Asian Drama

He's the ultimate in cantankerous dads! Internist Kanzaki Kanichi, father of three, is a meddlesome know-it-all. He lectures not only his family and patients, but even strangers' children, and young lovers kissing on the street. His kids are on the verge of rebellion, but fortunately, their mother Miyako keeps them mollified. --KIKU-TV

Ask any nursery-aged little girl what she wants to be when she grows up and she's bound to say nurse, florist, or ballerina. Ask any nursery-aged little boy what he wants to be when he grows up and he's bound to say policeman, fireman, sports player, or pilot. As for 20-year-old young man Taiyo Suzuki, however, he's had different aspirations all his life. Moved by his elderly nursery school teacher, Taiyo decided then and there that he too would also become one. Now, having passed the nursery school teacher examination, bright-eyed and eager Taiyo is out to make his mark on a totally female-dominated world. Posted at the Himawari Nursery School to cover for another teacher on maternity leave, Taiyo has but a few short months to prove himself to the female teachers and children's mothers who are arrayed against him that he is every bit as capable as the women. And more importantly, along the way, he'll make his mark with his sparkle and energy to be a true best friend to the children at the school as well.

With her husband rarely home because of work, Saitou Masako raises her kindergarten son by herself. With a strong sense of what's right, she is never afraid to confront people who violate the rules of society. While her righteousness makes her a heroine among the kindergarteners, their mothers have learned to keep their distance from all the trouble Saitou brings with her. Mano Wakaba, a soft-spoken mother who had problems with her son turning violent at his previous school, soon moves into the neighborhood. Eager to get along with the other mothers at the kindergarten, Mano does her best to please, and pushes her son Takeru to do the same, even if it puts her at odds with Saitou. When Takeru gets burned by a smoker whose cigarette brushes his face, Mano is content to let it go, but Saitou steps in to confront the man, asking for an apology. When the man stubbornly refuses, a scuffle ensues and the man runs away. When the bystanders watching begin clapping their hands, Mano is left in awe. As circumstances push her and Saitou together, Mano must choose between bending over to please the other mothers or joining Saitou and facing alienation.

Megumi is a top sales person at the handbag section of a department store. Many people admire, and sometimes even envy, Megumi for her beauty and outstanding skills to sell products to customers. However, Megumi secretly suffers from a complex: she is flat-chested and was once nicknamed "kabe onna" (wall woman) by her former classmate. One day, a new sales person named Marie joins Megumi's department. Unlike Megumi, Marie is extremely busty as if she's carrying mounds (yama) on her chest. On top of her great bosoms, Marie also has her own special way of effortlessly selling the products to the customers. Though feeling a little threatened by Marie at first, Megumi soon realizes that they have more things in common than anybody else: they both take pride in their career and dedicate themselves to helping their customers. Through numerous obstacles, Megumi and Marie foster special friendships with each other.

The story concerns a boy called Shuji, growing up in a rural area of Japan where the community is divided into "Shore" and "Offshore" - the latter so-named because it is built on reclaimed land. He meets a few main...