The appeal and evaluation of "Middle Management Chronicle Tonogawa": The height of black humor

"Tonagawa: The Middle Management Chronicles": A comical account of the struggles and conflicts of middle management

Overview

"Tonegawa: The Middle Management Chronicle" is a TV anime series that aired on Nippon TV from July 4 to December 26, 2018 as a spin-off of Fukumoto Nobuyuki's popular manga "Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji." The original manga was written by Hagiwara Tenka, Hashimoto Tomohiro, and Miyoshi Tomoki, and the animation was produced by Madhouse. The series has 24 episodes, each 30 minutes long, and depicts the struggles of Tonegawa Yukio, an executive of the Teiai Group.

■ Story

Executive Tonegawa Yukio is ordered by Teiai Group Chairman Hyoudou Kazutaka to plan a "death game" for debtors. Tonegawa immediately convenes the black suits to hold a planning meeting, but dark clouds gradually begin to gather in the conference room...!? Tonegawa Yukio, who is torn between the chairman and the black suits, is a record of his soul's middle management!!!

■Explanation

"Tonagawa: The Middle Management Chronicle" is a spin-off work starring Yukio Tonegawa, one of the characters from Nobuyuki Fukumoto's "Kaiji: The Ultimate Gambler." The story is a humorous portrayal of the struggles and conflicts of Tonegawa, a middle manager who is the one who has to be the closest to the tyrant Chairman Hyoudou, even though he is an executive of the Teiai Group and leads a large number of black-suited men. The anime adaptation has gained even more fans while retaining the fun of the original manga.

■Cast

• Yukio Tonegawa/Tomoyuki Morikawa
• Kazutaka Hyodo/Masatane Tsukayama
• Kenji Yamazaki/Wataru Hatano
• Toshimasa Kawasaki/Kotaro Nishiyama
• Keiichi Ogino/Akira Ishida
• Junichi Hagio/Kengo Kawanishi
• Saemon Saburo Jiro / Shimazaki Nobunaga
• Nakata/Hamano Daiki

■ Main staff

• Original story by Nobuyuki Fukumoto, Tenka Hagiwara, Tomoki Miyoshi, Tomohiro Hashimoto
• Planning: Tadafumi Shimomura, Masashi Funakoshi, Tetsuya Sei, Masahiro Takahashi
• Director: Keiichiro Kawaguchi
• Series Composition: Mitsutaka Hirota
• Character design: Haruhito Takada
• Prop design: Takahide Kunio
• Art setting: Shinji Sugiyama
• Color design: Harue Ohno
• Director of photography: Hironobu Hatanaka
• Edited by Tsukato Mariko
• Sound Director: Kisuke Koizumi
• Music producers: Kazunari Sengoku, Kaede Takaya, Kenjiro Odo

■ Main Characters

• Tonegawa Yukio The protagonist of this work. One of the top executives of the Teiai Group. His favorite foods are grilled meat and grilled meat bento. He smokes Parliament Menthol cigarettes. He is one of the most talented people in the work. He is a hard worker, skilled at winning people over, and is trusted by his subordinates. However, he is not good at reading Hyoudou's feelings, which often angers him and earns him a scolding. Although he serves almost every day of the year, he is not rewarded very much.
• Hyoudou Kazutaka, chairman of Teiai Group.
• Kenji Yamazaki: He has an honest personality. He has experience working under the chairman and is a leader among the members. His hobby is bowling. He is 30 years old.
• Toshimasa Kawasaki One of the original members. 30 years old. Former employee of a major bank.
• Keiichi Ogino: He has an honest personality. His hobby is bowling. He is 35 years old.
• Junichi Hagio is an honest person. His hobby is bowling. He is 35 years old.
• Saemon Saburojiro The youngest member of Team Tonegawa. His hobby is bowling. 23 years old.
• Nakata is the bowling lover of Team Tonegawa. Of course, his hobby is bowling. He is 32 years old.

