The sixth episode of the Fuji TV drama series "Ramune Monkey" (Wednesdays at 10pm), starring Takashi Sorimachi, Nao Omori, and Kenjiro Tsuda, aired on February 18th. The scene in which Hajime, played by Omori, expresses his opinion to Ishiwata (played by Yoshimasa Kondo), the chairman of a construction company, caused a stir on social media.
◇The following contains spoilers
Hajime is approached by his ex-girlfriend Satsuki (Noriko Nakagoshi) with a job as a film director. It is an autobiographical film that Ishiwata is producing with his own pocket money. In writing the script, Hajime uses Ishiwata's autobiography as a reference, but is bored by the fact that it is full of boasting. Hajime completes the script from a different perspective, but after reading it, Ishiwata harshly criticizes it. Hajime holds back.
Meanwhile, Hajime, Yuta (Sorimachi), and Kisuke (Tsuda) are investigating Matilda's (Kiryu Aso) disappearance, and they begin to suspect that Seikichi Nihei, whom they call "Rambo," is involved in the disappearance. However, Rambo has already passed away. Together with cafe employee Hakuba Nishino (Fukumoto Riko), the three learn from Rambo's sister (Matsubara Chieko) that Matilda was the daughter of one of Rimbaud's war comrades, and that Rimbaud had been concerned about and watched over her since she lost her parents at an early age.
Later, Ishiwata called Hajime in and handed him the script, which Ishiwata had revised and added to. The script was filled with lines that Ishiwata boasted about. Hajime thought of Rimbaud's life, always being close to Matilda, and threw the script down on the table, suddenly making a bold statement.
"How shallow! Your life is so shallow. You're bragging about the fact that you just took over your parents' company and went along with the times. It's so embarrassing. There are so many people who have a much harder time than you. If you showed a movie like this to them, they would laugh at you."
He continued, "There are many people in the world who are not as important or rich as you, but who have worked hard to live their lives to the fullest. It is these nameless people, those who died quietly and unknown, who are the real..." he began, but then pleaded, "I am trying to turn this hopeless original work into a film that will be entertaining. Will you please leave it to me?"
Ishiwata was furious and shouted, "Get out! You rude person!" On the way back in the elevator, Hajime said to Satsuki, who was with him, "You could have stopped him," to which Satsuki replied with a laugh, "I was hoping you'd do more."
On social media, the incident became a hot topic, with comments such as, "Chen spoke up to the arrogant president. That's so Chen!", "It's always so refreshing to watch Chen's stand-up moves," "Chen said it," "Yes! Chen looks so cool," and "Chen looks so relieved."
The original story and screenplay for the drama was written by Ryota Furusawa. It is a "youth-recovering human comedy" that depicts the reunion and rebirth of two middle-aged men who were both passionate about making kung fu movies when they were in junior high school in 1988, but now feel like their lives have reached a dead end, thinking "this isn't how it was supposed to be."
