The first episode of the TBS Sunday drama "GIFT," starring actor Shinichi Tsutsumi, aired on April 12th (Sundays at 9 PM), and the average viewership ratings (according to Video Research, Kanto region) were 9.4% for households and 5.7% for individuals.
The drama is set in the world of wheelchair rugby, a parasport, and tells the story of Fumito Gotetsu (played by Tsutsumi), a genius astrophysicist, who finds answers to difficult problems facing a weak team, while learning the importance of friends and family. Yuki Yamada and Kasumi Arimura also appear in the drama.
The first episode, titled "Who is this guy!? A crazy scholar appears!", was broadcast with an extended 25-minute runtime.
Magazine reporter Hitoka Kiriyama (Arimura) is assigned by her boss to write a series about wheelchair rugby, a sport she knows nothing about, and goes to the weak team "Blaze Bulls." There, she finds a group of members who are the complete opposite of those on a strong team, all disorganized and lacking cohesion. Furthermore, there is the clearly out-of-place astrophysicist Fumito Gotetsu (Tsutsumi), who declares to the Bulls, "You have a mountain of problems!" The team's ace player, Ryo Miyashita (Yamada), challenges Gotetsu to a match... An unprecedented encounter sets destiny in motion...