■Subtitle

• Agenda01／Start
• Agenda02／Consideration
• Agenda03／Imperial plate
• Agenda04／Adults
• Agenda05/Deep Reflection
• Agenda 06/Self-destruction
• Agenda 07/Spread
• Agenda08／Shrimp
• Agenda09／Cutlet
• Agenda10/Rehearsal
• Agenda 11/Business trip
• Agenda 12 / Imitation
• Agenda 13/Departure
• Agenda 14/Going out
• Agenda 15/Lavish
• Agenda 16 / Natural enemy
• Agenda 17 / Unofficial announcement
• Agenda 18 / Synchronization
• Agenda19/Newcomers
• Agenda 20/Entertainment
• Agenda21/Slander
• Agenda22／Part 2
• Agenda 23/Premonition
• Agenda24/Destination

■ Related works

• Middle Management Chronicles Tonegawa
• Gambling Apocalypse Kaiji
• One Day Out Hanchou

■ Theme songs and music

• OP1
  ・Tonegawa-kun running briskly ・Lyrics by Kawatani Enon ・Composition by Kawatani Enon ・Arrangement by Kawatani Enon ・Sung by Gesu no Kiwami Otome.
• ED1
  ・Oki Letters ・Lyrics by Pistol Takehara ・Composition by Pistol Takehara ・Arrangement by Pistol Takehara, Taro Takahashi ・Singer by Pistol Takehara
• ED2
  ・"Narrator"
  ・Lyrics by Ryosuke
  ・Composer: Ryo
  ・Arrangement: NoisyCell, akkin
  ・Song: NoisyCell

■Detailed review

"Middle Management Blues Tonegawa" has gained even more fans by being made into an anime, while retaining the fun of the original manga. In particular, the character of Tonegawa Yukio is very appealing, and his suffering and conflict are portrayed in a comical way, which has earned him acclaim. The anime faithfully reproduces the episodes of the original work, while adding even more depth through its visual expression and the performances of the voice actors.

The acting ability of Morikawa Toshiyuki, who plays Tonegawa Yukio, as a voice actor makes the character of Tonegawa feel more real. In particular, Tonegawa's anguish and conflict are conveyed realistically in the scenes where he interacts with Chairman Hyodo and communicates with his subordinates. The other cast members also perform their respective characters well, making for an overall high-quality cast of voice actors.

Madhouse, the animation studio, has paid particular attention to character design and background art, faithfully recreating the worldview of the original work. In particular, the depiction of Tonegawa's office and conference rooms is full of realistic and fine details, making it a visual treat. The color design and cinematography are also highly skilled, making the film easy to watch overall.

In terms of music, the opening and ending songs also liven up the atmosphere of the work. In particular, the opening song "Tonagawa-kun Running Dashingly" is a song that symbolizes the character of Tonegawa and has the power to capture the hearts of viewers. In addition, the ending songs "Oki Letter" and "Kyogen-Kagerou" are also impressive with lyrics and melodies that delve deeply into the theme of the work.

■ Recommendation points

"Middle Management Blues Tonogawa" is a work that can be recommended not only to fans of the original manga, but also to anime fans. In particular, the following points are recommended.

• Character of Tonegawa Yukio: Tonegawa's suffering and conflict are portrayed in a comical way, which has the power to draw the viewer in.
• The acting skills of the voice actors: The acting skills of the voice actors, including Morikawa Toshiyuki, are excellent, bringing out the charm of the characters.
• Animation quality: Madhouse's animation techniques are excellent, faithfully recreating the worldview of the original work.
• The appeal of the music: The opening and ending songs enhance the atmosphere of the work and capture the hearts of viewers.

"Middle Management Blues Tonegawa" has gained even more fans by being made into an anime, while retaining the fun of the original manga. In particular, the character of Tonegawa Yukio is very appealing, and his suffering and conflict are portrayed in a comical way, which has earned him acclaim. The anime faithfully reproduces the episodes of the original work, while adding even more depth through its visual expression and the performances of the voice actors.

