The Middle Management Chronicle of Tonegawa is a spin-off of the Kaiji series, and is a comedy about middle management in a black company, starring Tonegawa Yukio, the No. 2 at Teiai who appears as Kaiji's nemesis. The cast is full of unique characters, including the chairman Hyodo and middle manager Tonegawa. However, while the main black suits have distinctive personalities, they look quite faceless...! Can you even tell them apart?! So, I would like to introduce the main characters while also explaining the black suits.
① The Protagonist, Teiai's No. 2, Yukio Tonegawa
The protagonist of The Middle Management Chronicle of Tonegawa, he is Chairman Kazutaka Hyoudou's right-hand man. He is a powerful man who has risen to the No. 2 position in Teiai thanks to his outstanding intellect and skill. He is a hard-working middle manager who is constantly faced with unreasonable demands, power harassment, and trying to please Chairman Hyoudou, and is also busy following up on the actions and mistakes of his subordinate black suits.
Tonegawa in Kaiji
Kaiji's nemesis, Tonegawa, manages, sets up, and manages the gaming venue where Kaiji, who is burdened with debt, is taken. He uses his powerful and eloquent speech to lure the debtors into a life-threatening game. He is portrayed as a villain who doesn't care what happens to the debtors. Towards the end of the game, he goes head-to-head with Kaiji in an E-card game. While he maintains the upper hand throughout the game, Tonegawa's trick is eventually discovered and he is defeated by Kaiji's desperate tactics. This incurs Hyodo's wrath, forcing him to perform the Yaki Dogeza.
Tonegawa in Tonegawa
In Tonegawa, Tonegawa is a hard worker, constantly worrying about Chairman Hyodo's erratic behavior, constantly monitoring his subordinates' every move, and occasionally following up on them. However, he is fundamentally a highly capable salaryman, earning his subordinates respect for his precise instructions and compassionate nature. Teiai is a black company, but Tonegawa's ideal boss makes that impression fade away. For Tonegawa, working 20 consecutive days is the norm. A corporate slave...! An absolute corporate slave...!
② The Tyrant, the Head of Teiai, Kazutaka Hyodo
He is the head of the Teiai Group and Tonegawa's boss. He has a cruel and twisted sensibility, and finds no greater pleasure than seeing the ugly sight of the weak betraying and undermining each other, or losing their lives in a battle. He is self-centered and extremely selfish, and if something displeases him, he will immediately throw a tantrum and exact punishment, making him a tyrant...!
Hyoudou in Kaiji
He is a powerful figure who reigns at the top of Teiai, and his luck and competitive spirit are truly indicative of his abilities. He is ruthless, even to his own family, as seen in his burning apology to Tonegawa after losing to Kaiji and his exile to the Underground Empire. When he faces Kaiji head-on, he demonstrates his overwhelming strength and wins.
Hyodo in Tonegawa
In Tonegawa, Hyodo is portrayed as a disaster, constantly calling out to Tonegawa or showing up, wearing down Tonegawa's nerves with his unreasonable demands, power harassment, and unpredictable behavior. His grandfatherly nature is also emphasized, as seen when he falls asleep from exhaustion during a meeting, resulting in many comedic scenes.
③ Kenji Yamazaki, the Leader of the Black Suits
He is the leader of the black suits, having previously served under Chairman Hyodo. He often travels with Tonegawa on business trips and is trusted by both his colleagues and Tonegawa. While initially angered by Tonegawa's tyrannical behavior in front of Chairman Hyodo, Kenji's dramatic recovery has made him a sort of right-hand man for Tonegawa. His hobby is bowling.
④ The Youngest and Most Outstanding Black Suit: Saemon Saburo Jiro
The youngest black suit. A modern young man with a strong grasp of PowerPoint and the Internet, his creativity and planning skills are outstanding. He came up with unique ideas for creating a limited-edition rock-paper-scissors game and deciding on a venue, making him an exceptionally talented black suit. He's nicknamed "Saemon" because of his long name. He was dating a female employee, Nishiguchi, but they broke up before anyone knew it. His hobby is bowling.
⑤ Kawasaki Toshimasa, who is easily confused with Yamazaki
Kawasaki in Black Suit is easily confused with Yamazaki and Kawasaki. He rarely gets to play an active role...or rather, he rarely appears, but since he wasn't considered for a transfer, he seems to do his job well. He catches the flu, which sparks the subsequent pandemic. His hobby is bowling.
⑥ Keiichi Ogino, a former comedian born in Zambia
He shares a name similar to that of one of the other black suits, Hagio, making him a confusingly similar character. During the story, he marries and becomes the main character, and it is revealed at their wedding that he was born in the Republic of Zambia and was a former comedian. His hobby is bowling.
