Japanese Drama [PART 2]~Update & Review~

whitedove

Yamapi, Keiko Kitagawa co-star in next "Getsu 9" drama
Fri, May 22, 2009 (1:49am EDT)




NEWS member Tomohisa Yamashita has the lead role in Fuji TV's upcoming Monday night drama series, tentatively titled "Buzzer Beat ~Gakeppuchi no Hero~." His female lead this time is actress Keiko Kitagawa, who graduated from Meiji University's School of Commerce one year after he did.



The love story has Yamashita playing a salaryman who belongs to his company's basketball team. Despite his appearance, he is completely weak under pressure when it comes to work and romance. Although he has a girlfriend (Saki Aibu), he falls in love with a spirited and cheerful woman who is unable to be straightforward (Kitagawa).



Shihori Kanjiya plays Kitagawa's friend, while Hideaki Ito serves as Yamashita's rival in love. Junpei Mizobata, Nobuaki Kaneko, Miki Maya, and Masaru Nagai are also part of the supporting cast.

Yamashita's only experience with basketball so far is in classes at school, so he is undergoing special training for two weeks. "Buzzer Beat" premieres in July.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

"Mr. Brain" premiere reaches 25%
Mon, May 25, 2009 (3:29am EDT)



TBS's aired the first episode of its "MR.BRAIN" drama series on Saturday. As expected for a drama starring Takuya Kimura, viewership ratings were high, achieving 24.8% in the Kanto region and 25.2% in Kansai.

Aside from Kimura, the show also features popular stars like Haruka Ayase and Hiro Mizushima. TBS has also been promoting the guest stars in each episode, such as Ebizo Ichikawa and Ryoko Hirosue in this premiere episode. Gackt and Kazuya Kamenashi are among the guests for future episodes.

This marks the best opening of any drama series this season by far, and it is also that time slot's (Saturday 8:00pm) highest ratings since TBS began airing dramas in the slot last spring.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Seventeen model stars in next "Keitai Deka"
Mon, May 25, 2009 (3:56am EDT)



The popular BS-TBS drama franchise "Keitai Deka" has found its 7th generation heroine: 16-year-old Azusa Okamoto, a fashion model for SEVENTEEN magazine.

Okamoto's acting career was launched last year when she starred in the "Tokyo Shojo" drama series, also on BS-TBS (still known as BS-i at the time). Now she will be starring in "Keitai Deka Mei Zenigata" as the newest "cell phone detective," with her character's unique trait being a strong sense of sound. Okamoto will also bring her own saxophone skills to the drama, making her character even more special.

The "Keitai Deka" series has helped build the careers of several young actresses. The show started in 2002 with Aoi Miyazaki as the star, followed by Maki Horikita, Mei Kurokawa, Kaho, Saori Koide, and Aya Omasa.

"Keitai Deka Mei Zenigata" will air Saturday nights at 11:00pm, starting on July 4.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Seventeen model stars in next "Keitai Deka"
Mon, May 25, 2009 (3:56am EDT)



The popular BS-TBS drama franchise "Keitai Deka" has found its 7th generation heroine: 16-year-old Azusa Okamoto, a fashion model for SEVENTEEN magazine.

Okamoto's acting career was launched last year when she starred in the "Tokyo Shojo" drama series, also on BS-TBS (still known as BS-i at the time). Now she will be starring in "Keitai Deka Mei Zenigata" as the newest "cell phone detective," with her character's unique trait being a strong sense of sound. Okamoto will also bring her own saxophone skills to the drama, making her character even more special.

The "Keitai Deka" series has helped build the careers of several young actresses. The show started in 2002 with Aoi Miyazaki as the star, followed by Maki Horikita, Mei Kurokawa, Kaho, Saori Koide, and Aya Omasa.

"Keitai Deka Mei Zenigata" will air Saturday nights at 11:00pm, starting on July 4.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Ken Ishiguro to star as wrongly accused in drama about sarin gas attack in Matsumoto

Tuesday 26th May, 04:00 AM JST



TOKYO

whitedove

Masaki Okada, Kaho reunite for "Otomen" drama
Tue, May 26, 2009 (2:15am EDT)



The shojo manga "Otomen" by Aya Kanno is being turned into a live-action drama series this summer. The show, starring Masaki Okada (19), will occupy Fuji TV's Saturday night time slot.

