__hot__ | Hanzawa Naoki Episode 1

Title: Hanzawa Naoki Episode 1: “If Struck, Strike Back”
Original Airdate: July 7, 2013
Director: Katsuo Fukuzawa
Writer: Kiyomi Fujii (adapted from Ikeido Jun’s novel We Are Hanzawa Naoki: The Lost Generation)

The episode is expertly paced, moving swiftly between scenes and plot twists. Director Masaki Amaya's use of close-ups, over-the-shoulder shots, and clever editing adds to the overall sense of tension and unease. The cinematography is crisp and modern, capturing the sleek, high-rise offices and modern cityscapes of Tokyo. Hanzawa Naoki Episode 1

• Corporate revenge – “If you’re hit, hit back tenfold.”
• Banking ethics vs. profit – The conflict between serving society and shareholder value.
• Loyalty & betrayal – Vertical (boss vs. subordinate) and horizontal (colleagues).
• Personal justice – Hanzawa’s hidden past (father’s suicide) fuels his rage.

Episode 1: "Double Payback! A New Hero Rises Against Corrupt Bosses" The story begins with Naoki Hanzawa (Masato Sakai), the loan section chief at Tokyo Chuo Bank's Osaka West Branch. 1. The Trap Branch Manager (Kanji Ishimaru) aggressively pushes Hanzawa to approve a 500 million yen loan (approx. $5 million) for Nishi Osaka Steel Title: Hanzawa Naoki Episode 1: “If Struck, Strike

• Act 1 (Past Prologue): Set-up of emotional stakes (father’s death).
• Act 2 (Present Daily Life): Hanzawa’s competence and principles (he previously saved another failing company).
• Act 3 (The Fall): The loan scam, betrayal by Asano, and Hanzawa deciding to wage war.

Episode 1 introduces the series' signature catchphrase: "Baigaeshi da!" (Double payback!). This philosophy—that if you are wronged, you must return the "favour" twofold—resonated deeply with Japanese office workers who felt oppressed by rigid corporate hierarchies and "horrible bosses". Key Characters & Cast Corporate revenge – “If you’re hit, hit back tenfold

Impact: The drama became a social phenomenon in Japan, eventually reaching a record-breaking viewership rating of 42.2% by its finale. Quick Links for More Details

2. Episode Synopsis Set in 2004 (post-Japan’s financial crisis), Hanzawa Naoki is a loan officer at the Osaka Nakanoshima branch of Industrial Central Bank. He believes a bank exists to serve the real economy and its clients. His new branch manager, Asano, orders him to approve a 500 million yen unsecured loan to a local steel company, Nishi Osaka Steel, despite Hanzawa’s misgivings.

1. The Branch Manager (Asano): Typically, in a Japanese corporate setting, a subordinate takes the fall for a superior (the concept of seppuku or resignation to save face). However, Hanzawa refuses to be a scapegoat. He forces the manager to take responsibility, flipping the hierarchical script.
2. The Antagonists: We are introduced to the "Big 3" of the bank's audit division, led by the imposing Kurasaki. They represent the cold, unfeeling bureaucracy of the bank. Their pressure on Hanzawa creates suffocating tension.