The fifth episode of the drama series "Galaxy Vote" (Kansai TV/Fuji TV, Mondays at 10 PM), starring actress Haru Kuroki, aired on May 18th. The past of Diet member Ryusei Hiyama, played by Kohei Matsushita, was revealed, prompting a flood of comments from viewers such as "It's incredibly intense" and "He's been a schemer since he was a child."
◇The following contains spoilers.
Ryusei, a rising star in the faction led by Minseito Secretary-General Hoshino Takaomi (played by Bando Yajuro), officially announced his candidacy for the Tokyo gubernatorial election. During his speech, Ryusei's tumultuous past was revealed through a monologue.
When Ryusei was 12 years old, his father's factory went bankrupt. His mother left home, abandoning Ryusei, as if to escape her fallen husband. The next day, his father told him, "Let's die together," but Ryusei retorted, "Die alone," and ran away from home. He thought about running to a police station to ask for help, but turned back before he reached it.
"My father might be arrested for attempted murder, and my mother for child abandonment. It's not that I felt sorry for them. It's not that I felt lonely. It's just that if my parents become criminals, it'll probably be a lot of trouble. But then what can I do...?"
Just as Ryusei was at his wit's end, he heard a speech by the young Hoshino Takaomi. "I don't know what to do. At times like these, we need a society where people can cry out for help, and a political system that can respond..."
Encouraged by the speech, Ryusei calmly analyzed the situation, saying, "It's okay, I can do it. Right now, I'm completely in a pitiful state," and asked Takaomi for help. This led to Ryusei receiving support from Takaomi.
The scene then shifted to Ryusei giving a speech. With tears in his eyes, Ryusei recounted his own "pitiful" story and expressed his gratitude to Takaomi, captivating the hearts of the voters.
On social media, comments poured in such as, "Ryusei's past was incredibly brutal," "With that childhood and those actions, it's no wonder Ryusei is who he is today," "Hiyama Ryusei was a schemer even as a child!", "Kohei Matsushita is too good at playing a shady politician."
The drama is an "election entertainment" story in which Mari Hoshino (played by Kuroki) recruits Akari Tsukioka (played by Noro Kayo), a bar owner with no political experience, to be her election strategist, and together they take on the Tokyo gubernatorial election.
