Tokkan (トッカン )

New drama, J-drama: Tokkan (トッカン 特別国税徴収官)

Browsing along a drama site one day and stumbled upon Inoue Mao's new show about tax-collectors. Didn't think much going into it, but once I started I got back to that Japanese-drama-watching feel I lost after finishing up my last J-dorama "Jin". J-dramas pretty much follow this same formula and I find most of them draggy, but I don't know what got me into this one.  Perhaps it was Inoue Mao, who I really adore, or perhaps it was that new concept about "tax-collectors" (whom are surprisingly hated by most Japanese as it shows in the show). 

So far there are 4 episodes out and the ratings are decent, ranging in from the 10-12% range. 

Short Summary via tokyohive: 'Tokkan' tells a story of Suzumiya Miki (Inoue), a newbie tax collector who learns the strictness and difficulties of working through her job. Miki is called ‘Guuko’ because she often freezes up in front of her cold-hearted boss. 


"Collection 1"

 We get introduced to Suzumiya Miki (Inoue Mao), a clumsy, non-spoken girl right out of college starting off her day assigned to do a "S" (tax-collector terminology for 'seizure') which she feels reluctant to do. I like how right off the bat we're given a glimpse into Suzumiya's personality and her job. We meet her costar Kagami Miyabi (Kitamura Yukiya), a coldhearted superior who holds the title "Special National Tax Collector".  Kagami knows his stuff, doesn't beat around the bushes and does his job efficiently. He nicknames his suboordinate "Gooko" right after she gets thrown with some goo-ish paste. 

Another glimpse into Suzumiya's life shown in a flashback, where she's had a connection with tax-collectors in her past when she saw her father's shop cake shop getting seized. Makes you wonder, how did she end up getting this job with that painful memory? We know for one, she was hoping for stability, but probably didn't know she would end up with a job her father would hate her for (as we later find out when she talks with the couple who own Oshima Plastics).

Another note to point out about these office settings in J-dramas. They have a lovely, funny team dynamic going on with the chief who has a love for pastries and especially the shop " La Vie Sucre", Nabeshima Yuuko (Suzuki Sawa) as the 'big sister', Kaneko Chojuro (Ikeda Tetsuhiro) as the laid-back, experienced older brother and Toru Kamaike ( Kasahara Hideyuki) as the fellow newbie. 

Two new characters get introduced along the way. Shirakawa Yoko (Wakamura Mayumi), the owner of an exclusive club in Ginza who get's a kimono taken away when Suzumiya and Kagami do the "S" at her place. Her case does not get resolved in one episode and she seems to play a important role throughout the story (as she is connected to govt. officials).  The kimono  we find out is not of monetary value, but rather a sentimental memory, a priceless item to Shirakawa.  Character no.2 is Aizawa Meyume (Minami), a new found friend Suzumiya meets when she's ordered to buy that cake her Chief wants. However, there is something about this new friend of Suzumiya that makes me weary because I think she's going to be one of her "targets" later on in the story. Poor Suzumiya might have to conduct an "S" on her fellow friend later on? With the appearance of Aizawa, it seems that Suzumiya does not have much friends, but one would probably think so based on her personality. 

And yet another new character, but this time the annoying brat, fellow classmate of Suzumiya's,  Nanbu Chisa (Kinami Haruka), apparently better off then her as she works for the "Rokkai" (Revenue Inspection Unit). Not looking forward to her scenes. As the drama goes, each episode is a 'case' where Suzumiya has to meet up with the people who are evading taxes and in each case, we get a little story. Who these people are, what condition they're in, their job, why they can't pay up and so on. And within each story  Suzumiya grows, identifies herself, and starts to take more initiative with her job. As viewers we realize and find out who exactly are these so-called "tax-collectors" (which is what the whole drama was set out to do) and are somewhat expected to sympathize them.

We already see that growth in Suzumiya when she starts to unravel the Oshima couple's situation, the care and budding relationship we see her make. And finally in the end  when she realizes the elderly man had to give up his prized watch to pay off part of their debt because his finished product was not accepted. Here we get that familar Japanese drama feel where theres some important life message, moral that's being played out: Don't give up your life when you have so much to live for. It does get cheesy and tiresome when I watch more, but since I haven't watched J-dramas in a long time I guess it's OK for now.

So what am I excited about for the future episodes? More Inoue Mao and her character Suzumiya! I'm really liking her clumsy, sincere portrayal. I've read comments where some have said its a "waste" of her talent, which I beg to differ, is actually not. I'm not so much excited with the tax evasion cases as I am with wanting to see more chemistry with Suzumiya and Kagami and the rest of the team. I want to know more about the club hostess, and how Suzumiya's new friendship with Aizawa turns out. I seriously think something's up with the new girl, but it may just be the paranoid me~