward and hugs Meimi saying that Meimi should follow in her footsteps... at which point dad chokes, reminding mom of what her previous line of work had been. Meimi uses the distraction to make her escape.
Suddenly it's nighttime and Meimi announces it's time for work. Collecting her cologne locket from its stand she opening her bedroom window and lowers herself out by use of a rope.
The next shot is the exterior of the chapel... inside we see Seira praying as Meimi slips in. Joining her hands together as if in prayer Meimi says, "Forgive me, as I am without tricks or deceptions,' and her henshin begins, and ends with Seira and Saint Tail praying for God's protection.
Leaping from rooftop to rooftop Saint Tail makes her way to the house where the Blue Meteorite is now residing. Looking in through a window she can see the house is all asleep and she enters through an attic window. Stealthily making her way down a hall she smiles to see the room she needs, but is confused to find the door open. Just then the house alarms go off. Startled Saint Tail looks around and then, peering inside the room, she sees a man escaping out the window. Crying out in alarm that the gem has already been stolen she hears the house being roused and leaps out the same window the man used. Below she can see him escaping in a car and she follows him. Reading the house's name place she sees... "Kaidou."
The Kaidou enters the house where his friend congratulates him on successfully stealing back the gem he had just sold. Kaidou says with a smirk there are no rules when it comes to making money. In a nearby window Saint Tail has heard it all and vows to not let them get away with it.
Eye Catch
Seira tells Meimi it is too much, that chasing after Kaidou, whom they know nothing about is too dangerous. Meimi tells her to not worry about it.
While at home Asuka Jr. is using his lap top to determine the next most likely place for Saint Tail to strike. He tells the computer the locations of the recent thefts, and the locations of the local gem owners, and it seems the only one not yet hit it Kaidou's house! He leaps to his feet yelling he won't let her get away.
Kaidou is then seen locking the huge safe, as the alarms go off. The police arrive, lead by Asuka Heiji. He apologizes to Kaidou for bothering him, and Kaidou says it's a kid that tripped the alarm. Asuka Heiji can't believe there is such a stupid kid in the world and is surprised to see Kaidou's friend carry out Asuka Jr. Father and son exclaim to see each other as Kaidou's friend drops Asuka Jr. on the floor. Asuka Heiji quickly asks Asuka Jr. what he's doing there and Asuka Jr. explains that Saint Tail is coming. He goes on about his findings but his father isn't having any of it. Asuka Jr. yells that if his father won't catch her then he will. Asuka Heiji points out that he can't devote all his time to Saint Tail and then turns embarrassedly to Kaidou and apologizes. Kaidou laughs it off, saying he would like to see Saint Tail too. And the lights go out. Asuka Jr. yells that it's Saint Tail, and on the roof we see it is...
"Show Time!"
A window near the gathered men opens and dozens of Saint Tail dolls come running in, hiding the real one as she rushes by. Leaping to the second floor Saint Tail quickly locates the safe (one of those 'pull out a book and the bookshelves slides open' dealies) and opening it switches the gems. A sound at the door makes her turn, and there stands Kaidou and he friend. Dropping to a crouch Saint Tail conjures her wand and throwing it towards the wall, and we can see a thin wire making a spider web trip wire as it ricochets around the room. Kaidou and the friend trip and fall, and for some reason are knocked out by this seemingly silly gesture. Saint Tail then places the box containing the 7 stolen gems on Kaidou's back and quickly offers up a prayer for everyones protection. The arrival of Asuka Jr. stops her from escaping and she leaps to the ceiling where she can see what is happening.
Asuka Jr. kneels down and opens the box, and says he understands. Kaidou comes around and asks what Asuka Jr. is doing and Asuka Jr. says he now understands that Kaidou had been selling and then stealing back the gems. Kaidou demands proof and Asuka Jr. says the proof is here in the box. Using the laptop he shows Kaidou the stolen gems and the image on the computer screen fades to the image of the box.
"Whenever Saint Tail steals, she always has a noble reason, Saint Tail isn't a real criminal," he concludes.
Above him Saint Tail can only look on in wonder.
Asuka Jr. then accuses Kaidou of the thefts. Kaidou yells that Asuka Jr. isn't going to stop him.
Rising the friend rushes Asuka Jr. but Saint Tail comes to his rescue by conjuring playing cards which she expertly whips at the man's face, causing him to loosen his grip on Asuka Jr.
Asuka Jr. then tackles Kaidou (which knocks him out again) and turn to see a fleeing Saint Tail. Removing a roll of I don't know what, some sort of cord, from his pocket he hurls it at Saint Tail, and it wraps around one of her ankles. With a cheer Asuka Jr. pulls on the cord, thereby causing Saint Tail to fall at him.
They are both surprised, and Saint Tail thinks to herself that he mustn't see her face. They land, him flat on his back, her, inches from his face, when she produces another fan of cards, blocking his view. Rising, she leaps to the window, and stands with the full moon behind her. Asuka Jr. tells her that isn't fair and he challenges her. Saint Tail opens the window and glances back at him. He repeats the challenge, telling her to warn him of her next theft. Saint Tail smiles and thinks that it had been fun. She leaps into the sky, as Asuka Jr. snaps a picture of her disappearing back.
Turning he retraces his steps as his father comes rushing into the room. Asuka Heiji looks puzzled at his son but an officer calls his attention to the box of stolen gems.
Outside Asuka Jr. is thinking about Saint Tail. He concludes she is about his age and then, blushing, realizes he's touched her.
At another house we see Saori sitting on her bed, and a basket floats down to her window. In it is the fake gem and a note telling her to take care of her uncle. She smiles happily and hugs the basket.
The next day, at the mayor's office, we see the mayor looking at the picture taken by Asuka Jr. as it appears in the newspaper. We also see a very nervous looking Asuka Jr. The mayor gives Asuka Jr. a commendation for his work and asks if he would please put his passion for catching her to work for the town. The mayor presents him with a detective's badge and says he should work with the police on the case. Asuka Jr. is delighted.
Across town Seira and Meimi as talking about Saori and how she had thanked God for the return of the gem, and Meimi says that all the gems were returned to their rightful owners. Seira excuses herself and Meimi turns to go home, but encounters Asuka Jr. She asks him about his commendation, which he proudly displays, and says that he'll catch Saint Tail for sure next time. Meimi tells him to keep up the good work and he says, "Just watch me!" Meimi smiles and the two part.
Same scene but from the manga
