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Nishikido Ryo stars as father in drama series “Inu wo Kau to Iu Koto”
Posted on February 21, 2011 by tokyograph
NEWS and Kanjani8 member Nishikido Ryo (26) will be taking on the role of a father in a new TV Asahi drama series this spring. The show, titled “Inu wo Kau to Iu Koto ~Sky to Wagaya no 180 Nichi~,” marks Nishikido’s first solo starring role in a series.
Nishikido plays the 30-year-old salaryman Hongo Yuji, whose job in human resources had him laying off employees until he himself was laid off. With his family of four on the verge of collapse, he ends up taking in a Pomeranian puppy, which gets named Sky Tree due to the family living in a downtown area near the Tokyo Sky Tree tower. Raising the dog helps bring the family back together, resulting in a home drama full of laughter and tears.
Mizukawa Asami (27) will play Nishikido’s wife. The actors playing their two children, ages 7 and 9, have not been revealed yet.
“Inu wo Kau to Iu Koto” will air on Fridays at 11:15pm, starting in April.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Anne gets first starring role as mother in Fuji TV drama
Posted on February 21, 2011 by tokyograph
Model and actress Anne (24) has landed her first starring role in a television series, leading the cast of Fuji TV’s “Namae wo Nakushita Onnatachi” (tentative title). The show will also be the first time that Anne plays a mother.
The story focuses on a group of mothers who all have children around the same age. These women form a bond through sharing their anxieties about raising their children, each coming from a different background. However, the friendship between the five women also turns to jealousy and betrayal, due to the fact that their children are all taking similar entrance exams for elementary school.
Anne plays the protagonist Yuko, whose set of values as a woman, wife, and mother have been overturned, and she struggles to climb back from her fallen state.
   
Meanwhile, her four fellow mothers are hiding serious problems at home, despite their appearances. Ono Machiko (29) plays a woman receiving verbal abuse from her husband on a daily basis, Kurashina Kana (23) plays a “yankee mama” who got pregnant as a teenager by a truck driver, Ryo (33) plays a capable woman running her own online shop, and Kimura Yoshino (34) plays a popular reader model for a women’s magazine.
Fuji TV will broadcast the show on Tuesdays at 9:00pm, starting in April.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Mitsushima Hikari joins Ashida Mana in “Sayonara Bokutachi no Youchien”
Posted on February 22, 2011 by tokyograph
Actress Mitsushima Hikari (25) has been cast in the NTV drama special “Sayonara Bokutachi no Youchien,” it was announced on Tuesday. The drama was first unveiled in January as the first to star the popular child actress Ashida Mana (6), setting a record as the youngest lead ever in a Japanese drama.
As previously reported, the story is named after a school graduation song that has spread in popularity in recent years. Ashida plays one of a group of five children at the same kindergarten, who suddenly set out on a trip by themselves to an unfamiliar place, resulting in a panic among their parents and the kindergarten staff.
Mitsushima plays a teacher with a lukewarm personality, who has been unable to get close to others or even to love herself. When the young students disappear, she remembers things that she has forgotten and precious things that she has lost, leading her to reconsider her current life.
Mitsushima, who recently married young director Ishii Yuya, has been on a roll as an actress during the past couple years. She has appeared in award-winning films such as “Ai no Mukidashi” (“Love Exposure”), “Kawa no Soko Kara Konnichiwa” (“Sawako Decides”), and “Akunin” (“Villain”), which have also earned her various individual awards as an actress.
NTV has scheduled “Sayonara Bokutachi no Youchien” for broadcast on March 30 at 9:00pm.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Horikita Maki stars in home drama “Umareru” with Okura Tadayoshi, Nakajima Kento
Posted on February 22, 2011 by tokyograph
Actress Horikita Maki (22) is confirmed to star in a new TBS drama series titled “Umareru” this spring. Her supporting cast will include Tanaka Misako (51), Kanjani8 member Okura Tadayoshi (25), and Johnny's Jr. member Nakajima Kento (16).
