During the past decades, Japan has become the shining star of Asia, with its noteworthy achievements in the fields of science, technology, medicine, quality of life, and many others.

Yet, while there are a great number of rich and successful Japanese people, there are even more of those engaged in a furious struggle for something as simple as earning to cover their day-to-day living expenses; all the while battling dangerous and money-consuming addictions such as gambling and alcoholism.

What would these poor and not-so people do when they require the money to fulfill their never-ending desires, the desires that are part and parcel of being human? Just how miserable and dangerous might their lives become were they to fall into traps laid by [i]yamikin[/i], the loan sharks of the Japanese financial world's dark side, whose only goal is to ensnare such weak-willed souls?

This drama depicts the harsh reality of those at the bottom of society through the eyes of a yamikin by the name of Ushijima, the ruthless and tragically efficient head of "CowCow Finance," a black market lending company with rates as high as 50% per 10 days.

[*]Won the 56th Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga in 2011.[*]Was nominated for the 12th and 14th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2008 and 2010 respectively.