Many of Shochiku's masterpieces are now available for unlimited viewing on the Amazon Prime Video "Plus Shochiku" channel! For more information, please click here: https://amzn.to/3OV8GGt *To watch, you will need to register as a Prime member for a monthly fee of 330 yen (tax included). When you register, you will receive a 14-day free trial! For information on Shochiku films, visit ▼Shochiku Cinema PLUS https://cinemaplus.shochiku.co.jp/ ▼Official X (formerly Twitter) @shochiku_video ーーーーーーー"Kurokawa no Techou" (1984/Starring: Otani Naoko/37 chapters in total) Staff Original story: Matsumoto Seicho Screenplay: Shiba Eizaburo, Tagami Yu, Tsurushima Mitsushige, Taguchi Kozo Director: Tomimoto Sokichi, Bansho Yoshiaki, Hirose Tomo Music: Kaburagi Hajime Cast: Otani Naoko, Nara Fujiko, Miyashita Junko, Ushio Tetsuya, Tani Kei, Tonoura Rokuhiro, Umezu Sakae, Hon'ami Shuko, Mikimoto Shinsuke and others Narration: Suzuki Mizuho Production: Shochiku, Kiri Productions, TBS/First broadcast: January 5th - February 24th 1984 🄫Shochiku "Kurokawa no Techou" is one of the masterpieces of Seicho Matsumoto, a leading author of Japanese mystery novels, along with "Zero Focus," "Point and Line," and "Suna no Utsuwa." It is a non-stop, rollercoaster picaresque suspense story about a modest female bank clerk working at a branch office who embezzles a huge amount of money that had been illegally deposited in numerous hidden accounts under fictitious names, becomes the hostess of a Ginza club, and, using her raw ambition and indomitable fighting spirit as weapons, she targets and takes down one prey after another in the Ginza nightlife where demons and monsters run rampant, and although she is often cornered, she rises to the top. The fact that it has been made into a TV drama a total of five times, in 1982, 1984, 1996, 2004, and 2017, speaks to the high quality and popularity of the original work. Generally speaking, this work's recognition has expanded dramatically since it was made into a TV series starring Ryoko Yonekura in 2004, which recorded high viewer ratings. The first TV series, the 1982 broadcast version (6 episodes in total), starring Yoko Yamamoto, Masakazu Tamura, Rentaro Mikuni, Hajime Hana, Hisako Manda, Kazuko Yoshiyuki and other star-studded cast members, was first streamed in 2022, two years ago, and it is still fresh in our memory. The first and second episodes are always available for free on this channel. By the way, in addition to the aforementioned Ryoko Yonekura and Yoko Yamamoto, the heroine (Motoko Haraguchi) has also been played by Naoko Otani, Yuko Asano and Emi Takei. And the first and second episodes that have been made available for free this time are the second TV series, the 1984 broadcast version (37 episodes in total). The lead role is played by the talented actress Otani Naoko, who has appeared in NHK's morning drama series, historical dramas, and Suzuki Seijun's "Zigeunerweisen." Unlike the actors who played the previous protagonists, Otani Naoko has a base of cute and pure beauty, but her timid, anxious, and melancholic expressions leave a strong impression, and as the story progresses, her transformation into a dazzling beauty is a masterpiece. The cast includes Nara Fujiko, Miyashita Junko, Ushio Tetsuya, Tani Kei, and Tonoura Rokuhiro, and the intense exchanges of acting are a sight to behold. ----Chapter 1: Story Haraguchi Motoko, a female employee at Towa Bank's Tsudanuma Kita branch, works as a veteran at her job, but at night she works as a new hostess named "Harue" at the Ginza club "Shokudai." Motoko dreams of using her job as a hostess as a stepping stone to change her lifestyle. While the branch manager offers her a promotion, Motoko is entrusted with handling the fictitious account of a nurse, Ichiko Nakaoka, who has come to deposit 5 million yen. Next, Hamanaka asks for a deposit in the fictitious account, and Motoko handles it, but she is faced with a situation where Hamanaka pressures her into a relationship. *The second chapter is also available for free.