Then it occured to me, Masahiko Nishimura played the exact same kind of manipulative character in one of the FIRST J-dramas I ever watched: “Kagayake Rintaro” waaay back in 1995!
Watching him bully subordinate Aoyagi in "The Company" reminded me so much of watching him bully Rintaro Moezawa in Kagayake Rintaro back in the day:
Sure, his hair has gotten whiter but that hairline is unmistakable and the attitude is timeless!
The Overbearing boss/client character is surely a staple of Japanese dramas, and it's fun to realize that the first guy I ever saw playing such a type is STILL at it all these years later!
