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J-Drama: 半沢直樹 (Hanzawa Naoki)


UTB 18.2 Sunday Night Drama: HANZAWA NAOKI

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Starts on Sunday, April 6th, 2014
Airs on UTB Channel 18.2 on Sundays from 9:00p ~ 10:00p.
(Following the end of KASHA)

With English subtitles

Also aired on:
Early Mondays anytime from 1:30a ~ 3:30a
Monday mornings from 6:00a ~ 7:00a
Mondays from 12:00p ~ 1:00p
Mondays from 5:00p ~ 6:00p
Mondays from 8:00p ~ 9:00p

Summary

Double the payback! Naoki Hanzawa, an unconventional banker, stands up to the evil boss. A new hero legend is born!! It was the height of the Japanese economic bubble when Naoki Hanzawa landed a coveted job in a major bank. But he finds the life of a banker to be a stormy one. As a loan officer section chief, Hanzawa works to finance the Nishi Osaka Steel company 5 million dollars at the insistence of his stubborn branch manager, Asano, and without collateral! What appeared a blue chip company is actually a heavily indebted concern that has been cooking its books. Within 3 months of the loan, Nishi Osaka Steel goes bankrupt, and Hanzawa and his bank have been deceived out of 5 million dollars. Not willing to take the heat and jeopardize his career, Asano plots to lay the blame on Hanzawa. When called to headquarters in Tokyo to attend investigative hearings about the fiasco, Hanzawa decides instead to deny the money is lost and vows to recover it himself. A believer in the goodness of people, but aware that deception costs double, Naoki Hanzawa’s life as a legendary maverick banker begins. —UTB

Hanzawa Naoki works for Tokyo Chuo Bank as the head of the Loans Division at their Osaka Nishi branch. The overbearing branch manager, Asano, forces him to award an unsecured loan of 500 million yen to Nishi Osaka Steel. On the surface, Nishi Osaka Steel seems like a very reputable company, but in actual fact it is a company in deep trouble. Debt-ridden, the company accountants resort to window-dressing the financial statements in order to hide the truth from the public. Three months after the loan, Nishi Osaka Steel goes bankrupt and the ambitious and power-hungry Asano makes Hanzawa the scapegoat for the 500 million loss. Hanzawa is called to Tokyo to answer to the internal investigations team, where he vehemently denies responsibility for the loss, and swears to recover the 500 million yen. That is the only course of action for Hanzawa, if he wants to survive in the banking industry. —DramaWiki

Drama Information

Number of Episodes: 10
Genre: Suspense
Theme song: Theme of Hanzawa Naoki by Hattori Takayuki
Originally aired: 07/07/2013 - 09/22/2013 on TBS in Japan

Cast

Main Cast

Sakai Masato as Hanzawa Naoki
Ueto Aya as Hanzawa Hana
Oikawa Mitsuhiro as Tomari Shinobu
Takito Kenichi as Kondo Naosuke
Kitaoji Kinya as Nakanowatari Ken
Kagawa Teruyuki as Ohwada Akira
Morita Junpei as Kishikawa Shingo
Kataoka Ainosuke (片岡 愛之助) as Kurosaki Shunichi
Shoufukutei Tsurube as Hanzawa's father
Lily as Hanzawa's mother
Yamazaki Naoko (山崎直子) as Kondo's wife

Part 1 - Osaka

Tokyo Chuo Bank Employees

Nakajima Yuto as Nakanishi Eiji
Miyakawa Ichirota (宮川一朗太) as Ejima Hiroshi
Ishimaru Kanji (石丸幹二) as Asano Tadasu
Suda Kunihiro (須田邦裕) as Kakiuchi
Moro Morooka as Kakuta
Hida Yasuhito as Ogiso Tadao
Shigaki Taro (志垣太郎) as Takagi
Kosuda Yasuto as Edaoka Takayuki
Nishi Osaka Steel related people
Ukaji Takashi as Higashida Mitsuru
Dan Mitsu (壇蜜) as Fujisawa Miki
Akai Hidekazu as Takeshita Kiyohiko
Okada Kohki as Itabashi Heigo
Ousaka Jun (逢坂じゅん) as Komura Takehiko

