The sorrows, conflicts, and pride of corporate professionals… The lives of these men are truly gripping! A gem of a “power struggle drama” that adults will love
Special Entertainment Research Project [Part 2]
From blockbuster hits to hidden gems
Manipulating the majority, setting traps, and winning over influential figures—using any means necessary to knock rivals down and climb to the top.
This is a scene played out in every kind of organization, from private companies to the political arena. Because they make for compelling stories and deal with themes familiar to many viewers, numerous dramas centered on power struggles have been produced. Some of these masterpieces have even achieved peak viewership ratings exceeding 40%, becoming social phenomena.
So, which power struggle dramas are truly worth watching? FRIDAY interviewed six professionals—including former TV producers and TV columnists—who are well-versed in the genre to select the top 10.
“Bayside Shakedown” (Fuji TV, aired in 1997) Starring Yuji Oda
The 1997 TV series *Bayside Shakedown* (Fuji TV) depicted power struggles within the police organization and was such a massive hit that it was adapted into a film.
“There’s a famous line from the lead actor, Yuji Oda (58): ‘Crimes don’t happen in conference rooms. They happen on the scene.’ This series masterfully depicts the organizational structure of the police force, where decisions are made in conference rooms, and the power struggles that take place there.
The protagonist, a man of justice, clashes with the upper echelons who prioritize protecting the organization above all else. A character who symbolizes this is Shinji Muroi, a police bureaucrat played by Toshiro Yanagiba (65). Muroi joined the National Police Agency as a career bureaucrat and is constantly driven by a desire to climb the ranks.“The technique of skillfully contrasting Muroi, who struggles caught between upper management and the field, with the protagonist, who is full of a sense of justice, was masterful,” said Takahiko Kageyama, a professor at Doshisha Women’s College of Liberal Arts.
Among works set in the police force, the 2015 NHK series “64” is also highly regarded. Wakako Taka, a freelance writer specializing in TV dramas, praises it highly.
“The protagonist, a former police officer with the D Prefectural Police who now serves as a public relations officer, is crushed as a case involving the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency is covered up. Even though he knows something is wrong deep down, he cannot resist and ends up complicit in the organization’s cover-up. The portrayal of this middle-aged protagonist realistically captures the tragedy of an organizational member caught up in a power struggle.”
A work that showcases the actors’ brilliant performances
In recent years, the political drama *War of Traps* (aired in 2023 on Fuji TV) stands out as an exceptional production. It has become one of Tsuyoshi Kusanagi’s (51) signature works.
“Kusanagi plays a parliamentary secretary who seeks revenge against the man who pushed his son off a pedestrian bridge, causing serious injuries, and the Diet member trying to cover up the incident.While it follows the classic narrative of the underdog seeking revenge against those in power, the cast’s performances are superb. In particular, Kotaro Honda (75), who played the Minister of State for Special Missions, is outstanding.While he plays the role of a “nice guy” on the surface, he shifts the blame for all his failures onto his secretary. He is also the key figure who works to have the incident involving the protagonist’s son ruled an accident. The process by which he is ultimately brought down after the protagonist uncovers a bribery scandal is gripping from start to finish and never a dull moment,” says TV producer Hiromichi Shizume.
Another masterpiece set in the political world is *The Summer of the Bureaucrats* (broadcast in 2009 on TBS).
“Although they joined the Ministry of International Trade and Industry with the lofty ideal of ‘making Japan prosperous,’ laying the groundwork with politicians and industry leaders is essential for drafting policies. Amid fellow bureaucrats preoccupied with factional struggles and personnel matters, the protagonists aim to formulate policies unbound by the political and business worlds’ agendas and vested interests.It depicts the sense of pride that is lacking in today’s Japanese bureaucrats,” says Sachinobu Okada, a professor in the Faculty of Sociology at Yamato University.
Mr. Shizume, mentioned earlier, enthusiastically recommends the 2007 series *The Magnificent Family* (TBS).
“The theme is the conflict within the owner family over the management of a zaibatsu-affiliated bank, and it intertwines multiple elements: internal corporate strife, father-son conflict, and generational conflict.There is the father who stages a coup and repeatedly resorts to underhanded tactics to protect the bank he built from the wave of financial restructuring, and the son who rebels against his father’s stance and ultimately takes his own life. This father and son, who love each other yet hate each other, wage a bitter family feud.”I believe Kinya Kitaoji’s (83) performance, wailing in grief after his son’s suicide, is a scene that will go down in the history of Japanese television drama.”
There are also excellent period dramas that depict power struggles. One such example is the NHK Taiga drama *Kamakuradono no 13-nin* (2022), written by Koki Mitani (64).
“Centered on the Kamakura-era warlord Hojo Yoshitoki, it depicts the struggle among the Hojo and Miura clans and other vassals for the top position following the death of Minamoto no Yoritomo.The protagonist, played by Shun Oguri (43), was initially a simple-minded young man at the mercy of Minamoto no Yoritomo, but he eventually transforms into a ruthless man who eliminates political rivals and even cuts ties with his own relatives.”While there are no flashy battle scenes, it skillfully portrays how people obsessed with power change and what fates they meet against the backdrop of the imperial court,” says Mr. Okada (mentioned earlier).
The lives of men surviving power struggles swirling with intrigue and scheming are the ultimate entertainment.
From the June 19, 2026 issue of *FRIDAY*
PHOTO： Yuri Adachi