Otake Koichi

Thirteen years after abandoning his wife and two sons by stepping out for a pack of cigarettes and never returning, deadbeat gambler Masato dies of stomach cancer. At his funeral, a motley crew of fellow mahjong players, pachinko parlor employees and former drinking buddies gather to pay their respects and tell stories, revealing aspects of Masato’s life that complicate his sons’ resentment towards him.

The Hayashidas were a typical happy family of father, mother, two boys and two girls. Until it all changed suddenly with the untimely death of the father, Shinpei. While still mourning his passing, the children are hit by another bit of shocking news from their mother “Truth is… I'm pregnant.” The news of their mother's pregnancy at 51 sets into motion a new series of challenges for the four children, particularly for the eldest sister, Manami, who now becomes the family patriarch, forced to struggle with the pressures and responsibilities of “child rearing” and “family ties”, not to mention greater philosophical questions about the meaning of life. A moving, life-sized human drama..

The members of this elite investigative team are unique individuals with their own personal troubles, but what unites them is their strong sense of justice. They each channel all their energy and skill to solve the most difficult cases.

Themed around the ambiguities of modern communication, the story of Soredake ga Neck is set in the Hot Hot Mart convenience store, where the mysterious young man known as Muto works in the company of Nekomaru, the slightly sinister store's cat. Is Muto the savior of the Hot Hot Mart? Or is this merely an ominous existence? What sort of stories await at the convenience store?