The fourth episode of the TBS Sunday Theatre drama "The Royal Family" (Sundays at 9 PM), starring Satoshi Tsumabuki, aired on November 2nd. The blonde jockey Saki, played by Takasugi Mahiro, made his first appearance, sparking excitement on social media with comments such as "He looked cool in his jockey outfit," "He looks like a jockey," and "His facial expression as he talks to the horse is lovely."
◇The following contains spoilers
Royal Hope, who has been transferred to a training farm, is an extremely wary horse, and the staff is at their wits' end. They couldn't even find a jockey. Kurisu (Tsumabuki) and his trainer Hironaka (Ando Masanobu) ask Saki, who is based at Iwate Racecourse, if he would be willing to transfer to the JRA and ride Hope. However, Saki is not keen, saying, "Only if the horse has real talent. I simply want a horse that's easy to win with. But that horse is a bit iffy."
After that, Kurisu continued to visit Saki and negotiate. Saki, who had previously caused trouble, revealed his true feelings to Kurisu, saying, "If I leave, what will happen to my family home? I was the kind of person who once left here and aimed for the central area. And yet, when I came back with my tail between my legs, my parents gave me a place to stay without saying a word. So do you think I could leave again?"
His father (Amagiya Ryo), who was listening nearby, encouraged him by saying, "Don't use your parents as an excuse," and "You can stand on your own two feet," and Saki decided to aim to become a jockey in the Japan Racing Association. When he finally met Hope, Saki told him in a strong yet gentle voice, "You're making your debut too, aren't you? I'll try again too." After saying, "Okay, okay. Let's ride together," he became the person riding Hope.
Then came his debut race. Hope got off to a slow start, but Saki's decisive reining, "Let's have fun!", showed his sharpness and he finished in first place in his debut race.
On social media, comments such as "Takasugi-kun looks like a jockey. Amazing," "Takasugi Mahiro as the blonde jockey is the best!", "Takasugi-san looked cool as a jockey!", "Takasugi Mahiro-san, who plays the jockey, has a great voice and looks great riding a horse!", "The expression on Takasugi Mahiro-san's face as he talks to the horse as a jockey is lovely," and "The way Saki-san talks to the horse was so gentle that it brought me to tears" became a hot topic.
The story is based on the novel of the same name by Kazuma Hayami. Kurisu admired her father, who was a tax accountant, and followed in his footsteps, but she experienced setbacks and lost hope. However, her life takes a major turn when she meets Kozo Sanno, a horse owner.
