Big Money! (2002)

The main characters have similar spirit on their road towards success. The Big Money is a lot more complex and better built up. Teioh is very much straight to the point and way shorter. Think of it as a breeze with similar smell :)

"Big Money!" is a human drama with a suspense twist about a young man who learns the tricks of the trade about stock exchange from a well-experienced investor. The backdrop of this story is the elaborate world of banking and the stock market. Shirato Norimichi (Nagase) lives off the money his parents send him, and his winnings at pachinko while waiting to find permanent employment. One day, Shirato is recruited by a mysterious elderly gentleman by the name of Kozuka Taihei (Ueki). Shirato later finds out that the small, yet mild mannered Kozuka was once a legendary trader. Although clouded by the mystery surrounding Kozuka, Shirato begins to work for him. In time, Shirato finds himself being mesmerized by the wave of numbers of the market. Sometime later, Shirato learns Kozuka's real intentions...he wants to bankrupt one of the world's leading banks, Matsuba Bank. The two men of very different ages then try to go up against Matsuba and the elite bankers that work at the giant Matsuba such as Yamazaki Fumihiko (Harada).

Both relate to the world of money, although their focus differs from each other, both series offer insights.

Both talk about corruption that intervenes banks and individuals with power. However, though I like Hanzawa so much, prefer Big Money! because the little humor here and there and the involvement of drama within. You got Shirato in Big Money! who is a complete fool at the beginning, but when a certain man hires him to be his apprentice in destroying a certain bank, he changes and show talent and passion. Similarly you got Hanzawa who is just almost the same. The difference is that the hero is outside the bank dealing with stocks, while in Hanzawa Naoki he is an actual manager who tries hard to climb higher.

Both deal with the financial world and amibtion.