The Middle Management Chronicle of Tonegawa is a spin-off of the Kaiji series, and in stark contrast to the main story, which centers on Tonegawa Yukio, the No. 2 at Teiai, it is a comedy about middle management with a gag twist. Tonegawa is a talented man, but being a middle manager at Teiai, a black company, is not an easy job and he struggles while making repeated mistakes. We would like to introduce some of Tonegawa's failures that may be useful in real life!
Failure #1: Tonegawa makes a disastrous blunder...! He loses the trust of his subordinates...!
Chairman Hyodo issues an unreasonable request: plan a devilish game of devastation and despair, where the scum of multiple debtors will risk their lives and expose the ugliness of humanity. Tonegawa immediately gathers ideas from the Black Suits in the conference room. With his skill, Tonegawa successfully motivates his subordinates, leading them to come up with a plethora of ideas that may or may not be useful.
Chairman Hyodo appears...!
Just then, the chairman, Hyoudou, suddenly arrives to check on the situation...! With the chairman's arrival, the meeting has no choice but to move forward, but presenting a poor idea to the merciless and temperamental Hyoudou could result in immediate punishment...! Even Tonegawa, as expected, loses his composure in such a situation and becomes arrogant toward his subordinates. In the end, the meeting falls apart, and Tonegawa loses his subordinates' trust. No one can perform to their full potential under the stress of facing their boss...!
Failure #2: It's been building up...! Me too...!
The chairman suddenly tells Tonegawa, "I want to see a movie that will satisfy me," so Tonegawa and the chairman go to the movies together. The movie the chairman chose wasn't a movie full of violence, a nasty human conflict, or a popular anime, but an anti-fiction documentary about space development.
Going forward is hell, going back is hell...!
Documentary films often rely on the viewer to think for themselves, rather than entertaining them, with a steady stream of stock footage and explanations. In other words, even if Hyodo isn't an old man, this is a film that will put you to sleep...! As expected, Hyodo falls asleep. However, the climax approaches. Waking up a comfortably sleeping Hyodo would naturally anger him. However, not waking him at the climax would also anger him. It's a situation where you can't move forward or backward...!
Tonegawa's tragic nap...!
Tonegawa solves the situation with a drastic measure: "Pause the movie and wait until the chairman wakes up." However, relieved, Tonegawa falls asleep. Hyodo gets angry at Tonegawa for sleeping next to him and punishes him...! Tonegawa's hard work every day is accumulating fatigue...! His regrettable nap angers the chairman, and he fails to submit his proposal.
Failure #3: There are some people in this world who shouldn't be working...!
In addition to his unique ideas for the limited-edition rock-paper-scissors game, Ebitani has also distinguished himself by coming up with unique ideas for choosing the venue...! Seeing his success, his colleague Ebitani is incredibly anxious...! He must also produce results, but while Ebitani is more enthusiastic and driven than most, he lacks something to win. Everything Ebitani does is off-track.
Tonegawa, some damn advice...!
Tonegawa considered Ebitani a loose cannon with a flawed aim. However, he also appreciated his enthusiasm and drive. Feeling that if he could correct his aim, he could become a powerful force, he advised him to do whatever he wanted without worrying about the scale. However, Tonegawa misunderstood Ebitani. There are some people in this world who, if allowed to act as they please, will only bring about the worst possible outcome.
Ebitani, fired immediately...! Tonegawa's pay cut...!
Ebitani, as instructed by Tonegawa, thinks for himself, acts freely, and pushes ahead. However, as a result, Ebitani angers Hyodo and is instantly fired...! Tonegawa also receives a pay cut. Tonegawa's self-absorbed advice leads to the worst possible outcome...! Saying things that sound like you know the answer isn't always good...! However, will Ebitani's actions later turn out to be unexpected?
Mistake #4: Don't leave it to this guy...!
With the venue for the limited-time rock-paper-scissors game decided, Tonegawa finally begins the rehearsal before the big day. He uses a group of new black suits, but since they're not in debt, their stiffness, typical of rookies, stands out. It's impossible to realistically portray a nasty battle between people with multiple debts...! Then, Kaiji's nemesis, the yakuza moneylender Endo, shows up.
Everyone's become trash...
To create a realistic impression, Endo trains the new recruits to become trash. However, his training is so effective that all the new recruits become listless trash. The trash who don't want to work abandon the game altogether, and Endo gathers more trash and engages in a battle royale-style battle. No...! That's not it...! That's not the point...! In the end, the rehearsal doesn't go well...!
Failure #5: Tonegawa vs. Hanchou
Whether by a twist of fate or a collaboration between two works, Tonegawa meets Hanchou Otsuki, who has just left Teiai Underground using a one-day pass. The meeting takes place at a katsudon restaurant, famous for its large portions. In the past, Tonegawa ordered a large portion without realizing it was a large portion, and despite a terrible experience, he still managed to finish it.
Don't fall for provocation...!
Otsuki, unaware of the situation, orders a large portion and turns pale. Next to him, Tonegawa chuckles, but upon learning that Tonegawa has conquered the large portion, he offers to share his portion. Tonegawa dismisses the offer, saying, "A man can't finish it all by himself...!" However, Tonegawa, who ordered a women's-sized katsudon despite his complaints, is provoked by Otsuki and forced to try the large portion. Even Tonegawa, as expected, is unable to finish it this time and succumbs to the katsudon.
Summary of The Middle Management Chronicle of Tonegawa's Failures
Tonegawa's failures include some typical of middle management, and others typical of comedy manga. However, there's much to learn from failure. Perhaps some of them can be applied to real life. While it's a comedy manga, it's also a work that clearly portrays middle management, so I highly recommend it!
