The sixth episode of the TBS Sunday Theatre drama "The Royal Family" (Sundays at 9:00 PM), starring Satoshi Tsumabuki, aired on November 16th. The transformation of Sanno Kozo, played by Koichi Sato, attracted attention and drew praise on social media.
◇The following contains spoilers
Kozo announced that he and Royal Hope would retire after the 2018 Arima Kinen race. The reason was that he had been diagnosed with cancer.
Kozo is not responding well to treatment and is languishing in a hospital bed. His daughter Yuriko (Nagisa Sekimizu Nagisa) comes to visit him and confides her anxiety to Kurisu (Tsumabuki), saying, "I've never seen my father like that."
Although Kozo acts bravely, the treatment itself takes its toll on his physical strength. Gradually, Kozo's hair turns completely white, and he is shown walking with Kurisu's support.
On social media, comments such as "His acting as President Sanno, who has become emaciated due to illness, was so good I thought it was typical of Koichi Sato Koichi Sato was amazing," "Koichi Sato's acting is really amazing. His acting when he was weak was also...," "The president who became weaker due to illness was very realistic," and "Koichi Sato's eyes became increasingly droopy due to the illness, his acting was amazing."
The story is based on the novel of the same name by Kazuma Hayami. Kurisu admired her father, who was a tax accountant, and followed in his footsteps, but she experienced setbacks and lost hope. However, her life takes a major turn when she meets Kozo Sanno, a horse owner.
