Hanadangoblog

MR BRAIN

cherryrui — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:36:46 +0000

This is Takuya Kimura’s latest renzoku drama for 2009 (TBS, 2009). It is very short–just eight episodes. It is not really a renzoku drama in the real sense of the word since the episodes don’t have to be seen in chronological order. There is not much continuity except for the transition from Ep 5-6 which stars Nakama Yukie. Each episode has a famous guest star–from Gackt to Kazuya Kamenashi of Kat-Tun, Koyuki, etc. Takuya plays Tsukumo Ryusuke, a former “hosto” turned neuroscientist after he experiences an accident which alters his brain. Tsukumo’s kanji is the japanese kanji for numbers “9-10-9″. He works at the IPS (Institute of Policy Science–Kakeiken) which researches criminal methods to advance investigation of crimes. I started watching it in May after it premiered on May 28, Saturday, 7:40-8:40 Japan time. It’s first episode garnered a 34% rating, which is rare for a Staurday drama. It is a comedy, mystery type of drama. Tsukumo is a weird scientist who wears his pajama’s under his business suit and wears a blue denim lab gown in contrast to the regular white gown. He looks at everyone close up and eats a lot of bananas for potassium which perks up and energizes people. He also eats a lot of carbs for breakfast which he said is good for the brain. HIs assistant is Ayase Haruka, a young pretty star who has a crush on him. Another supporting actor is neophyte detective Hayashida (Rinda to Tsukumo) played by Mizoguzhi Hiroyuki. Mr Brain is interesting; but I wish Takuya would take a break from playing non-conventional roles to go into the more romantic genre where he falls in love again. His most recent dramas, that is Karei Naru Ichizoku in 2007, then Change in 2008 and then now Mr Brain doesn’t put him in a more romantic role unlike his earlier films. I thought he may be choosing roles that would fit his age in his mid-30s. However, these days, a lot of guys in their mid-30s just start dating and falling in love so it is not too old for him to be playing these roles. I am really grateful to Giri Giri fansubs because theur subs facilitated my understanding of the drama, which is a little difficult to undertsand becasue of scientific terms related to neuroscience. But the drama is very educational and advances new theories about brain behavior in neuroscince. I also found the instructional anime inserts in the drama–so very cute Japanese.

2046 Kimura’s cameo role

cherryrui — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 04:24:28 +0000

Just finished watching Wong Kar Wai’s 2046 (2004). It has an all star Asian cast–Tony Leung, Gong Li, Zhang Ziyi, and Kimura Takuya, Faye Wong and Maggie Cheung. The story is set in the 1960s in Hong Kong, although the fim was actually shot in Shanghai. A journalist and sci-fi writer, Chow Mo-wen (Tony Leung Chui-Wai), writes a novel about “2046″ using the room number next to his hotel room as an apt title into the future–2046, that place in time where you can recapture lost memories and lost love. Many people go there and never come back, except for one man, Tak, (Kimura Takuya) , who went to 2046 to look for his loved one, but failing to find her, returned from 2046. Along the time travel back to present, he falls in love with an android attendant (Faye Wong) and asks her to come back with him but receives no reply. At first, he thought the reason for such is the delay in android’s reaction due to the long time journey but later, he realizes that the android never loved him; that she could be in love with someone else. Incidentally, 2046 is also the number of the hotel room where Chow Mo wen made love to his one and only love Su Lizhen. 2046 is actually the continuing story of Chow’s unconsummated love. Chow fell in love once with Su Lizhen, a married woman. (In the pre- and sequels, Days of Being Wild (1991) and In the Mood for Love (2006), the Chow-Su Lizhen romance is played up more). As a result of his frustrations, Chow has had affairs with several women who occupied Rm 2046 in Oriental hotel, including Bai Ling (Zhang Ziyi) who desperately loved him. Just when I thought Chow was falling in love with Bai Ling, when the latter asks if they start their relationship all over again (“Why can’t it be like before?”) , if she could borrow him for just that last night before she leaves for Singapore, Chow said ” This is simply something that I will never lend.” In fact, while he was nursing his sad fate over his lost love by gambling in casinos in Singapore, he was rescued by Black Spider (Gong Li) , a woman also bearing Su Lizhen’s name. Chow asked her to come with him but Su declined. Chow reflects ” I know why she declined. In love there is no substitute and she knew.” The scene ends with Chow going into his own 2046 and returning from there.