  
Horikita plays the eldest of four siblings. One day, their 51-year-old mother informs them that she is pregnant, upsetting the balance of their home and threatening to expose a long-hidden family secret. The expecting mother will be played by Tanaka, who previously had an opposite role in the teen pregnancy drama “14 Sai no Haha.”
Okura will play the oldest son of the family, and Nakajima will play the second son. Miyake Yuji (59) has been cast as the father.
Screenwriter Suzuki Osamu, who is better known for variety shows like “SMAP x SMAP,” is in charge of the script. Kaneko Fuminori (“SPEC,” “Unubore Deka”) will direct, while Suzuki Sanae (“GM: Odore Doctor”) will produce.
TBS has scheduled the show for Fridays at 10:00pm, beginning in April.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Model Iriyama Noriko gets starring role in daytime drama
Posted on February 22, 2011 by tokyograph
Fashion model Iriyama Noriko (25) will soon tackle her first starring role in a television series. She will play not just one, but two, characters in the Tokai TV-produced “Kiri ni Sumu Akuma,” scheduled to air in Fuji TV’s weekday afternoon time slot (1:30pm).
Iriyama has had many supporting roles, such as in the drama series “Haken no Hinkaku” and the recent film “SP The Movie: Yabou-hen.” However, this drama promises to be her biggest challenge so far as an actress.
The story is inspired by the novel “The Woman in White,” written in the 1800s by English author Wilkie Collins. Iriyama plays Kei, a woman who inherits a vast fortune from her deceased father. She receives a letter from a mysterious woman dressed in white whose face resembles her own, warning her that the man she is about to marry is a devil. As Kei tries to track down the woman, she uncovers some of the mystery and intrigue surrounding her family, and her eventual meeting with the woman completely changes her fate.
    
Other characters include Kyo Nobuo (31) as a poor young man who falls in love with Kei, Kyono Kotomi (32) as Kei’s older stepsister who has a complicated relationship with her, Totsugi Shigeyuki (37) as Kei’s fiance, Nakada Yoshiko (57) as a social elite, and Enoki Takaaki (55) as Kei’s uncle.
Fuji TV will broadcast the 65 episodes over 13 weeks, starting on April 4.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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TOKIO’s Matsuoka Masahiro stars in drama “Koukousei Restaurant”
Posted on February 22, 2011 by tokyograph
TOKIO member Matsuoka Masahiro (34) is set to star in the newly announced NTV drama series “Koukousei Restaurant.” This will be his 7th time starring in the network’s Saturday 9:00pm time slot, setting a new record.
Matsuoka plays a former chef who gets appointed as a temporary teacher for an unambitious high school class in a rural town. The story is based on an actual teacher in the Mie prefecture who became the talk of the town after opening a restaurant with his students.
Matsuoka’s previous dramas in NTV’s Saturday night time slot include the “Psychometrer Eiji” series. Before this new series, Matsuoka was the lead actor in that slot six times, tying him with Nishida Toshiyuki (63) and Mizutani Yutaka (58).
“Koukousei Restaurant” will premiere in April.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Ashida Mana, Abe Sadao co-star in “Marumo no Okite”
Posted on February 24, 2011 by tokyograph
Child actress Ashida Mana (6) will co-star with Abe Sadao (40) in a Fuji TV drama series titled “Marumo no Okite.” Ashida recently made headlines for becoming the youngest in history to play the lead in a Japanese drama with the upcoming NTV special “Sayonara Bokutachi no Youchien.”
Abe plays the single Takagi Mamoru, an employee at a stationery maker. He ends up becoming the guardian of his deceased friend’s twin children, played by Ashida and actor Suzuki Fuku (6). The show is primarily a home drama about the three of them gradually becoming a family, but it also contains an element of fantasy, as the two kids find a dog that can speak (played by a male Miniature Schnauzer).
The “Marumo” in the title refers to the children’s mispronunciation of Mamoru’s name.
