is a

Japanese television drama , also called , are television programs that are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily. All major TV networks in Japan produce a variety of drama series including romance, comedy, detective stories, horror, jidaigeki, thriller ...

series from

Fuji Television JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as and colloquially known as CX, is a Japanese television station based in Odaiba today is a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay, Japan, across the Rainbow Bridge from central Tokyo. Odaiba was initially b ...

, first shown in Japan from 18 April to 27 June 2005.

Plot

Kanzaki Jiro (

Takuya Kimura is a Japanese actor, singer, and radio personality. He is regarded as a Japanese icon after achieving success as an actor. He was also a popular member of SMAP, one of the best-selling boy bands in Asia. A 1996 television drama series, ''Long ...

) (who used to be a star driver back in Japan) is a backup

F3000 Formula 3000 (F3000) was a type of open wheel, single seater formula racing, occupying the tier immediately below Formula One and above Formula Three. It was so named because the cars were powered by 3.0 L engines. Formula 3000 championships ...

driver in Europe. During a practice run, he accidentally crashes into his first driver and loses his job. No other club in Europe would hire him as he is deemed too old for the sports. He has no choice but to return to Japan to his previous racing team. Unfortunately, the team now has a better and younger driver, and feels Jiro has nothing more to contribute to the team, and do not want him back. He goes back to stay with his foster father and sister, and finds out his foster father has converted their home into an orphanage for unfortunate children whose parents are unable to take care of them. Tomomi Sensei (

Koyuki , better known by her stage name , is a Japanese model and actress. She rose to fame in the drama '' Kimi wa Petto'' with Jun Matsumoto and gained huge popularity, as well as the hit film ''The Last Samurai''. Career Actor career Koyuki appeared ...

), is a newly hired caregiver at the orphanage. She is not popular with the children as she does not seem to understand their feelings and makes misguided attempts to help them. Jiro, on the other hand, was an orphan himself, and being a big kid at heart is able to click with the children. Despite the fact that Jiro hates children and is more interested in getting back into racing than helping out at the orphanage, he nonetheless agrees to be the orphanage's driver in exchange for being allowed to live there.

Cast

as Jiro Kanzaki (神崎次郎) *

as Tomomi Mizukoshi (水越朋美) *

Masato Sakai is a Japanese actor. He won the award for best actor at the 31st Yokohama Film Festival for ''The Wonderful World of Captain Kuhio'' and ''The Chef of South Polar'' and the award for best supporting actor at the 2008 Nikkan Sports Film Award, at ...

as Genichiro Torii (鳥居元一郎) * Yuki Matsushita as Chihiro Kanzaki (神崎ちひろ) *

Yoshio Harada was a Japanese actor best known for playing rebels in a career that spanned six decades. Career Born in Tokyo, Harada joined the Haiyuza Theatre Company in 1966 and made his television debut in 1967 with "Tenka no seinen" and his film debut in ...

as Takeshi Kanzaki (神崎猛) *

Shigeru Izumiya Shigeru Izumiya (泉谷しげる ''Izumiya Shigeru'', born May 11, 1948 in Aomori, raised in Meguro, Tokyo) is a Japanese poet, folk singer, actor, tarento. He established the record company For Life Records with Takuro Yoshida, Yosui Inoue, and ...

as Chinsaku Ichinose (一之瀬新作) *

Aya Okamoto is a Japanese actress. Filmography * '' School Ghost Stories'' (1995) as Kaori Komuro * '' Ogyā'' (2002) Hana * ''Azumi'' (2003) Yae * '' Munraito jierifisshu'' (2004) Minamida Keiko * '' Metasequoia no ki no shita de'' (2005) Okamoto Sachiko ...

as Tamaki Suenaga (末永たまき) *

Shinsuke Aoki Shinsuke (written: , , , , , , , , , , , or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese actor *, Japanese samurai *, Japanese basketball player *, Japanese swimmer *, Japanese actor *, Japanese professi ...

as Hiroto Sugawara (菅原比呂人) The Children of Kaze no Oka Home *

Ueno Juri is a Japanese actress. She first gained recognition in the 2005 film '' Swing Girls'' where she was a recipient of Newcomer of the Year prize at the Japanese Academy Awards. Ueno achieved mainstream success for playing the titular role in the liv ...

as Hoshino Misae (星野美冴) *

Erika Toda is a Japanese actress. Career Toda has starred in many Japanese television dramas, including ''Liar Game'', ''Code Blue'', '' Ryusei no Kizuna'', and ''Keizoku 2: SPEC''. She has also had supporting roles in many other popular TV dramas, such a ...

as Hida Harumi * Indou Kaho as Ninomiya Yukie (二宮ユキエ) * Houshi Ishida as Shioya Daisuke *

Natsumi Ohira is a feminine Japanese given name which is occasionally used as a surname. Possible writings Natsumi can be written using different kanji characters and can mean: ;as a given name *夏美, "summer, beauty" *夏実, "summer, truth" *夏未, "sum ...

as Taguchi Nao *

Daiki Arioka is a Japanese singer, actor, tarento, and model as well as member of Hey! Say! JUMP. He is under the management of Johnny & Associates. Career On June 2, 2003, he joined Johnny & Associates as a trainee. As a Johnny's Jr., he was a member of ...

as Sonobe Toru *

Yuto Nakajima is a Japanese singer, actor and model. He is a member of Hey! Say! JUMP. He played Koji Kiritani in the 2005 Japanese television drama, ''Nobuta wo Produce''. Career 2004: Becoming an artist for Johnny's Entertainment Nakajima joined Johnny' ...

as Kusama Shuhei * Kosugi Moichiro as Hirayama Morio * Sato Miku as Sonobe Aoi * Hirota Ryohei as Tone Akira * Komuro Yuta as Kanemura Shunta * Kitagawa Ayumi as Komori Nanae

Ratings

In the tables below, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.

External links

JDorama entry
* {{Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix Best Drama 2005 Japanese television series debuts 2005 Japanese television series endings Japanese drama television series Fuji TV dramas Television shows written by Yumiko Inoue