The first episode of the TBS Sunday Theatre drama "The Royal Family" (Sundays at 9pm), starring Satoshi Tsumabuki, was broadcast on October 12th. The drama is directed by Tsukahara Ayuko, who has produced many classic dramas, and has attracted attention on social media with comments such as "As expected from director Tsukahara Ayuko."
◇The following contains spoilers
The story is based on the novel of the same name by Kazuma Hayami. Eiji Kurisu (played by Tsumabuki) admired his father, who was a tax accountant, and followed in his footsteps, but he experienced setbacks and lost hope. However, his life takes a major turn when he meets Kozo Sanno (played by Koichi Sato), a horse owner.
Kurisu is asked by Royal Human to investigate the state of the horse racing division. Yutaro (Kotaro Koizumi, and head of the human resources department, has requested the investigation, as he plans to abolish the horse racing division, which has been running at a loss ever since.
Kurisu is sent to the designated auction site in Hokkaido to meet Kozo. Along with the caption "Hokkaido, Chitose," images of magnificent nature and animals such as horses and squirrels are shown on the screen.
Afterwards, Kurisu and Kozo head to the Hidaka region of Hokkaido, which has long been a thriving thoroughbred breeding area and is dotted with numerous ranches. Powerful footage of animals running in the beautiful natural surroundings is shown on screen.
According to the station, filming took place over a two-week period in the Hidaka region of Hokkaido. Prior to the drama's broadcast, Tsukahara commented, "With the support of everyone involved in horse racing, we will do our best to capture the beautiful scenery of Hokkaido and create a new visual experience."
On social media, comments such as "The beauty of the visuals is as expected from Director Ayuko Tsukahara," "The way the scenery is shot is definitely Director Ayuko Tsukahara," "I thought the visuals were beautiful, but it turns out it was directed by Ayuko Tsukahara...! As expected," "From the first episode I was moved to tears and couldn't take my eyes off it. As expected from Ayuko Tsukahara!" and "I love the beauty of the landscapes Director Tsukahara depicts." were garnering attention.