Okada is having a big year in terms of movies, with major roles in "Harufuwei," "Honokaa Boy," "Juryoku Pierrot," and "Boku no Hatsukoi wo Kimi ni Sasagu." However, "Otomen" will be his first starring role in a TV series.

The original manga started in 2006 and is still being serialized in the magazine Bessatsu Hana to Yume. The tankoubon editions have sold more than 2.50 million copies total. Classified as a romantic comedy, "Otomen" centers around the popular high school boy Asuka Masamune (Okada), the top kendo fighter in the nation. However, beneath his cool exterior, he is actually fond of sweets and shojo manga, and is skilled in sewing and cooking. When he instantly falls for the transfer student Ryo Miyakozuka, his secret is in danger of being exposed.



The female lead of Ryo will be played by Kaho (17), who previously worked with Okada in the 2007 movie "Tennen Kokekko" ("A Gentle Breeze in the Village").

The "Otomen" drama will start on August 1, airing every Saturday at 11:10pm.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Lena Tanaka leads live-action "Shoujo Manga"
Wed, May 27, 2009 (1:22am EDT)



Actress Lena Tanaka (29) has been chosen to star in an NHK miniseries this summer, tentatively titled "Haken no Oscar ~ Shoujo Manga ni Ai wo Komete."

The drama is based on Naoko Matsuda's comic "Shoujo Manga," which ran in Shueisha's Chorus magazine in 2007. Naturally, the story uses shoujo manga as its motif, referencing well-known works like "Glass Mask" and "Rose of Versailles."



The drama is based on the first story of "Shoujo Manga." Tanaka plays Katsuko, a single temp worker who loves shoujo manga. In particular, every day she imagines herself within the world of "Rose of Versailles." When the Kansai-ben-speaking junior president at her company (played by Yoshimi Tokui of comedy duo Tutorial) begins looking to take some unreasonable cost-cutting measures, she hears the voice of Lady Oscar, inspiring her to fight on behalf of the company's employees.



The rest of the supporting cast include Anne Suzuki, Sei Hiraizumi, Tsunehiko Kamijo, and Hikaru Asami. Arisa Kaneko, who wrote the screenplay for the "Densha Otoko" movie, is in charge of the script. NHK has scheduled the six-episode series for its Friday 10:00pm time slot, starting on August 28.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Anne chosen as "Bond girl" in Nagase's spy drama
Thu, May 28, 2009 (1:23am EDT)



Model and actress Anne (23) will be taking on her first heroine role in a television series this summer. She has been cast as the female lead in NTV's spy comedy that stars Tomoya Nagase.

Still lacking an official title, the show was first revealed last week. Nagase plays a convicted swindler who is recruited by the government to serve as a spy against terrorists. His role is being loosely labeled as a James Bond-type character, which means Anne will play the equivalent of a Bond girl.

Anne's character is a reporter for an evening newspaper, who is also the daughter of a family that runs a restaurant in Nagase's neighborhood. She becomes part of the spy team under the name Dorothy. Because Anne has an international modeling career, the show's producer felt that she would be a good choice for the "Bond girl" role.

The drama series is scheduled to start in July.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

'Mr. Brain' bags top rating in Japan for first quarter 2009
Posted: 28 May 2009 1559 hrs         


         
TOKYO: Popular Japanese actor Takuya Kimura's latest television drama 'Mr. Brain' achieved a remarkable 24.8 per cent viewer ship and bagged the accolades for top rating for the first quarter of the year.

The first episode of 'Mr. Brain' even overtook last year's overall highest rated drama, 'Rookies'. This is a boost for the flagging Japanese drama market, where ratings have been dismal and uninspiring of late.

In this light-hearted drama, Kimura plays the role of Ryusuke Tsukumo, a gigolo who suffers a freak brain injury and becomes a crime-solving genius.

Before the series started, critics chided its storyline for being similar to another Japanese show 'Inspector Galileo' and the American hit crime-investigation drama 'CSI'.

But after the first episode, fans not only applauded the casts' performances but also agreed that it is different from the said dramas.

