The ninth episode of the TBS Sunday Theatre drama "The Royal Family" (Sundays at 9:00 PM), starring Satoshi Tsumabuki, aired on December 7th. The scene in which Nozaki Shohei (Ichihara Shogo) and the royal family both recover from injuries and run through the northern lands touched the hearts of viewers.
◇The following contains spoilers
Shohei, who became the main jockey for the Royal Family, fell off his horse during the Autumn Tenno Sho. Due to a broken leg, it would take four months for him to return to the track. The family also discovered that they had broken their legs and had to recuperate.
Shohei returned to racing a month earlier than originally planned, but was frustrated by the lack of places he had placed in any of the races he rode in since then. Meanwhile, his family discovered he had a corneal stromal abscess, a buildup of pus in the middle layer of the cornea in his right eye. In the worst case scenario, he could go blind, and whispers of retirement began to circulate within his team and family.
Koichi (Ren Meguro) travels to France to seek the help of Sawatari Yuki (Mikako Ichikawa), a veterinarian based in France who can perform corneal transplants. Although Sawatari was initially reluctant, he persuades her to return to Japan and successfully performs the surgery.
Approximately seven months after the fall, the final test was held for Shohei and his family to return to racing. Shohei, seated atop the saddle, called out, "Let's go, family," and stepped into the stirrups. The horse and rider galloped briskly across the green plain. Witnessing the horse's "resurrection," Kurisu (Tsumabuki) and Koichi exchanged high-fives and hugs.
On social media, comments such as "I was so moved by Shohei's run with the Royal Family," "Shohei's return with his family brought me to tears," "Shohei's return with his family was so cool, and the northern land is so beautiful...!" and "The scene of Shohei running with his family for the first time in a while was so beautiful I was in tears" became a hot topic.