The movie was nominated in April 2004 for the Golden Palm Award at the 2004 Cannes film Festival. I was pleasantly surprised that I liked the movie, because it isn’t anything like the super productions that leaves one in awe. Why do I like the movie? Of course, Kimura. my idol is there and though his role was short, he really exuded that “X factor” that really is so appealing on cam. I thought he was a great actor here–I love the voice; those expressive eyes; he had kissing scenes here though shadowed by dark lighting so couldn’t really gauge if he was a good kisser here. Kimura plays a Japanese businessman who falls in love with the eldest daughter, Wnag Jing wen (Faye Wong) of Oriental Hotel’s owner. Wang Sun, where he stayed while on a businesstrip in HK. Wang had objected to her daughter falling in love with a “Japanese” and because of anguish over the forbidden love, had to be placed in a mental institution. Wang ji wen also moved into 2046 before Bai Ling. Jing wen helped Chow in writing the novel 2046 which he later changed to 2047. Chow also helped in the correspondence of the two by having the mails from Japan coursed through him. There was a hint that he also fell in love with Jing-wen although the love never prospered because he realizedd that the girl “never loved him at all.” Jing-wen later leaves for Japan until we hear the hotel owner happily announcing that he was going to Japan to attend his daughter’s wedding. The daughter had asked Chow to change the ending of 2047 to a happier one.

Zhang Ziyi was really very beautiful here and her acting received raved reviews.

But I felt sympathy for Chow and I thought the development (or nondevelopment) of Chow’s character was great–thanks to Wong Kar Wai’s great directing. Tony Leung isn’t as handsome as Kimura, but he sure knows how to act and superbly portrayed the playboy- yet- desperately- seeking -the- love- of- his- life Su Lizhen Chow.

BTW, in the first part, there was reference to a certain bar girl Lu-LU who fell in love with a “Chinese-Filipino” from a rich family but who died young so left Lulu broken hearted…

Wish a greater role for Takuya Kimura in another Wong Kai War film.

Kimura T as hairdresser

cherryrui — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:18:44 +0000

Just finished watching the 12 episode J-drama ”Beautiful Life” (TBS,2000) starring Kimura Takuya as Okishima Shuji, a 27-year old talented and popular hairdresser and Tokiwa Takako as Machida Kyoko, a 27-year old physically handicapped wheelchair bound librarian with an incurable disease. Both met “on the road” under not so friendly circumstances in the beginning, but later the animosity gave way to a stormy love relationship. This was the focus of the “love story”–the development of the relationship between a supposedly “normal” person in the character of Shuji and a not normal (?) person in the character of Kyoko as they struggled with so many personal issues related to their “circumstances.” Kyoko fell in love with Shuji because of Shuji’s being a person with a “barrier free” heart, a pun on a “barrier free” environment where physically challenged people can move freely around. Shuji was a guy who have never said the cliche “I will protect you” to Kyoko; instead he said the unusual “We will face the challenge together” . Neither did Shuji display any pity but rather had a unique way of viewing Kyoko’s physically challenged circunstances by saying “I wonder how the world looks like from a 100 cm height.” Kyoko says she finds strength in Shuji; after all Shuji never gave up their relationship when he found out that Kyoko had a terminal illness; instead he even pursued her (I thought I would hear the following line from Shuji when he learned that the Kyoko he loves will soon die: “I would rather die having loved you even for a minute, than not having a chance to love you at all.”)

Takuya was very convincing as a hairstylist (it was said that Takuya became a licensed hairstylist after that drama) but I really was so amazed at the last episode when he was shown for the first time putting on make-up for the dead Tokiwa. Having seen Takuya play “macho” roles, I felt quite uneasy seeing Takuya weild his cutting scissors through a woman’s hair; but all the more when he put make up on a woman (in my country, the best hairstylists are mostly gays, you know….), but sasuga Takuya, he was able to get away with it.

The other actors were good as well. I liked Kyoko’s brother, Masao (Watabe Atsuro)’s acting the best–he was cute as the bumbling and clumsy brother of the smart Kyoko. Both Kimura and Tokiwa won Best Actor and Actress in the 24th Television Drama Awards, as well as Atsuro and Mizuno Miki (role as Sachi, Kyoko’s best friend) for best supporting actor and actress. In fact, according to drama-wiki, this drama holds the record for the most awards won from the television Drama Academy awards. Other awards went to: Best Newcomer: Nishikawa Takanori (satoru, the rival hairdresser); Screenwriter: Kitagawa Eriko; Best Director: Shono Jiro; Best Theme Song (Konya tsuki no mieru oka ni” by B’z) and Best Opening.

