Haretsu

Official Website
www.nhk.or.jp/dodra/haretsu

Broadcast
From 10.00 p.m., Saturdays, 10 October 2015

Station
NHK

Story
Heart surgeon Kamura Yoichiro’s ambition is to earn himself a place in medical history with the “dream cure” – rejuvenating the aged heart. He is a hard-nosed elite whose philosophy is, “A doctor matures after killing three persons” and he will do everything he can to put research into practical use. However, this medical treatment has a side effect that even Kamura has not realised. After cardiac function dramatically recovers, the heart will rupture and result in sudden death. There is a government official who has his eyes on enabling the painless death of old people with this side effect as the ultimate solution to an ultra-ageing society. He is Sakuma Kazuhisa, a rare strategist called the National Life Ministry’s Machiavelli. “If we do nothing in the face of the ageing society that is to come, this country will meet its doom. In Japan, medical treatment is progressing irrespective of whether life-support treatment is right or wrong, and there are a lot of bedridden old people. Do you know how many old people wish to drop dead?” Sakuma cleverly gets close to Kamura and devises a scheme to take over the “dream cure”. The first participant of this medical treatment is the famous national actor Kuraki Rentaro who is retired because of heart failure. Kuraki obsesses about making one more movie before he dies, and is the first to undergo the clinical trial. However, the terrifying side effect becomes apparent later. There is a time bomb in Kuraki’s body. Will his physician, Kamura, be able to save him? In fact, there is a secret between Kuraki and Kamura … …

Characters
Shiina Kippei as Kamura Yoichiro
A hard-nosed elite heart surgeon whose philosopy is “A doctor matures after killing three persons”. He devotes everything to rejuvenating the aged heart, but finds out about the horrible side effect – a heart rupture – and gets embroiled in a national conspiracy. He hates his father who abandoned himself and his mother when he was a child.

Takito Kenichi as Sakuma Kazuhisa
A successful government official who is the National Life Ministry’s feared Machiavelli. He orchestrates Project Tenju which will euthanise large numbers of old people by making use of a side effect of Kamura Yoichiro’s medical treatment for the sake of the “ultimate solution to an ultra-ageing society”. He schemes to win Kamura over, but … …

Sakai Maki as Matsuno Kimiko
A lawyer who specialises in medical lawsuits. She is Kamura Yoichiro’s ex-girlfriend and knows everything about him. Kamura and her see each other again for the first time in 12 years because of a medical malpractice lawsuit.

Sano Shiro as Shiro Sadahiko
Deputy Vice-Minister of the National Life Ministry. He is won over by Sakuma Kazuhisa, but begins to realise the hidden truth of Project Tenju and attempts to keep his distance. He is aiming to be the next Vice Minister.

Nakadai Tatsuya as Kuraki Rentaro
A national actor who is retired because of heart failure. He becomes the first person to undergo Kamura Yoichiro’s clinical trial because of an obsession to make movies again, and faces the risk of heart rupture. In truth, Kamura is the illegitimate son whom he abandoned as a child. What will happen to father and son who are reunited after about 40 years?

Kimura Midoriko as Sudo Ayako
Kuraki Rentaro’s common-law wife. She is an outspoken, cheerful and intelligent woman.

Scriptwriter
Hamada Shuya (Last Hope, Zettai Reido)

Original Work
Haretsu by Kusakabe Yo

Episodes
#1: A National Conspiracy Closes In on an Elite Doctor
#2: The Veil is Taken Off a Horrible Plot
#3: Counterattack after Counterattack … What is the Truth of the Medical Malpractice? Who Will have the Last Laugh?
#4: The Stage Becomes Hostile Territory … Stop the Clinical Trial of Death! The Secret of the Father who Burns with Life

Related Post:

• Haretsu CM

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