Old Rookie (2022)

"Old Rookie" is a feel-good drama. Its greatest strength is how it really emotionally pulls at its audience, and at the core of that is Ayano Go as the "old rookie" Shinmachi Ryotaro. As a retired soccer player, Shinmachi jumps into a new career and joins a sports management company supporting athletes on their professional journeys. He has a real heart of gold as a former athlete who loved his game, and now someone who genuinely wants to "respect" the athletes he supports and provide them with what they want/need. Ayano beautifully brings Shinmachi to life - from his highs to his lows. Everything feels so genuine. That said, Ayano's skill is what truly elevates this drama from a basic week-to-week story about sports management. The rest of the cast is so solid - Eikura Nana, Yoshine Kyoko, Sorimachi Takashi, Masuda Takahisa - and yet, the material just doesn't serve them well; their plots serve Shinmachi's development more than anything else, and when they aren't needed anymore, they're kind of just set aside. Nothing in this drama is surprising or new, but it still manages to be enjoyable because of Ayano's Shinmachi. I wanted more from this drama, but alas, it still was an enjoyable weekly watch - definitely pleasant, but not super memorable.

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