According to several drama database sites, as of March 2000, it was the second most watched drama ever in Japan with a 41.3 % rating with the no 1 drama being way back in 1983 with a 45.1% rating. I wouldn’t say this was my personal best drama starring Kimura Takuya (I like Long vacation better and loved Takuya’s acting in Pride and Miliion Stars Falling from the Sky). However, I liked my learnings from the relationship bet the two characters–consider the feelings of both parties in a relationship (Kyoko would always say that she didn’t want Shuji to be disadvanatged with the relationship so she would break their relationship without considering how Shuji feels ; that is Shuji on the other hand feels “disadvanatged” by not continuing the relationship with Kyoko).

Beautiful Life is the 12th J drama of Kimura Takuya that I have seen so far, and judging from the character that he played here and interviews I read about him, Shuji’s character seem to echo the real Takuya–straightforward, candid, rather than saying that he doesn’t really care about what people will say ; I may be wrong but he may be a person who doesn’t get affected or mind what people thinks of him or his actions (although being in showbiz and being looked upon as an “idol” I don’t know how he practices this because he has a great responsibility as a “role model’ ).

Just as aside. Kimura smoked a lot here and this reminded me of one side of Kimura that I do not appreciate–he IS a smoker in real life. I wish he would soon realize that smoking is not healthy not only for the smoker himself but to non-smokers as well.

Sleeping Forest (1998)

cherryrui — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:50:13 +0000

This suspense thriller (Fuji, fall 1998) really kept me on my toes. I was a little disappointed when there was no romantic angle between Nakayama Miho and Kimura Takuya. This j drama is in the same genre as Takuya’s A Million Stars Falling from the Sky, one of my best Takuya dramas ever. In Sleeping, Takuya was younger and his acting was not as good though as in Million Stars, but both dramas cast him as being cold and mean in the beginning of the dramas. But there was more blood in Sleeping and the plot more mysterious. It was a whodunnit type of mystery…The ending is also not quite sad and not quite happy either,,,I had the hunch about who the murderer is but the plot misleads one into believing another guy did it. Also, this hallucinations about Hamazaki Kiichiro (Nakamori Toru)’s mother establishes the fact that he had some insane moments.

I like the profession of Takuya here as a stage lighting expert–really cool. I am not that hot over Takuya anymore and I do agree with some observations that he isn;t really that handsome but he does have expressive eyes and sexy lips. He is not tall either…

Thsi story pomders on whether people can just forget the past and just live on the present and the future. Hypnotic regressions, child abuse, illegitimate children, etc. The musical score is also great and adds toi the suspense and the thrill mood.

Found out the OSY is by Yoshimata Ryo, the same guy who composed the OST of A Million Stars.

BOYS OVER FLOWERS K drama

cherryrui — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 06:46:24 +0000

Just finished the 25-episode Boys Over Flowers, the Korean version of Hana Yori Dango and I must say that it is the better version than the Japanese one. Why–the plot is less absurd and appealing; F4 definitely hotter esp Gu Jun Pyo (Lee Min Ho) and Jan Di is cuter; OST is good. The Korean version tried its best to piece together the missing links like the reasons for Yoon Ji Hoon’s loneliness, etc. The K version also revised some scenes for the better such as the search for the Teen Princess and the bet placed with Domyouji’s mom; the staged suicide of the employee of the Domyouji group in the J-version which spurred Domyouji Tsukasa to intially turn his back on his promise to return to girlfriend, Tsukushi; bringing in the character of the former Korean President cum grandfather of Yoon; etc. The F4 stars are “hot” esp Lee Min Ho whom I must say is very tall, handsome, (love it when he smiles); good actor (he reminds me of Prince Shin in Goong although after reviewing Goong, Lee Min Ho is far handsomer than Joo Ji Hoon. Love the clothes of the guys too. The K version tried to get the handsomer versions of the Japanese F4, although Matsujun is a good actor and one of my favorites, Lee Min Ho was far more “macho” than Matsujun ; thought in the beginning that Oguri Shun was good as Hanazawa Rui but now, I vote for the Korean guy. The OST is better but having pop songs as OST is really less of a Japanese drama feature–J-dramas OST are really background music in the classical meaning of what OST should be, with a title song and on or two insert songs that are sung by J pop singers. I

I was so happy to be able to watch BOF and revived my sleepless night trying to finish the dramas. Hope there would be BOF part 2.

