Naoki Hanzawa (2013 TV Series)
Naoki Hanzawa is a Japanese television drama series that aired on TBS from July 7 to September 22, 2013. The series is based on two novels by author Jun Ikeido: Oretachi Bubble Nyukougumi (2004) and Oretachi Hana no Baburugumi (2008).
Plot
The story follows Naoki Hanzawa, portrayed by Masato Sakai, a loan manager at the Osaka Nishi branch of Tokyo Central Bank. Under pressure from his branch manager, Asano, Hanzawa approves a 500 million yen loan to Nishi Osaka Steel Company. Although the company appears stable, it is later revealed to be concealing significant debt through fraudulent accounting. When the company goes bankrupt, Asano attempts to shift the blame onto Hanzawa. To protect his career and reputation, Hanzawa must navigate the internal politics of the bank and recover the lost funds.
Production and Reception
The series was directed by Katsuo Fukuzawa, Takayoshi Tanazawa, and Kenta Tanaka, with a screenplay by Hiroyuki Yatsu. The production is notable for its high viewership ratings in Japan. The final episode achieved a rating of 42.2%, which is recorded as one of the highest single-episode ratings for a Japanese drama series. Additionally, the series became the first in Japan to surpass 30% ratings since the 2011 series I'm Mita, Your Housekeeper. Episode 6 of the series was extended by 25 minutes.
Cast
The series features an ensemble cast, including:
- Masato Sakai as Naoki Hanzawa
- Aya Ueto as Hana Hanzawa
- Mitsuhiro Oikawa as Shinobu Tomari
- Kenichi Takito as Naosuke Kondo
- Ainosuke Kataoka as Shunichi Kurosaki
- Teruyuki Kagawa as Akira Ohwada
- Kanji Ishimaru as Tadasu Asano
