Change (j-drama Spring 2008)

[Guest jade_frost]

Episode 7 Trailer

Keita faces a strong reaction from within the ruling party for arguing that the pediatric healthcare policy should be given priority over public work projects in the supplementary budget. However, Keita tries to get his supplementary budget passed with the establishment of an alliance with the opposition party's representative, lawmaker Noro. Rika, the administrative secretaries, Nirasawa and also Hikaru are busily engaged with Keita everyday but ... ...

Keita is no longer of use to Kanbayashi. Kanbayashi plots to separate Keita from the people around him and pressure them to resign. First, he instructs Rika to quit as the Prime Minister's secretary. Rika offers her resignation to Keita in spite of her pain. Keita respects Rika's wishes and accepts her request. The next Prime Minister's secretary is sought under the guise of a public recruitment. The interviews begin but the applicants fail under Rika's rigorous screening. Nirasawa notices that Rika appears entirely different and senses something going on.

At that moment, Kanbayashi buys out Onoda Asao's group who supports Keita. Keita is driven into a corner by Kanbayashi ...

[Guest jade_frost]

It's now official. Change will have a total of 10 episodes. The Getsu9 drama for summer starts on 21 July.

Three more episodes to go.

[Guest nelly]

only 10? so quick but I wouldn't want the story to drag so I guess it's okay then.

[RanP]

10?! Really!? that short? ahhh~ I want more :'(

[Guest cvcb]

I watched episode 6 yesterday night, so far I think it is the best episode probably because it talked about how things are done in the government system. But I am just wondering does Japan hospitals, most of the hospitals dont have pediatics?

[Guest jade_frost]

Episode 7 Synopsis

Keita faces a strong reaction from within the ruling party for arguing that the pediatric healthcare policy should be given priority over public work projects in the supplementary budget. However, Keita tries to get his supplementary budget passed with the establishment of an alliance with the opposition party's representative, lawmaker Noro. Rika, the administrative secretaries, Nirasawa and also Hikaru are busily engaged with Keita everyday but ... ...

Keita is no longer of use to Kanbayashi. Kanbayashi plots to separate Keita from the people around him and pressure them to resign. First, he instructs Rika to quit as the Prime Minister's secretary. Rika offers her resignation to Keita in spite of her pain. Keita respects Rika's wishes and accepts her request. The next Prime Minister's secretary is sought under the guise of a public recruitment. The interviews begin but the applicants fail under Rika's rigorous screening. Nirasawa notices that Rika appears entirely different and senses something going on.

At that moment, Kanbayashi schemes to buy out Onoda Asao's group who supports Keita. One by one, the members are bought over. Meanwhile, Keita's mother, Takae asks him why he didn't hold Rika back. If it were his father, he definitely wouldn't have let his esteemed secretary go she tells her son. Hearing this, Keita reaches a decision.

The next day, Keita summons Rika to the rooftop of the Prime Minister's residence and tells her his true feelings. He asks her, not in his capacity as Prime Minister but as Asakura Keita, to stay by his side. Rika finds herself wavering.

As Keita is about to return to the office, he sees Momosaka and the other administrative secretaries glued to the news on the television. Kanabayashi has successfully split Onoda's group in order to defeat Keita's supplementary budget. Keita immediately calls Onoda and learns for the first time that Kanbayashi was the mastermind behind this.

When Keita enters the Kanbayashi's office, he finds Rika there too. Before Keita can voice his doubts, Kanbayashi declares the truth. Then he demands that Keita resign. Keita asks Rika if she knew about this. But Rika is unable to answer and just looks away from him. Momosaka comes to tell Keita, who has returned to the Prime Minister's Office with a shocked countenance, of Matsui Ryosuke's death. The supplementary budget which promoted pediatric healthcare policy was about to be rejected, and the child Keita was doing this for had passed away at this moment. Even Rika, whom he had trusted ... ... Keita feels an overwhelming sense of loss.

When Rika goes to Keita's private residence the next morning, she sees Nirasawa and Hikaru looking upset. Keita has disappeared.

