For fans of the ikemen (handsome dude), Wowow's new mini-series "Akira and Akira" is like manna from heaven. Kicking off July 9, it stars actors Osamu Mukai and Takumi Saito, and the hype at this point may as well be soundtracked by The Weather Girls' "It's Raining Men."
As the title suggests, "Akira and Akira" features two guys with the same first name who start work at a major bank during Japan's economic bubble era. Akira Kaido (Mukai) is the son and heir of a shipping mogul, while Akira Yamazaki (Saito) comes from humbler roots. In their own ways, the two Akiras struggle to change their destinies through work (how typically salaryman of them) and, by doing so, influence the lives of the company executives with whom they have dealings.
"Akira and Akira" has a top-notch pedigree, it's based on a novel by Jun Ikeido, a best-selling author whose books fall under a genre known as keizai entame (corporate drama). They proffer lessons in Japanese finance, lay bare the workings of the nation's manufacturing world and expose the shady dealings of Japan's megabanks. Ikeido's focus has always been on the salarymen and small business owners who toil endless hours to keep their jobs and support their families.