Concerto_Kimutaku as a passionate architect

cherryrui — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 12:14:04 +0000

It took me some three months to finish Concerto (Or Kyousookyoku 1998, TBS). In November, I eagerly started watching Concerto after seeing that Miyazawa Rie is the love interest of Kimura Takuya here. Also, the actor who I used not to like before_Tamura Masakazu_ also stars. Kimura Takuya is Takakura Kakeru, a self-learned architect in his 20s struggled for four years to get the break he needed–that is, to build St Mary Church in Kamakura. His idol who became his mentor, Ebisawa Kousuke (played by Tamura) hired him after recognizing his extraordinary talent. Both Kakeru and Ebisawa are in love with Hana, played by Miyazawa. The two are involved in a love triangle against the backdrop of Kimura’s struggle to reach the top of his profession and Tamura’s enlightenment after falling from the apex position of his profession. Both guys learn from each other and alternatingly giving up their love for Miyazawa because of their respect for each other. Although the story is interesting, it couldn’t compete with my busy sked during the Christmas season and some family emergencies that kept me away from watching any dramas. I thought Kimura was hot here, and I began to like Tamura’s character here, especially his stuttering. I didn’t quite like Miyazawa’s acting here –I thought she was a bit overgrown for her cutesy acting. Didn’t find any real romantic moments here–no kissing scenes at all! BTW, I’d like to note that the OST is basically Burt Bacharach’s music from the 70s like the theme “Alfie”. I also heard “Walk on By”, “A HOuse is not a Home”, “April Fools” “I Say A Little Prayer.” Anyway, I am so glad I have finished waching the drama.

Nada Sou Sou_Tears for You

cherryrui — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 16:35:58 +0000

I just finisheded watching a J movie shown in 2006, Nada Sou Sou. It is a real tearjerker with a sad ending–the 25 year old stepbrother (Youtaro) of Kaoru (20 yrs) dies after wearing out his body trying to make a better life for his stepsister. The setting is in Okinawa, and the background of Okinawan folk music is really beautiful. He stopped going to school at 16 years and worked for realizing his dream of owing a restaurant. At 21 years, he was able tor ealize his dream and thus asked his young sister to join him in Okinawa after she passed a good senior high. However,on the eve of the blessing of the restaurant, Yotaru found out that he was swindled and that the property was never really sold by the rightful owner. At the same time, he also broke up with his rich girlfriend upon realizing that the big gap in their backgrounds was not going to work out, especially so when the father of the girl had plans for the girlfriend to take over his hospital later.

Engine_Kimura as race car driver

cherryrui — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 16:23:10 +0000

I finished Engine (2005,Fuji TV) early this morning. I had used a couple of tissues to wipe off tears watching the scene where Takuya had to drive the orphans to their new orphanages after his dad’s orphanage had to close down due to public pressure and high rent, among others. Here, Takuya is a hot-tempered top race car driver, (Jiro Kanzaki, 32 years) who had just returned to Japan after being fired from his job in Europe. He had been away for five years and have not communicated at all with his family. His father, a former school teacher, heads”Kaze no Oka Home” which is like a halfway house cum orphanage. His sister Chihiro, a divorcee, also works in that orphanage. His father reluctantly takes Jiro back on the condition that he helps in the task of running the orphanage. Jiro repairs a rundown coaster donated by the Catholic church and becomes the de facto driver of the orphanage. There is a young teacher-counsellor who works in the orphanage (Tomomi sensei played by Koyuki) who “envies” Jiro for the rapport he has with the kids with his unorthodox and childish ways, in contrast to the theory based learnings of the rest of the staffs who work at the orphanage. I always think that Takuya carries his role very well, and again, he fits the role of Jiro Kanzaki to a T. He is also very good looking here, having a heavier build here. His romantic interest here is Koyuki, but there is a dearth of romantic scenes here, save for a stolen kiss or rather peck on the lips towards the end when Jiro loses the Regullus cup that spells his retirement, aside from not accomplishing his goal to having funds to reopen the orphanage. Koyuki is pretty but I am not so much for a Takuya-Koyuki screen partnership. Furthermore, sasuga Nihon no dorama desu ga, Jiro didn’t win, but his act alone inspired the others to work harder and to contribute in reopening the orphanage. Engine isn’t your rah rah kind of movie compared to Pride, and I wasn’t as inspired by it as his character in CHANGE, but Jiro’s more childlike qualities has reminded me to get rid of all personas linked to an adult like behavior. I found Takuya cute whenever he relates with the other children of the orphanage at their level.