The acting ability of Morikawa Toshiyuki, who plays Tonegawa Yukio, as a voice actor makes the character of Tonegawa feel more real. In particular, Tonegawa's anguish and conflict are conveyed realistically in the scenes where he interacts with Chairman Hyodo and communicates with his subordinates. The other cast members also perform their respective characters well, making for an overall high-quality cast of voice actors.

Madhouse, the animation studio, has paid particular attention to character design and background art, faithfully recreating the worldview of the original work. In particular, the depiction of Tonegawa's office and conference rooms is full of realistic and fine details, making it a visual treat. The color design and cinematography are also highly skilled, making the film easy to watch overall.

In terms of music, the opening and ending songs also liven up the atmosphere of the work. In particular, the opening song "Tonagawa-kun Running Dashingly" is a song that symbolizes the character of Tonegawa and has the power to capture the hearts of viewers. In addition, the ending songs "Oki Letter" and "Kyogen-Kagerou" are also impressive with lyrics and melodies that delve deeply into the theme of the work.

Related information

"Middle Management Blues Tonegawa" has gained even more fans by being made into an anime, while retaining the fun of the original manga. In particular, the character of Tonegawa Yukio is very appealing, and his suffering and conflict are portrayed in a comical way, which has earned him acclaim. The anime faithfully reproduces the episodes of the original work, while adding even more depth through its visual expression and the performances of the voice actors.

The acting ability of Morikawa Toshiyuki, who plays Tonegawa Yukio, as a voice actor makes the character of Tonegawa feel more real. In particular, Tonegawa's anguish and conflict are conveyed realistically in the scenes where he interacts with Chairman Hyodo and communicates with his subordinates. The other cast members also perform their respective characters well, making for an overall high-quality cast of voice actors.

Madhouse, the animation studio, has paid particular attention to character design and background art, faithfully recreating the worldview of the original work. In particular, the depiction of Tonegawa's office and conference rooms is full of realistic and fine details, making it a visual treat. The color design and cinematography are also highly skilled, making the film easy to watch overall.

In terms of music, the opening and ending songs also liven up the atmosphere of the work. In particular, the opening song "Tonagawa-kun Running Dashingly" is a song that symbolizes the character of Tonegawa and has the power to capture the hearts of viewers. In addition, the ending songs "Oki Letter" and "Kyogen-Kagerou" are also impressive with lyrics and melodies that delve deeply into the theme of the work.

"Middle Management Blues Tonegawa" has gained even more fans by being made into an anime, while retaining the fun of the original manga. In particular, the character of Tonegawa Yukio is very appealing, and his suffering and conflict are portrayed in a comical way, which has earned him acclaim. The anime faithfully reproduces the episodes of the original work, while adding even more depth through its visual expression and the performances of the voice actors.

The acting ability of Morikawa Toshiyuki, who plays Tonegawa Yukio, as a voice actor makes the character of Tonegawa feel more real. In particular, Tonegawa's anguish and conflict are conveyed realistically in the scenes where he interacts with Chairman Hyodo and communicates with his subordinates. The other cast members also perform their respective characters well, making for an overall high-quality cast of voice actors.

Madhouse, the animation studio, has paid particular attention to character design and background art, faithfully recreating the worldview of the original work. In particular, the depiction of Tonegawa's office and conference rooms is full of realistic and fine details, making it a visual treat. The color design and cinematography are also highly skilled, making the film easy to watch overall.

In terms of music, the opening and ending songs also liven up the atmosphere of the work. In particular, the opening song "Tonagawa-kun Running Dashingly" is a song that symbolizes the character of Tonegawa and has the power to capture the hearts of viewers. In addition, the ending songs "Oki Letter" and "Kyogen-Kagerou" are also impressive with lyrics and melodies that delve deeply into the theme of the work.