Yo Hinomura was an ordinary Japanese potter when a run-in with a Chinese mafia changed his life forever. Now an assassin for the 108 Dragons, Yo is the perfect killing machine. As a sign for remorse over his victims, he sheds tears after eliminating his targets. Because of this, he is infamously known by the Dragons and every crime syndicate in the world as the "Crying Freeman."
The best episode of "Crying Freeman" season 1 is "Portrait of a Killer", rated 7.8/10 from 40 user votes. It was directed by Daisuke Nishio and written by Higashi Shimizu. "Portrait of a Killer" aired on 11/25/1988 and is rated 1.2 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "Shades of Death: Fusei Kakurei (1)".
Emu Hino, a lonely and beautiful Japanese artist witnesses a Chinese man killing three men, then sees his eyes well up with tears. He tells her the story of how the 108 Dragons turned him into the assassin, Crying Freeman.
Director: Daisuke Nishio
Writer: Higashi Shimizu
Yō and Emu marry in a Chinese wedding ceremony and are given the new names Long Tai Yang and Hu Qing Lan. Bai Ya Shan demands leadership of the 108 Dragons.
Director: Nobutaka Nishizawa
Writer: Tatsunosuke Ohno
Emu is kidnapped by 108 Dragon operatives, tortured and threatened with rape. Freeman's plane gets hijacked by Askari agents.
Director: Johei Matsuura
Writer: Higashi Shimizu
Dark Eyes is confronted by the massive and powerful Oshu Tohgoku who rapes her and dumps her in the sea. Tohgoku challenges Freeman to a public wrestling match.
Director: Shigeyasu Yamauchi
Writer: Higashi Shimizu
In Los Angeles Chinatown, Mr Wong asks Freeman for help to retrieve his kidnapped daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter after already paying the ransom to the Kidnapper Organisation (K.O.).
Director: Takaaki Yamashita
Writer: Ryūnosuke Ono
Russian mafia boss Nicholaiev and Japanese yakuza Tsunaike plan to cut out the 108 Dragons trade and Nicholaiev makes an offer to Tanya to help him. Meanwhile Freeman sees a woman pass in a car he remembers from his past.
Director: Takaaki Yamashita
Writer: Ryūnosuke Ono