⑦ Hidetoshi Nakata, the Clumsy One
Black Suit Nakata is clumsy and a little inattentive. When he entered the box during the limited-edition rock-paper-scissors game, it was decorated like a planetarium. He is an avid bowling fan and has a crush on female employee Nishiguchi. His hobby is bowling.
⑧ The Oldest Black Suit: Gonda
The oldest black suit on the team. His path to promotion was already cut off, and he spent his life avoiding responsibility. However, when Tonegawa was forced to take a break due to the flu, he began to feel a sense of responsibility. However, that sense of responsibility backfired, causing a pandemic within the department. His hobby is bowling.
⑨ The Hardcore Athletic Black Suit: Doshita Koji
Former captain of the Tokyo University Rugby Club. He's a passionate, athletic guy whose athletic demeanor sometimes earns him ire. However, he's generally a caring black suit guy. He's strict about training and health, and when Tonegawa's health check revealed signs of concern, he intervened thoroughly with his athletic demeanor. As a result, Tonegawa's health check improved, but he still deemed him a person of concern.
⑩ Ebitani: A Troublemaker with a Misguided Effort
Ebitani is a black suit officer who is in the same class as Saemon Saburo. He is impatient with Saemon, who is younger than him but achieves great things. Although he has more enthusiasm and drive than most, there is something off about everything he does. Tonegawa appreciates his enthusiasm and drive, but when he acts on his own, he angers Hyodo and is fired. Tonegawa also receives a pay cut. His hobby is bowling.
He continues to cause trouble after that.
Even after being fired, he frequently contacts Tonegawa, but he continues to get caught up in pyramid schemes and lose all his money on uncertain investments. He then continues to post on Twitter as an anti-Teiai fan, but Saemon's actions expose him. Tonegawa then arranges for him to be assigned a Twitter follower-increasing job, and he eventually returns to his job as a handyman.
⑪ Junichi Hagio, a Cat Lover Similar to Ogino
Kurofuku, whose last name is similar to Ogino's, is so fond of cats that he even turned the inside of a limited edition rock-paper-scissors box into a cat cafe. He was transferred to the Minami Hateruma branch due to personnel changes. His hobby is bowling.
⑫ Kikuchi, the black suit who was transferred with Hagio
Kikuchi in Black Suit was transferred to the Minamihateruma branch in a personnel reshuffle. He lamented his semi-demotion, but after learning that Tonegawa had been assigned to the Minamihateruma branch, he decided to aim for a fresh start in a new location. He was completely tanned when he was invited to Ogino's wedding along with Hagio and Nagata.
⑬ Black Suit ② Nagata, Transferred with Hagio
Due to personnel changes, Nagata was transferred to the Minamihateruma branch along with Hagio and Kikuchi. The three of them often gathered and talked about how they were the core of Team Tonegawa, but he was transferred shortly after. He seems to be working hard in his new home alongside Hagio and Kikuchi.
⑭ Chairman Hyodo's Devilish Look-Alike: Honda Masayasu
Nicknamed Hamayan, he was discovered by Tonegawa and his team, who were tasked with searching for a body double due to Hyodo's whims. He is Chairman Hyodo's devilish look-alike. Originally, he was a good person, the complete opposite of the chairman, but Yamazaki reformed him, perhaps changing his personality and behavior to suit Chairman Hyodo's look-alike. However, the chairman grew tired of his double, and despite his changes to his personality and life, he was dismissed and abandoned in the mountains by Endo. However, after returning to Teiai through her own efforts, she returns to the company at Yamazaki's desperate urging. Though portrayed comically, she is a victim of the black company Teiai, whose personality and life were changed by Teiai.
⑮ The Only Female Black Suit: Nishiguchi Saeko
A female black suit who joined the Tonegawa team due to a personnel transfer. She is a rare named female character, even among Fukumoto's many works. She has an older brother and is originally from Hakata. She's a native of Hakata, and when she's at home, she speaks in a Hakata dialect. She contributes to the Tonegawa team with a unique female perspective. In the story, she dates Saemon Saburo, but before long, they break up.
Summary of Characters in The Middle Management Chronicle of Tonegawa
While many of the characters in Tonegawa are lacking in individuality due to the company culture, they are actually all unique. Even the black suits are still people, so it's only natural that they have their own personalities, but the contrast between them and the unique black suits is interesting. I think the story is fascinating because they're all wild and do whatever they want, regardless of the original work. If you're a fan of Kaiji, I recommend this work.
