Japanese Drama [PART 2]~Update & Review~

kalchi

wah bizi gile menah sorg ni lol.sume sizen ade dia

whitedove

Cocorico's Tanaka "resets" lives in NTV drama
Fri, November 14, 2008 (2:32am EST)



Naoki Tanaka, one half of the comedy duo Cocorico, will be playing a key role in an upcoming NTV drama series. "Reset" is inspired by a horror comic written by mangaka Mayuri Yamamoto, who is also known for "Honto ni Atta Kowai Hanashi" and the "Reinousha" series.

The drama consists of individual stories, each featuring a different star. In each episode, the main character is faced with an "ultimate choice" that will determine whether they can "reset" their lives for the better. Tanaka will play a "time guide" named Anri who watches over the protagonists and appears to them during their crucial moments.



The series will lead off with a 2-hour special starring Masahiko Tsugawa as Anri, followed by Tanaka taking over the role later the same night. NTV will premiere the show in January, placing it in the Thursday 11:58pm time slot.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

JUSTcircle

karina????!! yatta.. i like!!

whitedove

Mizushima, Eikura team up for "Mei-chan no #suji" adaptation
Wed, November 19, 2008 (12:54am EST)



The ongoing manga series "Mei-chan no $hitsuji" is being adapted as a live-action TV series on Fuji TV next season. Young actors Hiro Mizushima and Nana Eikura will co-star in the romantic comedy.

The original comic by Riko Miyagi, also known as "Mei-chan's Butler," is currently serialized in the Shueisha magazine Margaret. The story revolves around a young woman named Mei (Eikura) who finally finds the "butler of her dreams" (Mizushima), whom she has been searching for since a past encounter. Takeru Sato will play Mizushima's younger brother.



Fuji TV will air the show on Tuesdays at 9:00pm, starting in January.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

58th The Television Dorama Academy Awards - Summer 2008


BEST DORAMA: ROOKIES - Ryuta Sato, Hayato Ichihara, Keisuke Koide, Akiyoshi Nakao, Yu Shirota (TBS)

Overall Result:

1) ROOKIES
2) Maou (The Devil} - Satoshi Ohno, Toma Ikuta, Ryoko Kobayashi, Kei Tanaka, Shugo Oshinari (TBS)
3) Code Blue - Tomohisa Yama$hita, Yui Aragaki, Erika Toda, Toshiro Yanagiba, Manami Higa, Yosuke Asari (Fuji TV)

Readers' Votes:

1) Maou
2) Code Blue
3) ROOKIES

by Reporters:

1) ROOKIES
2) Maou
3) Gonzo: Densetsu no Keiji (Gonzo: The Legendary Detective) - Masaaki Uchino, Michitaka Tsutsui, Yuika Motokariya, Nene Otsuka (TV Asahi)

Critics' Award:

1) Gonzo: Densetsu no Keiji
2) ROOKIES
3) Code Blue


BEST ACTOR: RYUTA SATO (ROOKIES)

Overall Result:

1) Ryuta Sato
2) Masaaki Uchino (Gonzo)
3) Satoshi Ohno (Maou)

Readers' Votes:

1) Satoshi Ohno
2) Tomohisa Yama$hita (Code Blue)
3) Tsuyoshi Dohmoto (33-pun Tantei/33 Minutes Detective - Fuji TV)

by Reporters:

1) Masahiro Matsuoka (TOKIO)
2) Masaaki Uchino
3) Satoshi Ohno

Critics' Award:

1) Ryuta Sato
2) Masaaki Uchino
3) Tsuyoshi Dohmoto


BEST ACTRESS: MIRAI SHIDA (SEIGI NO MIKATA/ALLY OF JUSTICE - NTV)

Overall Result:

1) Mirai Shida
2) Hiromi Nagasaku (Yottsu no Uso/Four Lies - TV Asahi)
3) Ryoko Yonekura (Monster Parent - Fuji TV)

Readers' Votes:

1) Mirai Shida
2) Ryoko Yonekura
3) Hiromi Nagasaku

by Reporters:

1) Hiromi Nagasaku
2) Mirai Shida
3) Ryoko Yonekura

Critics' Award:

1) Hiromi Nagasaku
2) Mirai Shida
3) Ryoko Yonekura


BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: HAYATO ICHIHARA (ROOKIES)

Overall Result:

1) Hayato Ichihara
2) Keisuke Koide (ROOKIES)
3) Toshiro Yanagiba (Code Blue)

Readers' Votes:

1) Hayato Ichihara
2) Kei Tanaka (Maou)
3) Toshiro Yanagiba

by Reporters:

1) Hayato Ichihara
2) Keisuke Koide
2) Gaku Hamada (tie)
3) Kuranosuke Sasaki (Monster Parent)

Critics' Award:

1) Hayato Ichihara
2) Toshiro Yanagiba
2) Yosuke Asari (Code Blue) (tie)
3) Keisuke Koide


BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: YU YAMADA (SEIGI NO MIKATA)

Overall Result:

1) Yu Yamada
2) Ryoko Hirosue (Yasuko to Kenji - NTV)
3) Asami Mizukawa (33-pun Tantei - Fuji TV)

Readers' Votes:

1) Ryoko Kobayashi (Maou)
1) Ryou (tie)
2) Asami Mizukawa
3) Mikako Tabe (Yasuko to Kenji)

by Reporters:

1) Yu Yamada
2) Ryoko Hirosue
3) Asami Mizukawa
3) Manami Higa (Code Blue) (tie)

Critics' Award:

1) Yu Yamada
2) Ryoko Hirosue
3) Asami Mizukawa
3) Manami Higa (tie)
3) Shinobu Terajima (Yottsu no Uso) (tie)


BEST DIRECTORS: MASAKI NISHIURA, HIROKI HAYAMA (CODE BLUE)

BEST SCRIPTWRITER: RYOTA FURUSAWA (GONZO)

BEST THEME SONG: "KISEKI" BY GREEEEN (ROOKIES)

SPECIAL AWARD: NINE NIKOGAKU (ROOKIES)

whitedove

TV Asahi betting big on "Keikan no Chi"
Thu, November 20, 2008 (1:57am EST)

In August, TV Asahi announced that it is producing a big budget drama special titled "Keikan no Chi," based on the acclaimed novel by Jo Sasaki. Further details have now been revealed, highlighting just how ambitious the project is.



It was already known that Yosuke Eguchi, Hidetaka Yoshioka, and Hideaki Ito would be starring in the drama, playing three generations in a family of cops. It turns out that the cast will be composed of over 150 people, including many top actors such as Koichi Sato, Katsunori Takahashi, Shinobu Terajima, Shigeru Izumiya, Masato Ibu, and Miyoko Asada.

Filming took place across the country for 3 months, wrapping up in early November. The production cost amounts to several hundred million yen, making it one of the most expensive dramas ever produced by the network. The finished work, clocking in at 5 hours long, will be broadcast this winter.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

NHK casting for foreigners for drama
Friday 21st November, 06:30 AM JST

TOKYO

whitedove

"Daremo Mamotte Kurenai" movie gets television twist
Fri, November 21, 2008 (1:33am EST)

Ryoichi Kimizuka's movie "Daremo Mamotte Kurenai" ("Nobody to Watch Over Me") is getting a television tie-in on Fuji TV. The film, which won Best Screenplay at the Montreal World Film Festival, makes its theatrical debut in Japan on January 24, and on the same day, Fuji TV will broadcast a drama special called "Daremo Mamorenai."



The movie tells the story of a cop (Koichi Sato) trying to simultaneously protect and interrogate a young girl (Mirai Shida) whose brother was arrested for suspected murder. The drama features the same cast and characters but emphasizes the other side of the story. While the movie centers on the suspect's family, the television version will focus on the cops (Sato and Ryuhei Matsuda) and the victim's family.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

"Code Blue" SP to air on January 10
Mon, November 24, 2008 (1:06am EST)



Fuji TV has announced a broadcast date for its "Code Blue" drama special. The episode is scheduled to air on January 10 at 9:00pm.

The special is a continuation of the "Code Blue" drama series from this past summer, which starred Tomohisa Yama$hita, Erika Toda, Yui Aragaki, and Yosuke Asari as four young doctors training in an emergency helicopter program. The show started out with 21.2% ratings and finished with an average of 15.9%, the highest of the summer dramas.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Sakaguchi stars in Okinawan police drama
Tue, November 25, 2008 (1:41am EST)



Kenji Sakaguchi will be playing the lead in a police drama series titled "Honjitsu mo Hare. Ijou Nashi," set to air on TBS this winter. Sakaguchi stars as a cop assigned to a fictional remote island in the Okinawa prefecture, modeled after the real island of Hateruma.



Nao Matsu$hita appears as the heroine, the only primary school teacher on the island. Matsu$hita will also be singing an insert song for the show. Other cast members include Noriko Aoyama and Yoshimasa Kondo.

The drama will run on Sundays at 9:00pm, starting on January 18.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Miho Kanno plays detective in new drama
Mon, December 1, 2008 (12:35am EST)



Actress Miho Kanno will take on her first detective role in a drama series next season. She will star in NTV's "Kiina: Fukanou Hanzai Sousakan," in which she plays Kiina Haruse, the capable chief of an investigation unit. One of the show's selling points is that its mysteries are based on difficult real-life cases.



The supporting cast includes Yuta Hiraoka as a rookie cop, Eiko Koike as a colleague, Masao Kusakari as her superior, and Ikki Sawamura as an ace inspector.