[coolsmurf]

rika was almost like the central figure in episode 7. i saw the preview at the end and I thought episode 8 was the last one. so there are 10 instead? from the way they build it up in episode 7, it looks like it will end in ep 8 to me.

[Guest shinhaku]

it should have been longer but looks like the budget prob will drag till the last ep along w/ other issues like Rika, etc...

[Guest jade_frost]

rika was almost like the central figure in episode 7. i saw the preview at the end and I thought episode 8 was the last one. so there are 10 instead? from the way they build it up in episode 7, it looks like it will end in ep 8 to me.

I'm glad they focused on Rika in Ep7 and Fukatsu Eri finally had the opportunity to flesh out another facet of Rika besides her usual brusque, business-like demeanour. She seems more human with her vulnerabilities. Her conflicting emotions and her allegiance ... to whom does it lie? She anchored the episode. On the contrary, the final scenes of Keita were rather tepid and fell flat, failing to deliver that emotional intensity I was expecting to see.

I missed the trailer the other day and just managed to watch it today. I'm not sure if Ep8 is the last episode because that screen capture reads "Last act . Prologue" which seems to imply that it is the opening of the last act. Not that I think 10 episodes will make much difference anyway given the way the drama has developed. I don't know and I personally feel that it's too abrupt and illogical if they choose to wrap up the drama in 8 episodes. Is that what "change" is all about? Is Keita going to just go away without a fight? What about the promise he made when he was campaigning? Doesn't he feel strongly for the average person? It isn't over yet.

But if it does end next week, this will definitely be one drama that will go down in my memory as one of the worst scripted Getsu9 dramas in recent years.

[Guest margarettemeister]

In my opinion it's too abrupt to end in 1 episode. I think it needs at least 2 episodes to tie up loose ends. One episode to hash out Miyama-Keita relationship and another episode to fulfill/continue PM's promise of serving the people and crush Kanbayashi's evil plot. If and when it ends next week, you're right to say it might be the worst scripted drama. Let's just hope this drama can deliver the goods and hope for a satisfying ending.

[Guest jade_frost]

Episode 8 Trailer

Kanbayashi Shoichi employs all means to make Prime Minister Asakura Keita resign. He removes Rika from her post as Secretary to the Prime Minister, and also breaks up Onoda Asao's group which supported Keita's supplementary budget. This ensures Keita's supplementary budget will be rejected by an overwhelming majority even with the opposition supporting him.

Nirasawa, Hikaru and the rest who have noticed Keita's disappearance, worry over a countermeasure. At that moment, Rika receives a call from Takae in Fukuoka to tell her that Keita has come back. Rika hurriedly heads to Fukuoka and returns to Tokyo together with Keita.

However, Rika walks out on him. One day, Keita tells Rika that he wants to talk to Kanbayashi. This spurs speculation within the Diet, that Keita will finally remove Kanbayashi from office ... ...

[Guest jade_frost]

Tonight's not the last episode after all according to television scheduling so we can expect Change to run for 10 episodes. It's rumoured that the number of episodes were cut because Oda Yuji, who stars in the summer Getsu9, was unhappy that his drama would have to start late.

[Guest margarettemeister]

Tonight's not the last episode after all according to television scheduling so we can expect Change to run for 10 episodes. It's rumoured that the number of episodes were cut because Oda Yuji, who stars in the summer Getsu9, was unhappy that his drama would have to start late.

This is exciting news!!!! The trailer for next week's episode has given a clue on what will happen next. The disappearance of the PM only means that he went back to his hometown to soul search, giving Miyama-san enough time to go after him. I speculate that PM Asakura will not resign his post, Miyama-san will get back her sense of loyalty to the PM, including a romatic twist and that the Seiyu Party will be headed by Onoda's group after exposing the Cabinet Secretary Kanbayashi's corrupt practice of bribing party members on his side. All's well that ends well.

[Guest Maia-chan]

Well Taiyou to Umi starts on July 21st, so that could give CHANGE another 3 episodes (at most) to go.

