Introducing Karei-naru Ichizoku (The Grand Tribe) NO spoilers!
The drama series is based on a trilogy of books by Yamazaki Toyoko first published in 1972. It tells the story of an industrial family that makes its money with a private bank and steel works. The background is the financial and societal upheavals in Japan in the late 1960's where the whole drama is situated.
The Manpyo family always shows a united front to the outside world, but within its limitations of their family mansion, tradition and new ways collide. Manpyo Daisuke rules both his bank as well as his family with a heavy hand, very much like a shogun of old times. His four children, Teppei, Ginpei, Ichiko and Tsugiko, have to obey him no matter what, be it concerning their prospective spouses or concerning their work. Teppei, as the eldest is married to Sanae, the daughter of a business partner of his father, which he did not love but grew to love while being married for 5 years now. Ichiko, the eldest daughter, had to marry Daisuke's right hand man, Mima Ataru. Additionally, Daisuke not only has a wife of 35 years but also a mistress, Takasu Aiko, that lives with his family and seems to rule the family clan.
Teppei is a young man in his early 30's who loves his wife and small son and who works hard at the steel plant. Always on the look-out for new ways of opening markets, he and his workers form a strong bond and his workers as well as business partners and competitors respect him for his integrity and youthful energy. Most ppl compare him with his grandfather, and a lot of ppl think he has the same business sense as him who started the whole family clan to begin with. He feels protective towards his youngest sister, Tsugiko, and makes it his goal to let her marry a man she really loves instead of becoming a pawn to the grand scheme of his father's financial manipulations like himself and his oldest sister Ichiko.
Daisuke on the other hand seems to loathe Teppei and treats him with disdain. He is a tyrant in the worst sense of the word, his financial dealings are more than shady once in a while and his treatment of his wife, Yasuko, who he seems to loathe as much as his son Teppei, creates a rift through the family.
As the series unfolds with the question of why Daisuke hates his own oldest son so much, secrets, schemings and financial difficulties come to the foreground. Teppei sees himself facing off with his own father who seems determined not only to win but to destroy Teppei.
On the whole the characters are brilliantly cast. Every little character is cast fittingly. It feels more like a big screen movie than a mere series.
Kitaooji Kinya as Manpyo Daisuke gives a shilling performance as a megalomanic financial mogul who fights dirty to achieve his goals and who does not care if he has to destroy his family along the way as long as he can live confortably.
Nakamura Toru (Nemureru Mori, Tokyo Wankei) plays the slick son-in-law with panache and a ambiguity that comes to the foreground when he is with his wife.
Harada Mieko plays the timid wife of Daisuke and she gives an understated but all the more chilling performance as a wife who has been suppressed and crushed by a hard man. She is wonderful in little scenes, where only a gesture or a look conveys so much of her love to Teppei and frighteningly so her love to her tyrant husband. Great acting.
Kimura Takuya plays Teppei, the main character of the drama. I could gush pages upon pages about his performance here, but I try to limit myself to say only this: he is AN ACTOR. With this series I think he has surpassed his idol status. He is not a Johnny's anymore but a serious actor who not only has talent in spades but deserves to be recognized for what he is: an actor with the skills and the charisma.
Dynasty and Dallas it ain't (and thankfully so), even though there are lots of manipulation and bad guys and high financial stakes, but if you like a family drama against the backdrop of high finance with very good acting, breathtakingly grand settings and a main character to die for (Kimura looks uber-yummy in the late 60's/early 70's suits), Karei-naru Ichizoku is the thing for you.
The series is not a romance but drama with a BIG D so make no mistake. Nevertheless you cannot help but get pulled into the story and the Manpyo family.
Highly recommended!!
Download information
D-Addicts are providing the RAW files which S-Projects use for their softsubs. Only softsubs available at S-Projects (due to copyright), but worth it and they are quite quick as well, the subbed eps are about a week and a half behind the original airing in Japan.
x-posted to my lj