The show will air on Wednesdays at 10:00pm, starting in January.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Eita stars in Monday night drama "Voice"
Tue, December 2, 2008 (2:09am EST)



Fuji TV has revealed next season's Monday night drama series. Tentatively titled "Voice," the show will feature actor Eita in his first starring role on a TV series.

"Voice" focuses on a group of five medical university students enrolled in a seminar on forensic pathology. Eita plays one of the students, noted for his keen perception and strong intuition. Along with the other students, he works on uncovering the mysteries of the corpses they examine.

The drama will premiere in January, airing on Monday nights at 9:00pm.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

MatsuKen goes crazy for money in "Zeni Geba"
Wed, December 3, 2008 (12:06am EST)



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.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Akiko Hinagata swindles in daytime series
Fri, December 5, 2008 (3:38am EST)



Talento Akiko Hinagata will star in the daytime television series "Sagishi Ririko," airing next season on TV Tokyo. The story is based on the book "Route 246" by Izumi Fujimura.

Hinagata plays a housewife who happens to be a brilliant swindler, and she uses her skills to punish evil. Her supporting cast includes Ryuichi Oura, Terumi Azuma, and Shinobu Tsuruta.

Each week of the show will reportedly feature one complete story arc, for a total of 65 episodes. TV Tokyo will broadcast "Sagishi Ririko" every weekday in its 11:50am-12:26pm time slot, starting on January 5.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Thelma sings for "Q.E.D."
Sat, December 6, 2008 (8:38pm EST)



Singer Thelma Aoyama will be providing the theme song for the upcoming NHK drama series "Q.E.D. ~Shomei Shuryo~." First announced in September, the manga-to-drama adaptation stars Morning Musume's Ai Takahashi and actor Aoi Nakamura.



Aoyama's song is a ballad titled "Konomama Zutto," and it is scheduled to be her first single of 2009. It goes on sale in March. "Q.E.D." begins airing on NHK on January 8.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Satoshi Ohno tries comedy in next drama series
Sun, December 7, 2008 (7:49pm EST)



After starring in the TBS drama series "Maou" last season, Arashi's Satoshi Ohno is back with his second starring TV role. This time, he will lead the TV Asahi comedy series "Uta no Oniisan," which will air on Friday nights at 11:15pm this winter. This is said to be his first comedy role, including his performances in film and theater.

The story revolves around an unconventional children's show called "Minna de Utao!" Ohno plays Kenta, a young musician whose band breaks up and who gets dumped by his girlfriend. To top it off, his own family labels him as useless. Unexpectedly, he becomes an "uta no oniisan," a singing character on the children's show.

The show begins filming on the 18th of this month and premieres on January 16.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Yakusho, Fukatsu in Seicho Matsumoto drama
Mon, December 8, 2008 (4:24am EST)



Fuji TV plans to air a two-hour drama titled "Ekiro," based on Seicho Matsumoto's short story of the same name. The show boasts Koji Yakusho and Eri Fukatsu as its leads, Shigemichi Sugita ("Kita no Kuni Kara") as director, and a screenplay written by the late Kuniko Mukoda roughly 30 years ago for a TV adaptation.

In "Ekiro," a bank employee suddenly goes missing right after his retirement. Yakusho stars as the veteran detective in charge of the investigation, who is on the verge of retirement himself. All he seems to uncover are more mysteries, but one woman (Fukatsu) comes up during the investigation, and it seems that she may hold the key to the man's disappearance.

Fuji TV has indicated that the drama will air next spring.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Chiaki Kuriyama takes on first jidaigeki role
Tue, December 9, 2008 (3:57am EST)



NHK's Saturday jidaigeki drama next season will be "Naniwa no Hana ~Ogata Koan Jikencho~," based on the life of the Edo period doctor Ogata Koan. One of the cast members is actress Chiaki Kuriyama, who has never appeared in a period drama before. She will play two roles - one is as an expert swordsman who saves Ogata, and the other is as the daughter of a manju maker.

The show also features Masataka Kubota, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi, and Taiyo Sugiura. NHK will broadcast the series on Saturday nights at 7:30pm, beginning January 10.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

New Johnny's unit: The Shigotonin
Wed, December 10, 2008 (1:25am EST)



Noriyuki Higashiyama (Shonentai), Masahiro Matsuoka (TOKIO), and Tadayoshi Okura (Kanjani8) are joining forces to create a special unit called The SHIGOTONIN. The three are appearing together in the TV Asahi series "Hissatsu Shigotonin 2009" next season, and naturally they will sing the show's theme song, titled "Kyouka Suigetsu." The single goes on sale February 4.

"Hissatsu Shigotonin 2009" starts on January 9, airing every Friday at 9:00pm.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Arisa Mizuki to play hooker in postwar drama
Thursday 11th December, 05:06 AM JST



TOKYO