The broadcaster's decision to put a star-studded cast for 'Mr. Brain' has been a masterstroke in attracting the ratings. The regular cast includes Kimura, Mizhushima Hiro and Haruka Ayase.

Another highlight of the drama will be the featuring of a new guest star appearance in every episode. The first episode featured Ryoko Hirosue from the Oscar-winning film 'Departures'. Subsequent episodes will see the likes of popular artistes Sato Takeru and Kazuya Kamenashi.

However, not everyone is smitten with the drama. Netizens are complaining that the storyline is illogical, and may mislead kids. One of them questioned, "How can a person become a genius after injuring his brain? Children should not follow his example."

On a lighter note, the current success of 'Mr. Brain' has led to a series of commercial opportunities.

A bread company has already pushed out a series of "Golden Brain Bread" (Kimura's character is a blonde), and a Chocolate Bread with mayonnaise which includes the brain-enhancing ingredient DHA that is selling at 128 yen (S$1.96) each. - CNA/fa

Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/s ... view/432321/1/.html

nzhass79

Kotaro Koizumi gets first drama series lead

Actor Kotaro Koizumi (30) finally has his chance to truly prove himself as a lead actor, taking on his first starring role in a drama series. He plays a salaryman in TV Asahi's "Call Center no Koibito," written by Miho Nakazono ("Haken no Hinkaku";).

The drama focuses on a young man named Wataru Tokura (Koizumi), proud of his job as a salaryman in a big city. However, he suddenly gets transferred to a rural call center, where he is forced to deal with customer complaints. Mimura plays a contract employee with impeccable customer service skills, while Yuko Natori plays a charismatic television shopping show host.

Koizumi has been the lead in drama specials before, but never in a series.

"Call Center no Koibito" will premiere this July, occupying TV Asahi's Friday 9:00pm time slot.

Source : Tokyograph

wow.... 1st time jd lead actor upenye.... lama tak tgk citer dia...

whitedove

"Kyumei Byoto 24 Ji" returns with 4th season
Mon, June 1, 2009 (3:19am EDT)



Fuji TV's popular medical drama "Kyumei Byoto 24 Ji" is coming back for a fourth season. Starring Yosuke Eguchi (41) and Nanako Matsushima (35), the show premiered in 1999 and had additional seasons in 2001 and 2005.

Eguchi and Matsushima will reprise their roles as emergency room doctors. Matsushima has not had a regular TV role since the drama's third season in 2005 (though she had a guest role in both seasons of "Hana Yori Dango"). This also marks her first series since having her second child in November 2007, just as the third season was her comeback work after giving birth to her first child in 2004.



Yusuke Santamaria (38) will join the cast for this season, playing a rival doctor. Other cast members include Tae Kimura (38), returning in her role as a nurse from the second season, and Kie Kitano (18) as a rookie nurse.

Fuji TV has scheduled the drama for Tuesday nights at 9:00pm.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Shingo to star in "Kochikame" drama series
Mon, June 1, 2009 (2:50am EDT)



On Monday, it was confirmed that TBS is working on a live-action adaptation of Osamu Akimoto's long-running comedy manga "Kochira Katsushikaku Kameari Kouenmae Hashutsujo," known by the abbreviation "Kochikame." The drama series, set for this summer, will star SMAP's Shingo Katori (32).

"Kochikame" has been serialized in Shonen Jump since 1976, with more than 130 million tankoubon copies sold so far. It has been adapted to anime, theater, and even a live-action film, but this will be the first drama series based on the comic.

The drama revolves around the misadventures of Kankichi Ryotsu (Katori), an officer stationed at a police box in front of Kameari Park in Tokyo's Katsushika ward. Each story is expected to be contained within a single episode. The show will feature many of the manga's well-known characters, including Neruo Higurashi, the policeman who only works once every four years at the time of the Summer Olympics.

Shonen Jump announced the drama in the latest issue that went on sale June 1, which featured Katori on the cover. He is actually the first Japanese person to grace the magazine's cover, though foreign celebrities have appeared on it three times before.

