Shitamachi Rocket (下町ロケット)

3 years after the jubilant success of the rocket launch,

Tsukuda Manufacturing was boosting their business thanks to their part in that achievement.

Now, introducing himself as Tsukuda's rival, appeared Shiina Naoyuki,

the president of Sayama Manufacturing who started his career at NASA.

And Tsukuda gets told by Zaizen that the procurement of the rocket engine valve

will be decided by competition from the next time.

In the meantime, Tsukuda Manufacturing gets an order to manufacture a prototype of a special valve

from Nippon Klein, a major manufacturer of precision instruments.

That valve was a key part of core heart, an artificial heart being developed by

Professor Kifune of Asia Medical University.

Shiina, who was scheming to

steal away the core heart business from Tsukuda Manufacturing,

headhunted a member of Tsukuda Manufacturing's Technological Development Dept., Nakazato Atsushi.

Furthermore, he had Nakazato steal the drawing of the altered core heart valve that

Yamazaki had personally designed on his own.

Just around that time, Mano Kensaku, a former employee,

came to introduce Professor Ichimura Hayato from Hokuriku Medical University

and Sakurada Atsushi, owner of a local business,

to entreat their cooperation to develop a prosthetic valve to be used in heart surgeries.

However, with dark clouds looming over the business with Teikoku Heavy Industries

in addition to the skepticism over developing medical devices

due to the recent incident with Nippon Klein,

Tsukuda Manufacturing did not have the time or money to spare to develop the prosthetic heart valve.

Gaudi

is my dream.

Please, President.

While visiting Sakurada's company in Fukui,

they learn that Sakurada's dedication to develop the prosthetic valve

comes from his feeling of atonement to his daughter who died of a heart disease.

Touched by Sakurada's feelings, Tsukuda finally makes up his mind

to participate in the development of a new prosthetic valve, the Gaudi Project.

Tsukuda Manufacturing will do everything within our power to tackle Gaudi.

3 days later

After the blood circulates the body,

Right Atrium

Left Atrium

Left Ventricle

Right Ventricle

it passes through the right atrium to the right ventricle and on to the lungs.

Then the left atrium receives the blood from the lungs and sends it to the left ventricle

which then pumps it to the aorta for systemic circulation.

What keeps the blood from regurgitating

is this heart valve, but

if there's a lesion here, blood doesn't flow properly.

This is where a prosthetic valve becomes necessary.

Appearance-wise, it's shaped like a ring.

The fact is, there are currently no prosthetic valves made in Japan.

We are totally dependent on those made abroad. However,

due to problems, such as size, with foreign-made prosthetic valves,

in many cases they are incompatible the Japanese physique, especially children.

For that reason, there are many patients who cannot be cured.

Our Gaudi Project is a valuable project to enable children suffering from severe valvular heart disease

to regain a healthy body and a future.

For the future of these children, please lend us your hand.

Ichimura Sensei, thank you.

Now then, let me announce the core members who will be working on this project.

First, from the Technological Development Department, Yosuke.

And Aki-chan.

Suzuki.

I entrust the development of the prototype to you three.

Yosuke, you're the team leader.

Me?

And on the administrative side, I'd like Ebara to be in charge.

I want you to support these three as a sub-leader.

You may say I'm being idealistic and laugh at me.

But this Gaudi Project isn't merely a business.

As an engineer

and a member of society,

I believe it's a mission that needs to be accomplished to save people's lives.

The development will probably require an enormous amount of time.

If you should get lost along the way, try to remember this mission.

To enable the children to smile and have a future,

let's work together and make this project materialize.

So this is the prototype of the prosthetic valve.

What's wrong with it?

We don't know.

We don't know why, but blood clot forms more easily with this.

What we have to overcome is

A blood clot is a mass formed by platelets and fibrin in the blood that may be the cause heart attack or stroke

a way to prevent blood clots from forming and biocompatibility.

Basically, it will be a repetition of trial and error.

As a matter of fact, there are three obstacles that must cleared for the Gaudi Project to be a success.

The first, as Tsukuda-san mentioned, is the technological obstacle.

And the second is the financial obstacle.

I'm doing what I can too, but

the parent company that's providing the money, Sakurada Tateami, has employees too.

The third obstacle is getting the approval.

The first obstacle we have to overcome is

a pre-review meeting with PMEA.

PMEA is the acronym for Pharmaceuticals and Medical Equipment Agency,

an independent agency in charge of reviewing drugs and medical devices.

Currently in Japan, there exists a system in which all medical drugs and medical devices

receive guidance from PMEA from the developmental stage

until the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare makes a final determination and gives approval.