Part 2 - Tokyo

Tokyo Chuo Bank employees

Yoshida Kotaro as Naito Hiroshi
Makita Tetsuya as Onodera Junji
Okayama Amane as Sakamoto Shinnosuke
Yamada Jundai as Fukuyama Keijiro
Tezuka Toru as Kozato Norio
Kawahara Kazuhisa as Kaise Ikuo
Iseshima Hotel employees
Suruga Taro as Yuasa Takeshi
Baisho Mitsuko as Hane Natsuko
Kobayashi Takashi as Togoshi Shigenori
Tamiya Electric employees
Maekawa Yasuyuki as Tamiya Motoki
Riju Go as Noda Hideyuki

(For the complete cast list and links, please visit the DramaWiki page)

Awards

78th Television Drama Academy Awards: Best Actor - Sakai Masato
78th Television Drama Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor - Kagawa Teruyuki
78th Television Drama Academy Awards: Best Director - Fukuzawa Katsuo
17th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix (Jul-Sept 2013): Best Drama
17th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix (Jul-Sept 2013): Best Actor - Sakai Masato
17th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix (Jul-Sept 2013): Best Supporting Actor - Kagawa Teruyuki

Links

TBS Official Website
DramaWiki
UTB

Last edited by Hiroshi66, 6/11/2014, 8:31 am
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Re: J-Drama: 半沢直樹 (Hanzawa Naoki)


I've been wondering if the face I keep seeing in the TV ads is Sakai Masato. Finally, I checked the cast and am delighted he is the star of this series.

The whole cast is first-rate, though. So, not only will I be enjoying the lead character, but many of the supporting roles.

I notice that Sakai Masato won the 78th Television Drama Academy Awards: Best Actor award. The viewing audience for the final episode was 42.2%. Wow.

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Re: J-Drama: 半沢直樹 (Hanzawa Naoki)


class blockquote nchristi wrote:
I notice that Sakai Masato won the 78th Television Drama Academy Awards: Best Actor award. The viewing audience for the final episode was 42.2%. Wow.
This drama did extremely well. I love this type of storyline. The audience were wondering if a second season will be made. And whether Sakai Masato's drama the next season, Legal High [Season 2], could follow with similar ratings. I don't think it was able to reach ratings as high as Hanzawa Naoki, but Legal High 2 did receive the award for best drama at the 79th Television Drama Academy Awards (and Sakai Masato for best actor).

So far, I don't think any drama since that Summer 2013 has managed to achieve such high ratings.


Last edited by creidesca, 3/17/2014, 5:17 am


---
Currently a Clinical Laboratory Scientist at Cedar-Sinai Medical Center's Transfusion Medicine (Blood Bank) department
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Re: J-Drama: 半沢直樹 (Hanzawa Naoki)


Yep, it's Sakai Masato! I'm so excited to see him in a drama again. He's had so many memorable roles over the years, and since he won the Best Actor award for this, it looks like we'll be seeing him in another unforgettable drama. Can't wait!

UTB is really airing some excellent dramas in the Sunday night time slot. Looking forward to this one.
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Re: J-Drama: 半沢直樹 (Hanzawa Naoki)


I see that Sakai Masato finally got married! Good for him. His bride is Kanno Miho, an accomplished actress and pop singer.

Here is a photo and article.


Image
 Sakai Masato & Kanno Miho - April 2013


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Re: J-Drama: 半沢直樹 (Hanzawa Naoki)


Wow, I didn't know this! Thanks for the info, Nchristi! What great news. I'm familiar with Kanno Miho and we've seen her in quite a few dramas over the years. They make quite the handsome couple, don't they? I'm happy that these two accomplished actors have found each other. emoticon
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Re: J-Drama: 半沢直樹 (Hanzawa Naoki)


<EPISODE 1> (Part 1)

Wow, this was a very interesting premiere. From the suspenseful story to the all-star cast, I can see why this one was so successful in Japan. I am definitely looking forward to watching it.

The cast is really excellent, isn't it? Sakai Masato is perfect in the lead role as Hanzawa Naoki. His facial expressions, especially during the moments where he feels like he is being backed into a corner, are so expressive and well-done. He totally deserves the award for Best Actor that he won here. I can't imagine anyone else being cast for the Hanzawa Naoki role. Then, we have Kagawa Teruyuki as one of the big bosses in the bank. We haven't seen too much of his acting yet, but he's also such a great actor (how can we forget Iwasaki Yataro from Ryoma!?) and I look forward to seeing him here, even if it is in a villain role. Also a big treat to see Kanbe again, and we have other familiar faces, as well.

