The central figure in this manga is Tōdō Kaoru. His nickname, " Todo " (a slight variation of his family name , Tōdō), means "sea lion" and in fact he does bear a certain resemblance to these ponderous, seemingly clumsy animals. Todo is a section chief at Gokoku Shuzo, a producer of traditional Japanese saké as well as beer and liquor. He works in the Welfare Section of the General Affairs Department, where he is often called upon to handle touchy employee problems. Although he gives the outward appearance of being a bumbling fool who is a little too fond of his company's products, he has a knack for making everything work out to everyone's satisfaction.