If, at that pre-review meeting with PMEA, if we can get them to favorably perceive

our intent and contents of our development,

the subsequent reviews should also go well.

But if we get off to a bad start here, it may have a lasting effect.

And so, when it this pre-review meeting?

It's in 2 weeks.

Ichimura Sensei is also top-notch as a heart surgeon.

So there's no end to the throng of patients who come seeking his help.

But how did such an outstanding surgeon end up in Fukui?

Ichimura Sensei was the top disciple of Asia Medical University's Chief Heart Surgeon,

Professor Kifune, to begin with, and was expected to be his successor.

You mean Professor Kifune who developed that core heart?

Or so they say, but...

in truth, the idea of core heart was originally Ichimura Sensei's.

But Professor Kifune published it as if it was his own.

In other words, the mentor stole his disciple's invention. What a scumbag.

But Ichimura Sensei thought it would be better for him to step back

if that advanced the development of core heart and many patients could be saved.

So he quietly accepted it.

Professor Kifune had Ichimura Sensei forcibly transferred to Fukui,

and made core heart completely his own.

How tough that must've been for Ichimura Sensei.

Fukui Prefecture Hokuriku Medical University

- Good evening. - Good evening.

Long time no see, Ichimura-kun.

I had a sudden urge to see you. Are things going well?

Yes, thank you.

It's just that...I heard it through the grapevine

that you're having a hard time with your current research.

- Are you talking about the prosthetic valve? - Actually, I've been thinking for a while too

about making a new type of prosthetic valve.

Someone asked me to give you a hand since you seemed to be at an impasse.

And that's why I took the trouble to come all the way out here.

I thank you for your concern.

It's not like we're strangers.

We've been through a lot together, haven't we?

With a medical device, it takes a long time and

a lot of money to get it approved by the Ministry.

If I was to develop it, Nippon Klein said they'll sponsor me

in addition to joining the development team.

How about it? Don't you think it's a good deal?

Of course, I'll try to leave your name and the University

as the primary member of the development team.

If you think about the patients who are suffering from valvular heart disease,

if you think what is the the shortest path to implementation,

there's no better deal than this.

Come on, Ichimura-kun.

For the future of medicine,

let's work together again.

I appreciate the offer, but I'll have to refrain from accepting it.

It's my belief that the significance of this Gaudi Project is contingent

on seeing it through the end myself.

Here I am, going out of my way to bring you such a great offer,

but you're going to reject it, huh?

I truly appreciate the offer and I'm very grateful, but...

Gaudi is my idea.

Please spare me from going through the same thing I did with core heart again.

How dare he repay the Professor's kindness with ingratitude.

How much ruder can he get, that Ichimura.

What's so great about Gaudi.

The nerve, after I took the trouble to go all the way to Fukui.

Why bother with that anymore? Even without dabbling in prosthetic valve,

Professor Kifune, you have core heart.

No. There's a rare sweet business opportunity just lying there before our very eyes.

There's no way we can knowingly pass it up.

In order to secure development funds for core heart too,

I believe we should get our hands on everything we can get.

- But you know... - Let's wait.

Actually, with Toudou-san's help,

I checked out this company called Sakurada that's participating in Gaudi.

When did you...

Sakurada's development expense comes from its parent company, Sakurada Tateami.

Currently, opposition is growing within that parent company towards developing a medical device

that's not producing results.

If things remain unchanged and the meeting with PMEA doesn't go well,

the funding to Sakurada is expected to be cut off soon.

If Sakurada should pull out of the project,

wouldn't your suggestion become a real possibility?

I see.

Even if we don't do anything, he'll approach me first, huh?

Shiina-kun.

You're indeed a first-class businessman.

Your ability to see through things is really something.

What I learned at NASA.

That's...how to find the winning formula.

How to make adequate preparation in order to win.

That's all there is to it.

By the time you get to the negotiation table, the game is already decided.

Winners make winning happen.

That's my management policy.

Anyway, the main issue for improving the core heart valve is durability.

The realization of a 6-month, 180-day performance warranty.

Get that done as soon as possible. You got that?

Yes. Uh...

We're currently delivering prototypes with a 90-day performance warranty, right?

- To Nippon Klein. - Of course.

May I take a look at that existing product for reference?

No, there's no need for that.

I want you to come up with your own ideas for improvement

without being tied down to the existing product.

Very well. I'll make sure it gets done successfully.

I'm counting on you.

Ours is the leading group of engineers with the best skills and brains.

There's no comparison to Tsukuda Manufacturing, right?

Yes.

This is confidential, but Teikoku Heavy Industries' rocket engine valve