[Guest jade_frost]

I think the attempt to mix some light (read lame) humour together with the serious business is very jarring and spoils the drama. But it seems something to contend with for every episode.

Now, I wonder whether the scheming Kanbayashi will try to get Keita killed. Or hatch some grand conspiracy to destroy him. He looks like he'll stoop to anything because he believes no one but himself is fit to be Prime Minister. It's going to be a bitter contest of wills. Two more weeks to go.

[Guest jade_frost]

Episode 8 Synopsis

Kanbayashi Shoichi employs all means to make Prime Minister Asakura Keita resign. He removes Rika from her post as Secretary to the Prime Minister, and also breaks up Onoda Asao's group which supported Keita's supplementary budget. This ensures Keita's supplementary budget will be rejected by an overwhelming majority even with the opposition supporting him.

Keita is dealt a blow. He is shocked to learn that Kanbayashi was the mastermind and that Rika had been aware of it. More woes follow. Keita receives news of Ryuta's death and then goes missing.

Nirasawa, Hikaru, Danbara and Rik who have realised that Keita has disappeared, worry over a countermeasure to hide his absence. At that moment, Rika receives a call from Takae in Fukuoka to tell her that Keita has come back. Rika hurriedly heads to Fukuoka and returns to Tokyo together with Keita. However, she walks out on him right after they return to Tokyo.

One day, Keita tells Rika that he wants to talk to Kanbayashi. This spurs speculation within the Diet, that Keita will finally remove Kanbayashi from office.

At that moment, Keita, who attends the Prime Minister's Cup National Bowling Championship meets Kanbayashi, who has also been invited. Keita gets the reporters to keep a distance and asks to speak to Kanbayashi. Kanbayashi assumes it is about his dismissal, but Keita bows his head and says he owes his current position to Kanbayashi and wants Kanbayashi to continue to assist him. Kanbayashi smiles in response to Keita's overture. The two of them shake hands with Rika and Hikaru watching on but ...

The next day, Kanbayashi holds a press conference and tells reporters that Keita has removed him from office. This news causes a big stir. Keita and the rest are stunned. Kanbayashi's about-face spurs Rika to resign as his secretary. After tendering her resignation, she goes to Keita's office and cries for sometime with her face buried against his chest. After regaining her composure, Rika smiles once more. Keita offers to work together with her again before she can ask him to let her return, and so Rika resumes her role as secretary to the Prime Minister. Team Asakura recovers its momentum ...

[coolsmurf]

wow the twist in ep 8 really faked me because i thought huh, what's going to happen next if it's like that, but no, haha...

[seirin]

That's a really odd twist in ep8. I didn't expect that. I wonder what Kanbayashi's plotting... he won't give up so easily without a plan.

[Guest margarettemeister]

That's a really odd twist in ep8. I didn't expect that. I wonder what Kanbayashi's plotting... he won't give up so easily without a plan.

Kanbayashi is always ahead of the game. His resignation is probably to get the sympathy of the people and make the PM look like the bad guy. His plan of becoming PM is a series of evil schemes and plots. In the end, good guys always win. Go, go, go Asakura-kun!!!

[Guest jade_frost]

Kanbayashi is always ahead of the game. His resignation is probably to get the sympathy of the people and make the PM look like the bad guy. His plan of becoming PM is a series of evil schemes and plots. In the end, good guys always win. Go, go, go Asakura-kun!!!

Spot on. He wants to cast Keita as the bad, ungrateful guy who turned against the man who handpicked him to run for Prime Minister. This is going to hit Keita's popularity ratings hard. This is just the prelude to a scandal that will hit the cabinet orchestrated by none other than the wily old man.

In the scene where Rika confronts Kanbayashi in his office, she sees him taking out a CD-ROM from his drawer. The contents of the CD-ROM was the scandal that Keita had to address when he was campaigning to take over his father's seat of Fukuoka.

Rika knows trouble is brewing but she's powerless to stop it. Kanbayashi will probably move to get a vote of no confidence against the entire cabinet and kick Keita out of office. Disgraced.