George Akiyama's 1970 manga series "Zeni Geba" is being turned into a live-action drama on NTV this winter. Rising actor Kenichi Matsuyama has been given the lead role. This is his second starring role in a drama series, after last year's "Sexy Voice and Robo."

Also known as "Money Crazy," the original manga tells the story of a young man who loses his sick mother as a child due to poverty. As a result, he becomes completely obsessed with money. The drama version follows the same premise, but is set in the present day instead of during the 1970s. Screenwriter Yoshikazu Okada is in charge of the script.

NTV will begin shooting the series in mid-December. The show will premiere in January, occupying the network's Saturday 9:00pm time slot.