New series proposal
Kizudarake no Tenshi (working title)
March 11, 1974

In spring 2026, I made a late-night Mercari Japan discovery that has haunted me ever since: a copy of the original planning document for Kizudarake no Tenshi circa the early development stages. I found it only a matter of weeks after the listing had sold, I think for hardly more than a hundred dollars.

The listing is gone now, but I kept the pictures and the original item description from the seller, which I've translated as follows:

This is a duplicate copy and not the original document.
However, I believe that it is a highly valuable artifact from a
celebrated, legendary drama, and rather than keep it to myself,
taking into account its significance as a historical record,
I have decided to put it up for sale on a one-time basis
only for those who are able to appreciate its worth.

As shown in the photos, this dates back to March 11, 1974 (Showa 49)
and is full of fascinating information,
from the themes and goals of the project to the casting
At the time of printing
Inui Akira: Hino Shohei ⇒ Mizutani Yutaka (corrected by hand)
Ayabe Takako: Yamada Isuzu ⇒ Kishida Kyoko (likewise)
Inspector Kaizu: Uchida Ryohei ⇒ Nishimura Ko (likewise)

To make an unlikely comparison to the Dodgers’ recent World Series play,
much like the path to their incredible back-to-back championships was a chain of miracles,
I feel this legendary drama was blessed by the same kind of divine guidance
I can only call a succession of miracles, starting with these changes in casting.
※ While unrelated to these plans, it is profoundly moving to think about many
miraculous behind-the-scenes anecdotes in this context, like Shoken hearing
Mizutani Yutaka’s drunken speech at their first table read and deciding to go with it.

Below are six pages shared by the seller. Click the thumbnail to see each page and my translation.

If you know anything about this document or where/how I could acquire another copy, please contact me!