“Marumo no Okite” will share the same main staff as last year’s drama “Freeter, Ie wo Kau.” Fuji TV will broadcast the series on Sundays at 9:00pm, beginning in April.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Shirota Yu lands starring role in “Shitsuren Hoken” drama series
Posted on February 27, 2011 by tokyograph
Actor Shirota Yu (25) will be starring in a new drama series this spring, titled “Shitsuren Hoken ~Kokuraseya~.” This will be his first lead role in a television series.
“Shitsuren Hoken” will air in NTV’s Thursday 11:58 time slot, which is being re-branded from “Thursday Night Drama” to “Thursday Mystery Theater.”
In “Shitsuren Hoken,” Furuta Arata (45) plays a gay Shinto priest nicknamed Torako, whose side business is selling “heartbreak insurance.” Approved customers can pay 100 million yen for insurance against their love lives, receiving 10 times that amount in the event that they get rejected by the person they confess their love to. He and his team work to make the customers’ love lives succeed, as long as they confess at the specified time.
Shirota plays a young man named Ayumu, also nicknamed Luke. By day, he works as an associate ecology professor, but by night he works as one of the “insurance investigators,” using psychological techniques to uncover the customers’ feelings. Fukuda Saki (20) plays the college student Maruyama (nicknamed Maru), who works part-time as a shrine maiden at Torako’s shrine, and also as an “insurance investigator” with Luke.
“Shitsuren Hoken” premieres on April 7.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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More “Suzuki-sensei” cast members named
Posted on March 1, 2011 by tokyograph
In January, it was learned that actor Hasegawa Hiroki (33) will be starring in a live-action drama series based on Taketomi Kenzi’s manga “Suzuki-sensei” about a junior high school teacher. Today, more of the show’s main cast members were announced.
  http://asiacue.com/images/persons/y/Yamaguchi,%20Tomomitsu_image.jpeg     
Usuda Asami (26) will play the girlfriend of Suzuki-sensei. Other supporting characters are being played by Tsuchiya Tao (15), Yamaguchi Tomomitsu (41), Tabata Tomoko (30), Tomita Yasuko (42), Denden (61), Yamanaka So (39), and Akahori Masaaki (39).
“Suzuki-sensei” is scheduled for Monday nights at 10:00pm, starting in April.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Tamamori Yuta, Naka Riisa, Abe Yuji join Katori Shingo’s new drama
Posted on March 4, 2011 by tokyograph
  
More cast members have been announced for Fuji TV’s upcoming Monday night drama series, which now has an official title of “Shiawase ni Narou Yo.” The drama was first revealed last month, with the main cast featuring Katori Shingo (34) of SMAP, Kuroki Meisa (22), and Fujiki Naohito (38). The newly announced additions include Kis-My-Ft2 member Tamamori Yuta (20), who has never had a regular role in a drama series before this.
The story involves Katori playing a successful advisor at a marriage consultation agency that aims to bring together people looking for partners. Kuroki plays one of the agency’s clients, who is “so beautiful” that the manual he uses doesn’t apply to her, while Fujiki plays a rich and handsome lawyer who is also a client. Katori starts to fall for Kuroki, but as a professional, he pairs the two together.
Tamamori will play Kuroki’s younger brother, who is suffering a problem that he can’t even mention to his family. Tamamori’s only other screen roles before this were in a special episode for the third series of “Gokusen” and the subsequent “Gokusen: The Movie.”
Comedian Abe Yuji (33) of Peace is making his drama debut as Katori’s friend, a frivolous dentist who is popular with women. However, his main love interest will be played by Naka Riisa (21), a younger co-worker of Katori.
Also part of the supporting cast are Kobayashi Kaoru as Kuroki’s divorced father, Takahata Atsuko as her mother who has left home, and Harada Mieko as Katori’s mother.
“Shiawase ni Narou Yo” airs on Mondays at 9:00pm, beginning in April.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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151 graduates return for “3 Nen B Gumi Kinpachi Sensei” finale
Posted on March 6, 2011 by tokyograph
With the final episode of the “3 Nen B Gumi Kinpachi Sensei” drama series drawing near, more details about the cast have been revealed. It was reported today that 151 of the show’s graduates will make an appearance on the show, which will run for four hours on March 27.
