The first episode of the TBS Sunday Theatre drama "The Royal Family" (Sundays at 9 PM), starring Satoshi Tsumabuki, aired on October 12th. The story depicts the encounter between the protagonist, Kurisu Eiji (Tsumabuki), who works at a major tax accounting firm, and Sanno Kozo (Koichi Sato), a horse owner, and has garnered praise from viewers, with some saying, "It felt like THE Sunday Theatre!! It was so entertaining!"
◇The following contains spoilers
The story is based on the novel of the same name by Kazuma Hayami. Eiji Kurisu admired his father, who was a tax accountant, and followed in his footsteps, but he experienced setbacks and lost hope. However, when he jumped into Kozo's "world," his life took a major turn...
Having been asked by Royal Human Company to investigate the state of their horse racing division, Kurisu heads to an auction venue in Hokkaido. When he arrives, he finds that the new horse that Kozo desperately wanted has already been won by a rival owner, Shiina Yoshihiro (Sawamura Kazuki).
Kurisu is scolded by Kozo for being late, but accompanies him to a horse owner's business afterwards. He learns that Kozo has purchased Izanya, a horse with a slightly bent leg that would not normally be put up for auction, along with Royal Fight.
After meeting Kurisu and Izanya, Kozo poured out his thoughts, saying, "Is the value of a horse measured in money? Or in race results? I don't think it's just that. A horse's value can't be measured in numbers."
When Kurisu touched Izanya, Kozo smiled and said, "I'm glad for you, Izanya. This teacher is also one of your friends."
On social media, people have been writing comments such as, "This drama is filled with the thoughts of everyone involved with racehorses and I was moved from the first episode," "I hate gambling so I was unsure whether to watch this show or not, but once I started I was drawn in," "It's not just about gambling, it's a story about people connected by horses," "This is a drama that feels like a Sunday Theater show! I can't wait to see what happens next," and "People who hate horse racing, people who aren't interested, I definitely recommend watching this."