CHANGE_Kimutaku as Prime Minister

cherryrui — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 13:40:29 +0000

It’s been a while since I wrote in this blog–the last was in September. I had already watched HERO, the movie and series sometime October but have realized that I haven’t written a review on it. But let me talk about “Change.” My friend had bought this original 2-DVD set from a shop in Malaysia in October. CHANGE is the most recent J-drama series of J-pop idol Kimura Takuya. It premiered on Fuji TV on 12 May this year. Here, he is Asakura Keita, 35 years old, a curly-haired (“Mojakura”) primary school teacher in Nagano Prefecture, who gets thrown after his politician father, together with his older brother, gets killed in a plane crash in Vietnam. The father’s political party Seiyu-to, led by chief Kanbayashi-sensei, sends his secretary Miyami (Fukatsu Eri) to convince Asakura to try for the elections, which he won in his hometown in Fukuoka. His main appeal is his “non-traditional” politician stand and his sincerity to really create a better future for the citizens, especially the young people. This endeared him to voters, especially women. As part of Kanbayashi’s strategy to finally wrest the prime minister’s position at a later time, he maneuvers Asakura, through Miyama, to run for the prime minister position in the general elections, which he won. Kanbayashi thought that since Asakura was a political neophyte, Asakura could be a “puppet” leader with a shadow Cabinet run by “real” leader Kanbayashi. However, Asakura turns out to be a hardworking eager to learn prime minister who has his own mind and this creates some trouble for Kanbayashi’s political ambitions. Asakura is assisted by Hiroshi Abe, his election strategist and Rosa Kato, his campaign assistant, who both moves in with him at his father’s home in Tokyo. Miyama becomes his secreatry upon the suggestion of Kanbayashi (Asakura decides against staying inthe official prime minister’s residence because he thought this too big for his comfort). The highlight of the drama is when Asakura’s Cabinet is rocked by a political scandal that happened 18 years ago–a trading company Daidou had given money (bribes) to politicians, including his father and polticial ally, Onoda-sensei. Of the politicians, eight are now sitting in Asakura’s Cabinet. Note that the Cabinet was handpicked for him by Kanbayashi, who already had already plotted this political bomb from the very start. As a nontrad politician, Asakura seemed to have no option but to take responsibility for his Cabinet’s “scandal” and to resign. But just as he was about to announce his resignation at a Cabinet meeting, he lost consciousness as a result of stress related fatigue (karoshi), which the Diet doctor had already forewarned Miyama about. When Asakura recovered, he made a live broadcast to apologize to the citizens for overlooking the fact that his Cabinet members were scandal-tainted and to announce his decision to resign. (The speech was quite long and the English subs was not as good as the earlier parts). But in an unexpected move that surprised even his allies, he dissolved parliament and called for a general election, which would give him an opportunity to run again. Again, I thought Takuya performed superbly in this drama (his comeback drama on Fuji TV after three years since Engine). I just thought that he really is very thin (he might have worked out in Pride since he had muscles there). How I wish though that he had more romantic scene with his leading lady__I was expecting a kiss or two from him but the “closest” the pair had was when she accidentally leaned against Takuya after almost falling into the pool during a function sponsored by the French embassy. Then there was that time when Takuya proposed to Miyama and she had accepted. He held her hand and pulled her to his side. My most favorite scene (usually where I am inspired the most and get some philosphical learnings) was the reply of US TRade Sec Bigham who expressed his disappointment to Asakura about the Japanese response to the Structural Impediment talks (the Japanese side had not agreed to the demand of the US party to increase their purchase of US agri products by 20?percent). Bigham had barged in Asakura’s house without appointment on the latter’s day off (Asakura was supposed to fall in line for his favorite Beverly Hills Donut). Asakura said: When he was a teacher, in an effort to solve bullying in his class, he would talk to his students about the value of listening to the other side in order for the other to appreciate their individual differences and thereby understand different responses and reactions and circumstances of people. Bullying usually results when the bully wants the person to do what he wants and doesn’t understand why this person doesn’t act the same way that he does. So Asakura asked US to understand Jap position which is to protect the interests of its own citizens, just as the US also wants to protect the interests of its own citizens. Asakura also said that the talks are continuing so there would be time to thresh out the differences between the two and work out a more satisfactory solution. BTW, the theme song “Miles Away” was sung by Madonna. Also, I know the song “Yume with You” by Toshinobu Kubota was also for “Change” but I don’t think I heard it played in the drama. Or am I wrong? So far, there are no announcements to any future project of Kimura, other than the most recently coccluded SMAP 2008 concert tour, which I was fortunate enough to watch live in Nagoya.