“3 Nen B Gumi Kinpachi Sensei” has had 8 seasons since 1979. Lead actor Takeda Tetsuya (61), playing the beloved Kinpachi-sensei, has guided 239 students to graduation during that time. Not counting the third season, which was the only one not set at Sakura Junior High School, there have been 209 students under Kinpachi-sensei’s care. With 151 of them returning for the finale, that accounts for more than 70% of his students at Sakura Junior High School.
It was announced in February that Kinpachi-sensei’s new class includes Hey! Say! JUMP member Okamoto Keito (17) as a troublemaker named Kageura. The story will unfold when he skips class and runs into Hoshino, a former student from the first season played by Kondo Masahiko (46). Hoshino fondly recounts his memories from his days as student, warning Kageura not to cause trouble for Kinpachi-sensei.
According to Sports Hochi, the confirmed cast includes:
Season 1: Kondo Masahiko, Sugita Kaoru, Tsuchiya Kaori, Mihara Junko
Season 2: Naoe Kiichi, Hikaru Ippei
Season 4: Matsushita Megumi, Sorita Takayuki, Komine Rena
Season 5: Kamenashi Kazuya, Oka Ayumi
Season 6: Toshin Yoshikazu, Motokariya Yuika, Masuda Takahisa, Sato Megumi, Taira Airi
Season 7: Yabu Kota, Yaotome Hikaru, Fukuda Saki
Season 8: Kusakari Mayu, Kutsuna Shiori
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Matsuzaka Tori cast in “Asukou March!” drama series
Posted on March 6, 2011 by tokyograph
 
Actor Matsuzaka Tori (22) is confirmed to be in the cast of the drama series “Asukou March!” that was announced last month, starring actress Takei Emi (17). This is the second time that Matsuzaka and Takei have worked together, as they previously played siblings in Amami Yuki’s “GOLD” last year.
The “Asukou March!” drama is adapted from Akiyama Kaori’s manga “Asukou March! ~Kenritsu Asuka Kougyou Koukou Koushinkyoku~,” which tells the story of a teenage girl named Nao who ends up in a technical high school (nicknamed “Asukou”) where there are only 3 girls out of 150 students.
Matsuzaka plays Nao’s classmate Aruto, though his character is said to differ from the original manga. Once a popular child actor, he now attends “Asukou” while lying about his age in order to work at a host club. Despite Matsuzaka being 22, his character in the drama is only 15. This is Matsuzaka’s first time playing a high school student.
“Asukou March!” will air on Sundays at 11:00pm on TV Asahi, starting in April.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Nagatsuka Kyozo, Mimura star in “courtroom home drama”
Posted on March 6, 2011 by tokyograph
BS Asahi will broadcast a new drama series this spring called “Kazoku Houtei,” starring Nagatsuka Kyozo (65) as a judge and Mimura (26) as a housekeeper. Although they have each played many different characters up until now, this will be the first time that they have been cast in such roles.
Nagatsuka plays a 62-year-old judge named Onodera who has been married for close to 40 years. Even at home, he has spent every day looking over case documents, and as a result his wife has always been in charge of the housework. But after his wife passes away, he is now forced to deal with various things at home that he has never faced before. Naively, he believes that resolving domestic issues must be simple compared to the cases he deals with in the courtroom, but he soon realizes that he is mistaken and finds help in the form of a housekeeper named Saeko.
The supporting cast features Rokkaku Seiji, TETSUYA (EXILE), Iwasaki Hiromi, Matsunaga Reiko, and Miyazaki Karen. The staff includes screenwriter Ozaki Masaya and director Ueda Hisashi, who have worked together on several dramas, such as “Kekkon Dekinai Otoko” and “Shiroi Haru.”
