Red Torrent

Takeshi Osawa (Ken Utsui), an assistant professor of piano at a music college, is remarrying his first love, the widowed Yumiko Tashiro (Kayo Matsuo). Yumiko's son, Toshio, is a young man whose piano playing Takeshi heard and recognized as talented. However, upon learning that Takeshi was a rival of his biological father, Seiji Tashiro (Ken Ogata), who is said to have committed suicide, Toshio becomes violently opposed to Yumiko. Takeshi is troubled by Toshio's attitude, but with the encouragement of his younger brother, Minoru, a conductor, he succeeds in teaching him traditional piano, and Toshio ends up studying at the music college. An unconventional figure at the university, Toshio approaches Hanae Miyajima, the granddaughter of the university president. This action later sparks turmoil for those around him as it becomes intertwined with the university's succession issue. Furthermore, Toshio's father, Seiji, who was thought to be dead, suddenly appears...

Directed by —, Red Torrent leans on a strong ensemble — Keiko Takeshita, Momoe Yamaguchi, Keiko Kishi — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The series landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1977.