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Mitsuo Tanabe is a successful businessman who owns the Great Japan Newspaper Company, and the Mighty Japan Great Powers Baseball team (that Bando is a member of) who suffers from a panic disorder where he gets flashbacks. When he turns up to Irabu's office after the events of the last episode, he is given an injection. Both Irabu and Mayumi are shocked that he hasn't turned into an animal. The calendar goes back to December 17, where Bando has his first problems with his Yips, after the game Mitsuo is confronted by media that ask him questions on an apparent scandal that he has influence over the leader of a political party, and that he's made him postpone tax changes. The flashes from the journalist cameras start to disturb him, and he has flashbacks to the post war Tokyo, and moments afterwards including the construction of the Tokyo Tower, and the first Bullet Train service, as well as moments in the 1960s and 70s, he then faints. His doctor (Dr. Ikeyama from another episode) refers him over to Dr. Irabu. In Irabu's office after giving him an injection, Mayumi notices that a faltering fluorescent light is starting to upset Mitsuo, and she turns it off before he has an attack. Irabu then takes this chance to diagnose him with panic disorder and orders Mayumi to turn off all the lights. Mitsuo starts to have an attack, when a scared Irabu suddenly pounces him and Mayumi turns the lights back on. Irabu comments how he's afraid of the dark and still has a night light. Mitsuo then explains how he has visions of the past, suggesting he has PTSD, and that his Panic Disorder is brought on through his stressful role of Power. Irabu tells Mitsuo that he can wear sunglasses to soften the flashes, but that the best medicine is to retire. Mitsuo strongly disagrees, stating that he still has things to do. Later on, Irabu and Mitsuo go shopping, and he explains to Irabu that Japan is still an immature country as it depends on the US, and that he wants to change that. In the sunglasses shop, Seiji from a past episode has a panic attack while also purchasing glasses. A couple of days later, there is another baseball game, where Bando throws and injures another player; after the game the media confront Mitsuo, and he is outraged that they call Bando a "terrorist". Again the media start to harass him, and he has another attack. In Mitsuo's office, after suffering an attack with the setting sun, and reading the newspapers reporting on Mitsuo's outburst, Irabu warns him that this continued problem can lead to depression. Mitsuo's aid tells him that he needs to leave for an appointment, Irabu carries him out to his limo where the media hound him again, and again he has a delusion that a dark mass is enveloping his limo. Irabu then offers to drive him in his Porsche Boxster Convertible. Irabu and Mitsuo speed off, outrunning the tabloids on their motorcycles, escaping them. Irabu drives past Shinbashi Station, where Mitsuo has a flashback to World War II when he was a young Soldier of the recovery operation of Tokyo at the end of the war, as well as watching baseball on an old television set in the 1950s. Then while driving past the Tokyo Tower, he flashes back to being a journalist, having a discussion with the workers on a lunch break. Then a N700 Series Shinkansen goes by above them, much to Irabu's inner train-spotter's joy. Then Mitsuo flashing back to watching the first Shinkansen service with his son. Irabu and Mitsuo stop to watch a baseball game, where he has a flashback to meeting his wife at a baseball game in the past. During this moment of peace, he realizes that he's been living in the past and that things have changed greatly already. His flashbacks start to diminish, and he starts to appear in his modern form, instead of him in the past. He has gray hair and glasses. Just as Mitsuo tries to catch the ball Bando has hit after curing his Yips, Irabu abruptly intercepts, and catches it himself. The next day, Mitsuo calls a press conference where he announces his retirement. On his way home, a couple of journalists, including Yoshio Iwamura (who has appeared several times throughout this episode) ask him for advice to become good journalists. Mitsuo accepts and invites the journalists in for a drink. (Source: Wikipedia)
12/18/2009