The story and premise seems very interesting, but it's frustrating to see how Naoki is being set up to take the fall for his greedy and manipulative boss. I guess the system in this bank is that if the superior makes a mistake (even after being urged by Naoki to not give a loan to the suspicious steel company) the subordinate has to take the fall—no matter what the circumstances. Naoki had no choice but to accept, and now, he has to accept the consequences.

One thing I find refreshing about Naoki is that he is actually talking back and not letting his bosses walk all over him. In many of these dramas, the main character would have just put his/her head down, walked away, and accepted the unfairness without talking back. Naoki is different, though. I felt like applauding him when he confronted his creep of a boss and told him that if he was able to secure the 500 million yen (about $50,000,000) he would make the boss get on his knees and apologize. Good for Naoki! It's refreshing to see a character defend themselves against corruption, instead of just accepting it without a single word.

The sad part is that Naoki has just one week to secure the missing funds. Plus, I'm worried that the writing is on the wall already, and that even if Naoki manages to get the money back, that he may be transferred or forced to resign just because of the implications of this incident and the fact that he talked back to his boss. In a perfect world, the boss would be fired and Naoki would get promoted!

I have a sneaking suspicion that the promotion Naoki's friend (who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia) will receive is going to be Naoki's own position—since they are assuming he's going to be removed because of this whole debacle. I could see the higher-ups pulling that out of their hat, in order to cause a divide between Naoki and his friend. If that ends up happening, I hope their friendship can be salvaged.

Naoki's wife is going through some difficult times, too. She and her husband are from Tokyo and now live in Osaka, so there is a lot of drama and they feel like they belong in the outsider clique. The issues Naoki's wife is going through with the other women reminds me a bit of the Desperate Motherhood drama. People can be so fake and desperate to make others feel less than.

Excellent drama! It's not a light-hearted one, but I am definitely enjoying it so far and can't wait to see what happens next! Part 2 (which will also run for 75 minutes instead of one hour) will air next week!

Last edited by Hiroshi66, 4/9/2014, 5:06 pm
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Re: J-Drama: 半沢直樹 (Hanzawa Naoki)


Question: "... 500 million yen (about $5000)...." Is this a typo?
 
Enjoyable opening episode. It reminded me of Karei-naru Ichizoku, The Grand Family, a 2007 special 10-episode drama on the 1960's banking empire in Japan, which was exceptional. The dwarfing architectural scale in those elite banks was brought back to mind in the scene where Naoki was applying for a banking position. The camera pulls back revealing a mind-boggling overview of the interview "room" (more like Grand Central Station), with multiple crammed rows of small, assembly line interview stations, hundreds of applicants either being interviewed, or lining the perimeter.

The corruption and dishonor of the banking system portrayed is staggering. It's going to be painful watching Naoki endure while trying to make a crack in the hierarchical structure that is impregnable to most. But he is a determined man with an independent streak and keen "grey matter," not one to quietly be a sheep led to the slaughter.

Sakai Masoto is, indeed, a fine choice to star in this role. I notice he has put on just a tad of weight. Now he looks like a happily married man! emoticon

Since Naoki and his wife live in corporate housing, they have to play the corporate hierarchy game, even among the wives. I saw a similar situation years ago when I lived in a military town in the Mid-West. My best friend was married to an officer and they lived in housing on the base. The wives were all required to attend bi-weekly "teas" with other wives. What a caste system. Higher ranking officers' wives addressed "lesser" wives by their first names, while those married to lower ranking men had to address the higher up wives as "Mrs. ___." There was great pressure not to "mess up" in these teas because it would affect your husband's career and whether you received many other military perks or not. Those corporate wives and the scarves deal was perfect. Such phoney baloney over false pride. At least Naoki's wife knows how to play the game and not let it get to her.

I'm worried, too, about Naoki's friend with the mental issues. He is a very vulnerable person, even though his schizophrenia seems controlled at this stage. Pressure and stress are the worst possible enemies for a person in his situation. I'm sure the higher ups won't blink an eye at using this poor guy to do their bidding, or as a bargaining chip against Naoki.

It was also nice to have an extended version of Part I. It flew by in no time and covered a lot of important background information. Definitely looking forward to coming episodes.

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Re: J-Drama: 半沢直樹 (Hanzawa Naoki)


Whoops! Sorry about that. Thanks for catching that, Nchristi. emoticon I meant to write $50,000,000 but left out quite a few zeroes. Can you imagine if the bankers got so worked up over $5000? LOL! emoticon (I'll edit my original post, too. Thanks again for catching that!)

