New Spring Drama: Zeni no Sensou

 
Zeni no Sensou is translated as Money War.  This is a Japanese version of  the 2007 Korean drama "War of Money" starring Park Shin-yang and Park Jin-hee.  It is hard to believe 8 years has passed after watching the Korean version. 

War of Money Korean Version (2007)

I was very impressed by the Japanese version.  The first episode was 2 hours long, but I didn't get tired.  This drama is well made: good story development as well as character introduction and development.  I do not remember the details of the Korean version any more, but I vaguely remember it had more funny moments than the Japanese version.

(Spoiler)

Tomio

Kusanagi Tsuyoshi plays the central character Shiraishi Tomio, the eldest son of small factory owner.  He is called a "genius of numbers" as he remembers everything related to numbers.  He graduated from the top university in Japan and works in a major stock/securities company. 

Tomio's fiance

He is engaged to Aoike Kozue (played by Kimura Fumino) the grand-daughter of the CEO of a large financial group (played by Judy Ongg).

When everything seems to be going well for Tomio, he receives a phone call from his mother.  The mother tells him for the first time that his father is in a huge debt and is missing.  

Debt collectors start harassing Tomio, calling him even at his office.  Then, the police find his father's dead body.  He killed himself with a credit card sharpened like a knife.  

With never-ending harassment by the dead collectors, Tomio was forced to quit his job.  His fiance's grandma offers to give him 10 million Yen if he cancels his engagement.  He doesn't accept the offer at first, but his mother gets sick.  In order to pay his mother's surgery and hospital bills, he accepts the money.

Tomio's teacher from high school

While everybody is turning his/her back to Tomio, the only person who gives comfort to him is Kon'no Hiroshi (played by Osugi Ren), his high school teacher.  Kon'no Hiroshi lives with his daughter Mio (played by O'oshima Yu'uko).  The teacher is having a money problem and his daughter is afraid her job contract may not be renewed.

 The teacher's money problem is related to Akamatsu Finance which is owned by Akamatsu Daisuke (played by Watabe Atsurou). 

Tomio's brother

Tomio has a younger brother Koutarou (played by Tamamori Yu'uta) who is not of much help. Koutarou is a graduate student, and blames Tomio for not having got involved with the family or their father's factory.


Tomio's father's debt now entirely falls on Tomio.  He calls everybody he knows and asks for money.  He runs around crazy...

Those who came to Tomio's father's funeral say bad things about Tomio's father even in front of the altar.  Tomio snaps out saying, "I will make the money. "  "With my money I will regain everything I lost because of money." 

So Tomio's money war has just started.