Manatsu no Merry Christmas

[From Daily Yomiuri, October 11, 2000 - Wm. Penn] Mark Friday, Oct. 13, 10 p.m., TBS on the calendar. Yutaka is starring in Manatsu no Merry Christmas, a drama from the producer and director who gave us this year's mega hit Beautiful Life. They will take the recent interest in orphanage tales, petty gangster tales, boxing tales and stories about groups of friends trying to carve out a life in the capital and try to combine them into a successful original drama. Let's wish them luck. The fall season could use another mega hit.

Yutaka, looking a little on the scruffy side for this role, plays a former professional boxer who has drifted into the world of the chinpira (petty criminals). He is a collector for a loan shark, but being our hero, he is still a nice guy at heart. He hasn't stepped over the thin danger line into the full-fledged gangster life yet, although a former boxing opponent, now turned yakuza, is trying to reel him in. A detective, who knows the secrets of Yutaka's past, serves as a father figure who tries to foil the bad guys.

Yutaka grew up in an orphanage in Okinawa Prefecture with heroine Haru (Miki Nakatani), Natsumi (Ai Kato), an aspiring actress, and two others. One of them is now a lawyer who has had to bail Yutaka out and the other a lucky young woman adopted by a rich family.

Haru, too, was adopted and has never once left the island where she grew up.  When her adopted mother dies, she decides to go to Tokyo to find the old group.

Being naive to the ways of the modern urban world, she almost ends up being sold off into the sex industry as soon as she sets foot on Tokyo's fair shores, but Yutaka comes to her rescue. Blessed with a capable cast, this one may just be the season's hidden winner.

Also known as "Midsummer Merry Christmas".

STARRING: Takenouchi Yutaka, Nakatani Miki, Kato Ai, Sugimoto Tetta, Uehara Misa
DURATION: October 13, 2000 through December 2000
NETWORK: TBS
THEME SONG: "Angel Song - Iyu no Kane -" by The Brilliant Green
REVIEWS: 

I would of thought that this Takenouchi drama would be very good but unfortunately, it was not what I expected.  I don't want to spoil what happens between the relationship of Takenouchi and Nakatani but when you find out, it may turn you off.  The finale is the only episode I enjoyed.- KNDY