Shitamachi Rocket

My favorite part of this series is Abe Hiroshi. I love almost every character he played. Abe Hiroshi always gives me a sense of reliable and aspiring. It's just like some kinds of remedy to rescue me from negative status from time to time. Moreover, this series is absolutely suit Abe's image. No matter how utopian the plot is, it indeed inspires people. No matter how depressed and lazy I'm, I can turn into activated model.

However, the daughter of our hero was unsatisfactory. I couldn't feel a bit of adorable from her. She is pretty and her figure is great of course, I guess it's due to her poor acting skill.

The story is simple, but it resonate well with hi-tech folks and reality.

1) in the real world, everyone talks about outsourcing to reduce cost, this drama point out the importance of quality and technology ownership. In one episode, it point out that "competitors can buy or steal your technology, but they can never steal your people". It is the people. That is also the problem of current high-tech industry. Majority of high-tech industry have non-tech CEO/executives who focus on cost reduction, legal action and copy and paste strategy instead of innovation and quality. That is why it was recommend to President Tsai of Taiwan as they are facing the same outsourcing to china problems by her team.

2)this drama also highlights japan specific hi-tech environment, many competitive components suppliers which specialize in one or few items. how to survive and even compete/collaborate against big corporations.

3)most importantly, it shows the importance of general basic research. You never know what your invention can be used in the future... so even today it is viewed as junk, no use, paper-invention, one day it maybe useful. Innovation is long term, and sometime fruitless, but without it no future technology can be found. Dream is powerful.

Above all, I recommend it very much especially those who have technology background/career.

Work should be fun and in the Japanese culture, excessive as well. The drama of personal life losses pales in comparison to the roller coaster emotions associated with working with and through extreme characters. When life experiences are intermingled with the incredible highs and downturns that can only be described by those who experienced events and people within the crucible of work, there can be only satisfaction in conjuring parallel experiences within Downtown Rocket. The piratical culture of large corporations to win at any cost exemplifies Machiavellian business school principles while playing good citizenship rules of engagement. In true Japanese fashion; enemies, confederates and associates must all bow and be polite while holding weapons of deceits and treachery. Downtown Rocket weaves both cultural traditions and human ideals with passion that is not unlike many small companies struggling to find a niche within a niche. What makes this television series enjoyable are the extremes and stereo-types of rat bankers, slimy lawyers, disengaged immoral heads of corporations, typical employees and of course, the dreamer in all of us who want to live life to the fullest in our dreams.