Satoru Nomura/Yuji Oda is the hero, he is young, with a brilliant career ahead of him. He has little feelings, saved condescension, for the people he is supposed to serve. Instead he has been slaving on a huge seaside development for the elderly, if given the green light (or rather, the right hanko/signature stamp), it will put him on the inside track to the top. Where he knows he belongs. He is also preparing to marry the beautiful daughter of a construction company president who holds all the keys to the political and bureaucratic kingdoms. Nomura is sent to Mantendo, a third-rate supermarket sliding into oblivion. His trainer, Aki Ninomiya/Kou Shibasaki, is a hard-shelled part-timer in her mid-20's who takes an immediate dislike to him. Clearly, someone has made a mistake.
Rather than try to make nice with his new colleagues and customers, Nomura stays rigid. Ninomiya, is straightforward, down-to-earth type who kowtows to no one, not even Kencho-san (Nomura's moniker among the store employees, which translates as Mr. Prefectural Government). These two butt heads from day one -- and it soon becomes obvious the entire store agrees with Ninomiya: The new guy is a cross they have to bear and keep, as much as possible, out of the way.
Part 01
Part 02