Rocket Boy

[From Rick Frankum]: A comedic story about three stuck-in-a-rut working men. Kobayashi (Oda) works at a travel agency, had a girlfriend of 8 years who leaves him just before the first episode, and has dreamed of going into space ever since watching the Kubrick movie "2001" in elementary school. He meets Suzuki and Tanaka as a result of an accident in a ballpark, and they end up as friends.

[Fuji TV Synopsis]: The main character, Kobayashi (Yuji Oda), works at a travel agency, and has the preconceived notion that in 2001 he will be able to go on a trip to outer space. Now 30, his girlfriend has left him, and a year has passed since he promised to take over the Japanese style bed and breakfast that his father runs. While trying to avoid his father who has brought a potential bride for him to Tokyo, Kobayashi ends up in a baseball stadium, where he meets two other guys. The two that Kobayashi meets are Suzuki (Yusuke Santamaria), a salesman for a food service company, and Tanaka (Somegoro Ichikawa). Suzuki is troubled over his proposed marriage to the daughter of one of his customers who runs a "ramen shop". Tanaka, works at an advertising agency and is the second male child in his family. Although appearing to be on the right track at work, Tanaka actually has lots of problems of his own. After the intriguing meeting with the other two, Kobayashi is able to sympathize with them and he...

STARRING: Oda Yuji, Yuusuke SantaMaria, Ichikawa Somegoro
NETWORK: Fuji TV
THEME SONG: "Sora no mukou made" by Oda Yuji
DURATION: January through March 2001
REVIEWS:

[From Rick Frankum]: The comedy seems a little forced, and not at all funny. I hope there's a plot waiting in the wings, as the three guys don't have a whole lot of chemistry going on...