Honestly, this drama took me by surprise. Despite adding it to my "Currently Watching" list, it still took me about a month to actually give it a chance, and when I did, I was blown away. Before I talk about my rating and what I liked, let me first give you a quick spoiler-free recap of the overall drama. In short, the drama follows the story of a banker named Hanzawa Naoki, who faces numerous obstacles in his quest for justice while working for the largest bank in Japan.

Now, regarding my opinions—at the beginning, I was absolutely certain that I was going to drop this drama even before it hit the halfway mark. But nope, once I started, I just couldn’t stop. Not only is it well-written and well-executed, but it's also a fast-paced, no-nonsense drama, which is rare, if you ask me. What made the drama truly stand out, though, was the battle of wits between both the protagonists and the antagonists, as well as the theme of "friendship." In this sense, our main character is not a lone hero; instead, he has some amazing friends and an even more amazing wife. I know that a lot of viewers had mixed opinions about Ueto Aya’s character, Hanzawa Hani, believing that she was there simply to add a "kawaii" factor, but I personally felt the opposite. There's no doubt that she doesn't really add much to the overall storyline; however, through her character, we get an insight into what it's like being a banker's wife (to a certain extent), and we also get to see a strong female lead who can stand up for herself. Therefore, her character is absolutely necessary to the overall drama. Additionally, another reason behind the drama's success is the great lineup of talented actors, who did a brilliant job portraying their respective characters. Kudos to them.

However, despite all these plus points, part of the reason I rated the drama a 9.5 instead of a 10 is because of the last episode. First, I stand by what the chairman said about Hanzawa crossing the line, which, in my view, was unlike his character, who is generally always calm and restrained no matter what comes his way. Secondly, that ending was unexpected. It was by no means disappointing; rather, it was just surprising. I know I'm being vague, but those who have seen the drama will know exactly what I mean.

All in all, this was a brilliant drama. No wonder it's considered the most-viewed show of the Heisei era. I can definitely see myself revisiting it in the future.