The "Kochikame" drama will air in TBS's Saturday 7:56pm time slot, which is currently home to the series "MR.BRAIN," starring fellow SMAP member Takuya Kimura. The first episode will air in August.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

"Saru Lock" live-action stars Hayato Ichihara
Wed, June 3, 2009 (1:34am EDT)



Naoki Serizawa's action-comedy manga "Saru Lock" is being turned into a live-action drama on NTV this summer. The show will star young actor Hayato Ichihara (22), who had a major role in the hit drama "ROOKIES."

The manga tells the story of Yataro Sarumaru (nicknamed "Saru"), a genius locksmith who can open any lock. Like a typical teenage male, he is obsessed with girls, but despite his brilliance as a locksmith, he is sorely lacking in his skills with the opposite sex. While looking for some love, he uses his lockpicking abilities to take on dangerous cases.

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Ichihara plays the lead as "Saru." Sei Ashina takes on the heroine role as his childhood friend Ritsuko, an honor student who is always scolding him. Other cast members include Gota Watabe as Saru's accomplice and Sousuke Takaoka as another child friend and police officer.

NTV will air the series on Thursday nights at 11:58pm, starting on July 23. In addition to the drama, there are plans for a movie to be released next year.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Yuma Nakayama, B.I.Shadow debut for "Koishite Akuma"
Thu, June 4, 2009 (12:54am EDT)



Early last month, it was announced that Kansai Johnny's Jr. member Yuma Nakayama (15) is starring in a new drama series on Fuji TV. Details about the story have now been revealed.





The drama is titled "Koishite Akuma ~ Vampire Boy." Nakayama stars as a young vampire named Ruka who has entered the human world. Although he hates humans, he begins attending high school and falls for his homeroom teacher, played by Rosa Kato (23). Masahiko Kondo (44) has been cast as another vampire, who serves as Ruka's "chaperone." Johnny's Jr. member Shintaro Morimoto (11) will also appear in the series.

Nakayama will also be singing the theme song as part of a new Johnny's group, called "Yuma Nakayama with B.I.Shadow." The five members have an average age of 14.4 years old, surpassing Hey! Say! JUMP as the youngest Johnny's group at the time of their major label debut.



B.I.Shadow is a Johnny's Jr. unit that formed last year. Their members are Kento Nakajima (15), Fuma Kikuchi (14), Hokuto Matsumura (13), and Yugo Kochi (15). Together with Nakayama, they will release the single "Akuma na Koi" on July 15.

The "Koishite Akuma" drama series will air on Tuesdays at 10:00pm, beginning on July 7.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Nishikido to star in "24 Hour Television" drama
Fri, June 5, 2009 (6:45pm EDT)



With boy band NEWS hosting this year's annual "24 Hour Television" program on NTV, member Ryo Nishikido (24) has been chosen to star in the telethon's customary drama special. Ryosuke Yamada (16) of Hey! Say! JUMP has also been cast in the show.

The drama is titled "Niini no Koto wo Wasurenaide" and is based on a book by writer Masumi Kawakami. Nishikido plays a young man named Keisuke Kawai, who aspired to become a physicist since he was young. His hopeful parents send him to an expensive college prep school, but at the age of 15, during his third year of junior high, he is diagnosed with a brain tumor. Told that he only has one year to live, he falls into despair, giving up on treatment and even lashing out against his own mother. Ultimately, with the support of his family, he struggles with the tumor for eight years before dying at the age of 23.

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Keisuke's younger brother will be played by Yamada, while his parents are played by Hitomi Kuroki (48) and Takanori Jinnai (50). Yumi Shirakawa (72) plays the grandmother.

"24 Hour Television" is going on the air on August 29-30. "Niini no Koto wo Wasurenaide" will be broadcast on the night of August 29.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

"Tomehane!" calligraphy manga gets drama series
Sun, June 7, 2009 (2:47am EDT)



Katsutoshi Kawai's manga series "Tomehane! Suzuri Koukou Shodoubu" is apparently being adapted as a live-action television drama. The show has not been formally announced, but a hiring ad for extras reveals that filming is taking place this month.

The comic originally started publication in Weekly Young Sunday in 2007, but after that magazine ended last year, the series was moved to Big Comic Spirits and is still running.

The story follows a young girl named Yukari Oe, who returns to Japan from Canada as she enters high school. She winds up joining the calligraphy club, which is in danger of being abolished due to a lack of members.