teppei manpyou, why did you have to die?

cherryrui — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 08:53:54 +0000

Just finished watching Karei Naru Ichizoku (TBS, 2007) and ended up having puffy and reddish eyes from crying my heart out. I had sensed a sad ending for the idealistic Teppei Manpyou, (Kimura Takuya) who at 36 years gave up his life in order to save the Manpyou family from further demoralization and destruction. I cried because Teppei’s passion and ideal to pursue his dream of making Japan globally competitve through steel against all odds was very inspiring and I couldn’t believe he wouldn’t live to see it through. His being able to defy all the odds was possible because of the support of his friends, family and staff whom he had valued and cherished and this I intended to emulate. He actually didn’t give up his dream–he had thought that his death would pave the way for the others to pursue his dream, which did come true. He gave up his life because he saw himself as the cause of all his family’s dysfunctionality; that he would never really gain his father’s love despite all his achievements because of the deep seated hatred of his father for him for reasons not of his own doing. “If I have not been born, then how would things have been?”, he asked. However, in the end, we find that the hate relationship between Teppei and his father Daisuke should never have existed, that teh basis for the hatred an unintended mistake. Daisuke thought that Teppei was not his true son and this was proven by Teppei’s blood type; only to find out from Teppei’s death certificate that Teppei;s bloodtype was erroneously listed as another because of the confusion during the war(?) (wasn’t Teppei born in 1932?)which was the time the blood type was taken as I understood.

Again, Takuya Kimura gave an outstanding performance; in fact he won an award for his acting in this drama series. Also, this drama was a TBS 50th anniversary special so it had this “cinematic” effect on it–spectacular scenes (love the snowstorm and snowcap mountain scenes and the view of the steel factory), cinematic music by Hattori Takayuki with the Philharmonic Orchestra and chorale. I thought Daisuke (played by Kitaoji Kinya) gave out the most superb performance of a father that you would “love” to “hate.” Again, Takuya had such expressive eyes here. When he was mulling over what his father said about how he would have been another person having an “ordinary” family had Teppei not been born, I thought his iris had a bluish grey tint and then later, “sparkling brown.” Just noticed Takuya was a little thin here but still retained his boyish charm. Great drama, although a bit heavy for Takuya fans who are used to a Takuya doing “feel good” roles. But then again, Takuya is such a verstile actor that one looks forward to him doing offbeat roles from time to time.

Got this synopsis from a website that sells DVD of this drama:

SYNOPSIS / Editorial Review about – Karei naru Ichizoku (The Wealthy Family)

With a big cast headlined by perennial favorite Kimura Takuya, TBS drama Karei naru Ichizoku, a.k.a. The Grand Tribe and The Family, has brought in equally big ratings. Set in the financial tumult of the 1970s, the sweeping TV series is based on Yamazaki Toyoko’s classic novel, which has previously been adapted for television and film. The story revolves around a wealthy and powerful family, and the inner conflicts, family secrets, and financial powerplay that tear them apart.Head of the family Manpyo Daisuke (Kitaoji Kinya) is a ruthless and powerful banker whose firm exercises great influence in the financial circle. Eldest son Teppei (Kimura Takuya) is the head of a steel firm, eldest daughter Sanae (Hasegawa Kyoko) is in the Ministry of Finance, second son Ginpei (Yamamoto Koji) works at his father’s bank, and youngest daughter Tsugiko (Aibu Saki) is a student. Along with Daisuke’s traditional wife (Harada Mieko) and scheming mistress (Suzuki Kyoka), the Manpyos form one of the most powerful families in Japan.