Fumo Chitai 1.06

aka The Waste Land

Episode 6

Iki and his team work hard to get the ships that Mr. Huang has requested. Iki knows that they are in competition with Samejima and Tokyo Trading. Iki gets Vice President Satoi to agree to approve the purchase of the ships if he can get them for less than 400,000 a piece. Iki goes to Nitto Trading and gets the ships for 350,000 but he has to agree that Kinki Trading will import Israeli oranges for Nitto for the next three years.

In the end Satoi refuses to go along with deal that Iki struck with Nitto Trading. Iki apologizes to Mr. Huang and goes with him to the airport to see him off. They run into Samejima who is also there to see off Mr. Huang as he departs for Indonesia.

The war in the Middle East begins. Iki analyzes the situation and counsels President Daimon that the war won't last long and that Israel will come out on top. Tokyo Trading and the rest of the competition bets that the war will last 15 years or more and start buying up all commodities. Iki has Kinki wait until prices go up quite a bit and then sell everything.

The war ends after six days. Israel comes out on top. Kinki reaps great profits. The other companies don't do so well.

Iki goes to see Chisato Akitsu and goes with her to see her brother. They try to convince him to come down from the mountain where he lives so that he can heal but he refuses. He explains that he feels that he owes it to the men who served under him during the war.

Chisato's uncle continues to try and urge her to get married. She continues to resist his suggestions and the potential matches with whom he arranges meetings for her.

Iki's daughter continues to see Samejima's son, despite her father's insistence that she break it off.

The episode ends with President Daimon having a talk with Iki about the company's recent success. Iki explains that he feels constrained by Vice President Satoi. Daimon suggests that maybe Iki needs a position that will allow him to execute trades without having to consult with Satoi.

Thoughts

This was a good episode. Most of the focus is on Iki and the situation in the Middle East. Based on the trailer for the next episode it looks like the focus is going to shift to other business dealings in the next episode.