Yes, the extended Part I was great. Usually we just get the background information in the first part, but since this first part was extended, we were able to get into the story, too. Part II will be exciting, since we'll already have seen all the background and introductions—we'll be able to jump right into the meat and potatoes next week. I hope UTB will do this when they start airing other dramas, too.

That's very interesting about a similar hierarchy occurring with officers' wives in the Mid-West. It's so hypocritical, isn't it, with the wives of higher ranking officers getting to address the others by first names, while everyone had to refer to them as "Mrs." so-and-so. I guess this is one of those things that occurs cross-culturally, in a variety of different situations. I can see why Naoki's wife is so desperate to move out of the company housing. The sooner she gets out, the sooner she can get away from these fake parties. She must feel so uncomfortable and awkward, even though she seems to have gotten the hang of how to deal with (and appease) the wives of the higher-ranking bankers. Sadly, with what's happening to Naoki, it may be a while before they can go off on their own.

I hope Naoki will get through this. Like you mentioned, Nchristi, he seems to have a good head on his shoulders and isn't the type to back down to anybody. It's refreshing to see a character like him, instead of someone more timid who would shy away from confrontation. I was rooting him on when he told his boss that if he managed to get the 500 million back, he would expect the boss to get on his knees and apologize to him for what he caused. We can only hope that happens!

Excellent drama with an even more excellent cast. I can't say I'm looking forward to seeing Naoki's struggles (as well as the struggles of his friends) but you can tell this is really a first-rate production. Can't wait for the extended Part II next Sunday!

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Re: J-Drama: 半沢直樹 (Hanzawa Naoki)


<EPISODE 1> (Part 2)

What an excellent drama! The 75 minutes went by so quickly that I was surprised when it was over. I'm starting to see why this drama was so successful and won so many awards/recognitions in Japan. It's certainly very relevant and realistic—any company worker could find themselves framed like Naoki, so it must hit quite close to home for the Japanese viewing audience. For us, it's an interesting look at some corrupt elements within the corporate culture which can be cross-cultural and manifest itself in any country or culture.

I was sad to see Kondo get transferred out, but in a sense, I'm also relieved. I was afraid that the bank higher-ups were going to use him to do their dirty work against Naoki—perhaps forcing him to throw his friend under the bus or face the consequences. So, in a way, it might be best for Kondo and Naoki to be apart right now. That way, their friendship won't be the target of the higher-ups. We know the higher-ups tend to go for the jugular, so who knows what would have happened (or what could still happen) with Kondo in the picture.

I was cheering for Naoki again at the very end of the episode. Wasn't that HR meeting like a show trial? The "HR manager" reminded me of a judge at a show trail, who wasn't there to determine the truth but rather who had a set agenda—he knew the moment Naoki walked in that he was going to be guilty. What's more, he was going to subjugate him to psychological torture... the same torture that drove Kondo to the edge. I'm glad Naoki wasn't having it. He was going to defend himself and let the truth be known no matter what the consequences. After all, what was there to lose at this point? Even if Naoki loses, at least he has his dignity.

I'm curious about one thing, however. Even if Naoki gets the 500 million back somehow (which won't be an easy task, considering how dodgy the head of West Osawa Steel is) who is to say that the bank still won't get rid of him somehow, due to his past conduct? I can't picture the bank retaining Naoki in any capacity, especially because of the way in which he has burned so many bridges—even if he was doing the right thing.

The only saving grace may be the President of the bank. He seems like an Onoda (from Partners) character, who may support the underdog while being a master manipulator and puppeteer. He may take Naoki's side against the other higher-ups. That scene at the end, between the President and his immediate subordinate (who seems to be anti-Naoki) was very telling. This battle may go to the very top!

The tax investigative team - what a team of creeps! Ugh. I'm so glad Naoki was able to copy their data from the copy machine. Though it may not have been very legal, they deserved it for all their bad behavior. Ridiculous.

This is a very realistic drama, even though it makes me really mad sometimes. LOL! Hopefully this will prove to be a very suspenseful production. It's very well-done, and the acting is superb, as well. Can't wait for Episode 2 next week.

P.S - Sakai Masato is just perfect for this role. I can't imagine anyone else doing a better job. It almost feels like this role was written just for him!
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