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| Sakai Masato as Hanzawa Naoki |
Just started watching the new Sakai Masato mystery drama “Hanzawa Naoki” the story of a banker at a huge Banking Business suddenly saddled with the blame for losing a huge 500 Million dollar loan. At first I thought this was going to be a drama with lots of crying remorse and apology-laden dialog, what I got was a no-nonsense, KICK-BUTT Loan Officer who is determined to get to the bottom of the shady interworkings of his superiors plans and backdoor dealing.
Far from the shy, introverted Banker I was expecting, THIS Hanzawa Naoki is keen eyed, determined, and not just a little on the “Psychotic Inner-Rage” side! It was like the character "Date Kazuyoshi" Sakai played in JOKER Yurusaresa Sosakan had been reborn as Hanzawa Naoki- and in fact, the two characters are quite similar in that they’re both motivated by childhood memories of their fathers struggling with bankruptcy and their subsequent deaths (one at the hands of a Mob Lender and the other a suicide because the Banks ignored his pleas for help), and are living with deep hatred and unspoken plans for revenge…
The drama also stars beautiful Aya Ueto as Hanzawa’s dutiful wife Hana, Nakajima Yuto (whom I hadn’t seen since Riso No Musuko!) as Hanzawa’s subordinate Nakanishi, Takito Kenichi and Oikawa Mitsuhiro as two colleagues, and Kitaoji Kinya and Kawaga Teryuki in very Kitaoji and Kagawa-type roles(Wizened Elder and Oily Weasel)!
