The ninth episode of the TBS Sunday drama "GIFT," starring actor Shinichi Tsutsumi, aired on June 7th. The dramatic developments towards the end of the episode surprised viewers.
◇The following contains spoilers.
Ryo (Yuki Yamada), who is suspected of having hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, faces the risk that strenuous exercise could be fatal. However, he confides in his mother, Kimiyo (Yumi Aso), and resolves to take on the challenge of the game. With his family watching, the Bulls successfully advance through the qualifiers and reach the final tournament.
Meanwhile, Wu Tetsu (Tsutsumi), concerned about Ryo's health, struggles with whether or not to use him in the final tournament. Hitoka (Arimura Kasumi) also learns about Ryo's illness for the first time and tries to stop him, but she accepts Ryo's strong determination and decides to fight alongside him.
The battle against Snake was a fierce back-and-forth contest. Ryo led the team, but when Keijiro was injured and had to leave the game temporarily, Ryo pleaded to continue playing "until Keijiro returned." With his father, Tatsuya (played by Daikichi Sugawara), who had left home, watching, he fought valiantly, but his condition suddenly worsened and he was taken away in an ambulance.
The Bulls won the game, but when Gotetsu and others rushed to the hospital, Ryo was in critical condition. Then, that night, his condition suddenly worsened. With Gotetsu, Hitoka and others watching over him, Ryo woke up and, with the last words, "I'm glad I was born...", passed away.
The shocking turn of events led to a flurry of surprised reactions on social media, with comments such as, "What... No way...", "That's completely unexpected", and "No way, I never thought he'd die."
