I. INTRODUCTION
Hanzawa Naoka is a 2013 Japanese television series by Japanese broadcaster TBS based on the Hanzawa Naoki series of novels by Jun Ikeido. It follows the story of Hanzawa Naoki, a banker working for the largest bank in Japan, Tokyo Chuo Bank. He faces numerous obstacles from upper management as he climbs his way up the ranks.
II. SYNOPSIS
An idealistic banker takes on corruption and wrongdoing at his large corporate bank. While forging ties with some unlikely allies, he must use his financial expertise, his instincts about human nature, and his skills of improvisation to try to stay one step ahead of his powerful enemies.
III. RATINGS
The show received consistently high ratings: the final episode of Season 1 reached 42.2% of viewers in the Kanto area, the highest figure for a drama in the Heisei Era.
The show's popularity in viewer polls achieved the highest rating in three decades of Japanese television drama.
IV. AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS
- 78th Television Drama Academy Awards: Best Actor - Masato Sakai
- 78th Television Drama Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor - Teruyuki Kagawa
- 78th Television Drama Academy Awards: Best Director - Katsuo Fukuzawa
- 17th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix (Jul-Sept 2013): Best Drama
- 17th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix (Jul-Sept 2013): Best Actor - Masato Sakai
- 17th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix (Jul-Sept 2013): Best Supporting Actor - Teruyuki Kagawa
V. SECOND SEASON
A second season was announced in 2019, scheduled for the spring of 2020. Due to the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic, the series broadcast and filming was postponed. The second season premiered in Japan beginning in July 2020 and consisted of 10 episodes.
