Aya Ueto

An extended version of "The Silent Service" depicting Shiro Kaieda's story on a grand scale, from declaring the independent state of Yamato and negotiating a military alliance with Japan, to the subsequent Battle of Tokyo Bay.

Izumi Sakuragi is a new police sergeant with the Special Investigations Office, which was set up within the Metropolitan Police in November last year. The new investigation team uses DNA analysis and the latest in forensics science to investigate cold cases as well as cases suspected to involve missing persons.

Hanzawa Naoki works as a loan manager at the Osaka Nishi branch of Tokyo Central Bank. One day, Hanzawa makes a loan contract for 500 million yen with Nishi Osaka Steel Company. Hanzawa didn't want to approve the loan, but he had to due to the branch manager's order. Nishi Osaka Steel Company seems financially stable, but the company actually hides massive amounts of debt through fraudulent accounts. The company is caught. Three months later, Nishi Osaka Steel Company goes bankrupt. The bank's branch manager is Asano. He is an ambitious man and tries to shift the blame to Hanzawa. Hanzawa then attends an inquiry about the loan failure at the bank's headquarters in Tokyo. Hanzawa denies fault and promises to retrieve the 500 million yen loan. He did this because it's the only way for Hanzawa to survive as a banker.

Yoko, a sort of modern tomboy, almost by chance gets her sights set stubbornly on becoming a Cabin Attendant (CA), a type of woman the men are all fond of, but a role which is completely out of character for her. (This is a drama about young people including a girl who wishes to work on the stage of big sky) The headstrong Yoko Misaki (Aya Ueto) is a boyish girl who loves rock’n roll but hates dishonesty and has never once worn high heels. A chance comment by one of her friends causes her to aim for the job of a cabin attendant on an airline, which is completely out of character. Although she also feels the work is not up her alley, Yoko starts to prepare for the entrance examination with vigor, exhibiting her inborn never-say-die spirit and miraculously passing the examination. Naively assuming that she would immediately become a cabin attendant upon passing the test, Yoko of course has stiff training awaiting her.

Ieji Hisashi, a salaryman who works for a securities company, has a fuzzy memory of the recent five years because of an accident at his job posting. His wife of five years, Megumi and their 4-year-old son seem to wear masks. He can neither tell their facial expressions nor their emotions. He also struggles about his love for them. On the other hand, Ieji feels an attachment to his ex-wife, whom he divorced five years ago, and their daughter. What sort of days did he have in those five years which are a blank to him? Ieji sets out on a journey to find his past self with a mysterious bunch of 10 keys that he has. He becomes aware that he was a cold, career-minded man before the accident, and the persona that is gradually revealed is beyond the imagination of his present kindhearted self.

A legendary television series and cultural asset, Mr. Kinpachi in Class 3B is famous for putting many social issues on the front burner of the public conscious over its long run, as filtered through the emotionally volatile lives of third year middle school students. The heartfelt relations between a devoted schoolteacher, Kinpachi Sakamoto, and his unique students have won the show high praise for several decades. Whether due to the pressures of exams, family relations, teachers and friends, graduating middle school students navigate a turbulent hormonal sea of “hope” and “frustration”, constantly shaped by the social environment of the times. Standing as a beacon in the storm and emitting messages of hope for each generation is one Japanese teacher, Kinpachi Sakamoto, who has come to be adored and admired by a nation through the adventures of Class 3B.