Don't make me cry. I want to make you laugh.
A young yakuza thug apprentices with an indebted comic "rakugo" performer, whose not-so-fashionable son runs a clothes shop in the Harajuku backstreets.
Tiger and Dragon (Season 1)
Turf Beach (Episode 1) 7.0
Air date: 2005-04-15
Runtime: 59 min
Overview: Despite having trained for two months, Toraji still can't memorize a whole story. His boss asks him to investigate Ginjiro, who is acting strange.
The Manju We Fear (Episode 2) 7.0
Air date: 2005-04-22
Runtime: 46 min
Overview: Toraji is tasked with causing trouble at his superior’s wedding party. Later, he learns a rakugo story about a man with an odd fear of steamed buns.
Tea Ceremony (Episode 3) 6.0
Air date: 2005-04-29
Runtime: 45 min
Overview: Ryuji's big chance arrives when his fashion brand catches the attention of a famous producer. Donbei takes on a new, highly skilled apprentice.
Gonsuke's Lantern (Episode 4) 7.0
Air date: 2005-05-06
Runtime: 45 min
Overview: Toraji has a hard time understanding the concept of marriage in one of his stories. Donbei reveals a startling secret about his college days.
A Stable Fire (Episode 5)
Air date: 2005-05-13
Runtime: 46 min
Overview: After seeing a married couple perform at his first-ever manzai comedy show, an impressed Toraji decides to be their manager to find them more gigs.
A Crow Cawing at Daybreak (Episode 6)
Air date: 2005-05-20
Runtime: 46 min
Overview: Toraji convinces his boss to let Ginjiro handle a job on his own. Concerned that Donkichi is in his 40s and single, Ryuji and Donta plan a group date.
Cat's Plate (Episode 7)
Air date: 2005-05-27
Runtime: 46 min
Overview: The Rakugo Association decides to hold a contest to recruit young talent. Toraji tries asking Ryuji to return to the stage, but he’s flatly declined.
Sudden Impulse (Episode 8)
Air date: 2005-06-03
Runtime: 45 min
Overview: In a bid to impress his father, Ginjiro acts on information gained from an old friend to extort a rival gang, but he soon finds himself in a pinch.
Careless Tenement House (Episode 9) 1.0
Air date: 2005-06-10
Runtime: 46 min
Overview: A starving Yasuo suddenly appears before Toraji and tells him that he’s on the run from his gang. Later, Ryuji’s clothing store is ransacked by thugs.
Shinagawa Double Suicide (Episode 10)
Air date: 2005-06-17
Runtime: 45 min
Overview: With the Shinjuku Ryuseikai on the verge of collapsing, Toraji must make a difficult decision. Ryuji resolves to return to the world of rakugo.
The Child Is a Clamp (Episode 11)
Air date: 2005-06-24
Runtime: 45 min
Overview: Three years later, Toraji leaves prison to find that a lot has changed. He visits the rakugo hall and makes a heartbreaking discovery.
