The third episode of the TBS Sunday drama "GIFT," starring actor Shinichi Tsutsumi, aired on April 26th. The passionate words of Kunimi, the head coach of the wheelchair rugby team "Sharkhead," played by Ken Yasuda, deeply moved viewers.
◇The following contains spoilers.
Kunimi (played by Ken Yasuda) began to tell Gotetsu (played by Tsutsumi), who had come to the Sharkhead training ground, about his past struggles in the world of wheelchair rugby.
"Nobody even knew the name of this sport. We had no money. We had to pay for all our travel expenses and equipment ourselves. The sides of our tires were worn out and full of holes. We would patch the sides with duct tape and race," Kunimi said. He went around to companies looking for sponsors but was ignored, and he had a very hard time.
"Para sports are the first to be dismissed. Yet, when we win a match, the media, who know nothing about our circumstances, raves about us saying, 'Thank you for the inspiration.' But that's the end of it. Don't underestimate us!"
Kunimi argued that the structure of wheelchair rugby needs to be changed, not as an extension of rehabilitation, but because of his strong desire to "live as an athlete." "To do that, we have to keep winning overwhelmingly on the world stage!" he said with determination.
On social media, comments included: "I cried at Kunimi's story," "The weight of Kunimi's words. The weight comes from having been involved on the scene for many years and carrying various emotions. My heart ached at the words that contained regret and helplessness," and "Kunimi, played by Yasuda, seems somewhat cold and his words are harsh, but I think there is kindness deep in his eyes."
The drama follows Wu Tetsuya, a genius astrophysicist played by Tsutsumi, as he solves difficult problems facing the underdog team "Blaze Bulls" from his unique perspective. It's a story of redemption where the team, friends, and family reconnect.
