Breathless Summer

Who will run Japan? The prime minister or a mastermind? A political thriller about the "fixer" pulling strings behind the scenes controlling the political, business, and legal worlds as the greed of money and power intersect.

The story of Kishi Keiichitaro, a dashingly handsome pathologist who is intensely eccentric and brutally honest, but also holds one of the most brilliant minds. A pathologist is a physician whose job is to determine a diagnosis of disease or cause of death based on an assortment of data, including a patient's tissue, bodily fluids, organ samples, blood, etc.

Living in Ikebukuro — an area infamous for juvenile crime, 21-year-old Makoto Majima becomes associated with a youth gang called the G-Boys. A troubleshooter known for his cool headedness and ability to get things done, Makoto diffuses tense situations around Ikebukuro to keep his friends and others out of harm's way. However, the mysterious death of his girlfriend and an escalating gang turf war threaten to be more than Makoto can handle.

Sanpuu Minami is a popular shojo manga artist who is believed by many to be a woman. In actuality, though, his real identity is Eichizen Gotaro, a single father with two children. One day, he receives a notification from the court that he has been appointed as a prosecutor's office examiner. With the deadline for his manga approaching, he requests a withdrawal but this is declined due to a lack of special circumstances. He joins 11 other people randomly selected from ordinary Japanese citizens, who each have unique personalities and give off the impression that they would like to get this over and done with. At first, Gotaro has a negative attitude towards the Prosecution Review Board, but as he gets closer to the thoughts of those behind the case, he starts to appreciate how important this job is.

The four actors gathered in the studio spent three days rehearsing their 30-page script. They were told they would perform onstage on the fourth day. The cast has yet to be decided. Although they are upset about being in a closed environment with their smartphones and watches ripped away, the four devote themselves to rehearsals in order to obtain the roles they want to play. A second-rate actor, an unpopular actor, a bad actor, and an actor who can no longer find satisfaction in acting as directed. Their no-turning-back situations are gradually brought to light during rehearsals, revealing the women’s respective natures. Their performances collide as they give all they’ve got for their acting careers in this space where there are no rules nor even a director or producer. The fourth day arrives. As the masked audience watches, will they be able to show their true natures as actors and deliver a successful stage performance?