Scenes with the extras are being filmed on June 16 and 19, suggesting that the drama may air this summer. However, no details about the cast or broadcast schedule are available yet.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Aki Asakura gets first starring role in "Tomehane!"
Mon, June 8, 2009 (12:02am EDT)

The main cast has now been revealed for the upcoming manga-to-drama adaptation "Tomehane! Suzuri Koukou Shodoubu." The show was earlier discovered via an advertisement for extras, but at the time it had not yet been officially announced.



The drama's lead actress will be 17-year-old Aki Asakura, who made her showbiz debut in 2007. She has appeared in dramas such as "Puzzle" and "God Hand Teru," as well as films like "Kanki no Uta," but this will be her first starring role.

The drama will focus on the character of Yuki Mochizuki (Asakura), unlike the manga. Yuki is the nation's top judo athlete at the high school level, but she somehow ends up as part of her school's calligraphy club. Asakura began training in both judo and calligraphy back in March to prepare for the role. Her supporting cast includes Sosuke Ikematsu (18) and Hideki Takahashi (65).



NHK will broadcast "Tomehane!" on Thursdays at 8:00pm, starting in January 2010. Filming is already scheduled to start this Tuesday.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Tachi, Minamisawa play father, daughter in "Dandy Daddy"
Mon, June 8, 2009 (3:11am EDT)



Actor Hiroshi Tachi (59) will be starring in a new TV Asahi drama series along with actress Nao Minamisawa (18). They will play a father and daughter in the family comedy "Dandy Daddy? ~Renai Shosetsuka Ryunosuke Izaki~" that airs this summer.

Tachi plays the part of the widower Ryunosuke Izaki, a popular romance novelist whose books are always bestsellers. Despite that, he is overprotective of his daughter Akari (Minamisawa) in matters of love, constantly monitoring her activities.

This is Tachi's first drama series since "Papa to Musume no Nanokakan" in 2007, in which he played a father who unexpectedly switches bodies with his teenage daughter (Yui Aragaki).



The supporting cast includes Aya Hirayama (25) and Hideo Ishiguro (20). "Dandy Daddy?" premieres on July 9 in TV Asahi's Thursday 9:00pm time slot.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

TV Tokyo brings back "Oretachi wa Tenshi da!" after 30 years
Tue, June 9, 2009 (4:49am EDT)

TV Tokyo is reviving the detective comedy series "Oretachi wa Tenshi da!" after 30 years. The original drama aired in 1979 on NTV, but the TV Tokyo sequel will bring a new cast and an updated title: "Oretachi wa Tenshi da! NO ANGEL NO LUCK."



The show focuses on a group of four young detectives calling themselves "angels." Joji Shibue (26) plays the leader Cap, originally played by the late Masaya Oki in the 1979 series. Shibue's fellow detectives are being played by Shouma Yamamoto (25), Kenta Kamakari (25), and Ray Fujita (20). Akira Onodera (65), who played a lawyer in the original show, will again be playing a lawyer in the new series.

"Oretachi wa Tenshi da!" starts on July 1, airing Wednesday nights at 1:20am. The same cast will also perform in a stage version of the show in August and September.

Source: www.tokyograph.com

whitedove

Kyoko Fukada joins Tomoya Nagase's spy team
Wed, June 10, 2009 (12:25am EDT)



Kyoko Fukada has been announced as a cast member in NTV's upcoming drama series that stars Tomoya Nagase as a swindler recruited as a government spy. The show was first revealed last month, but it still does not have an official title.



Previous reports said that the show would include a "Bond girl"-type character named Dorothy. It was recently confirmed that fashion model Anne has been cast as the "Bond girl," but it appears that Dorothy is actually a different character that will be played by Fukada.

The character of Dorothy, also a member of Nagase's team, has been established as an elite spy with previous experience as part of the UK's intelligence agency MI6. Like Nagase, Fukada's role will require her to dress up in various disguises, such as a nurse, a bus guide, and a nun.

Nagase and Fukada's last drama series together was "Kanojo ga Shinjatta" in 2004. This new one will start next month on Saturday nights.

Source: www.tokyograph.com