“Kazoku Houtei” is scheduled for Wednesdays at 10:00pm, premiering on April 27.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Ono Machiko chosen to star in NHK morning drama “Carnation”
Posted on March 7, 2011 by tokyograph
NHK has decided on the star of its 85th Asadora series, “Carnation.” 29-year-old Ono Machiko was selected out of 1,850 actresses who auditioned for the lead part in December.
Ono received the news of her selection on March 3, while she was shopping at a supermarket. Her agency called her to inform her of the good news, and she immediately began crying in the store. Ono previously auditioned for several Asadoras in the past, including “Honmamon” back in 2001.
The subject of “Carnation” was announced about two months ago. The story is based on the life of fashion designer Koshino Ayako, who passed away in 2006 at the age of 92. Although she was a successful designer in Japan, she also single-handedly raised three daughters who followed in her footsteps to become internationally known designers, named Hiroko, Junko, and Michiko.
Ono’s character in the drama, modeled after Koshino, is named Ohara Itoko. She will play the character from her teenage years to her fifties. The story is set in the Kansai region, but Ono will have no problem with the dialect since she is originally from Nara.
“Carnation” is scheduled for broadcast from September 26, 2011, to March 31, 2012.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Yagira Yuya, Kaho star in BeeTV’s first suspense drama “Blizzard”
Posted on March 8, 2011 by tokyograph
Yagira Yuya (20) and Kaho (19) are co-starring in a new mobile drama series titled “Blizzard.” This is BeeTV’s 38th series since launching in May 2009, but it is the service’s first suspense story.
As the title might suggest, the story is set on a snowy mountain. It focuses on a group of 9 university students who belong to the same mountain climbing club. When a heavy blizzard cuts them off from the rest of the world, one by one they begin falling victim to a string of mysterious murders.
      
Besides Yagira and Kaho, the other students are being played by Hosoda Yoshihiko (23), Inoue Masahiro (21), AAA member Atae Shinjiro (22), Shiho (18), Tomiura Satoshi (19), Seki Megumi (25), and Igarashi Shunji (24).
The series will last for 12 episodes, each approximately 10 minutes in length. The first two episodes will begin distribution on April 1, and the third episode will start the next day. After that, BeeTV plans to add a new episode every Saturday.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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“Ore no Sora” drama series’ lead role to be chosen in open audition
Posted on March 30, 2011 by tokyograph
Motomiya Hiroshi’s manga “Ore no Sora: Keiji-hen” is being turned into a drama series on TV
Asahi. A special website created for the project has announced that the lead actor will be
decided through a public audition.
The original “Ore no Sora” manga revolves around the growth of a young man named Yasuda
Ippei, whose father is the leader of Japan’s greatest business conglomerate. In the “Keiji-
hen” sequel, Yasuda becomes a passionate rookie police detective.
In 1998, Takeuchi Riki starred as Yasuda in a V-cinema adaptation of the manga.
For TV Asahi’s television drama version, producers are looking for an unsigned actor who will
be between the ages of 18 and 30 as of May 31, 2011. The audition winner will get not only
the starring role, but also 1 million yen in prize money.
TV Asahi has not yet announced when the drama will be broadcast.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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“Arakawa Under the Bridge” live-action drama, film in the works
Posted on April 1, 2011 by tokyograph
Nakamura Hikaru’s comedy manga “Arakawa Under the Bridge” is being turned into a live-action television drama and film, it has been announced. The news was revealed in the latest issue of Square Enix’s Young Gangan magazine.
Serialized since 2004, the manga tells the story of a young man who begins living under a bridge in Tokyo’s Arakawa ward with a strange girl named Nino, in order to repay her for saving his life. There, he begins a life surrounded by weird people and absurd happenings.
Last year, an anime adaptation aired on TV Tokyo for two seasons.
MBS and TBS will broadcast the live-action drama series in a late-night time slot this summer. It will be followed by a movie in spring 2012 with the same cast members, who will be revealed later this month.
An official website for the live-action project launched on Friday.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Okada Masaki stars in “Young Black Jack” drama special
Posted on April 1, 2011 by tokyograph
On April 23, NTV will broadcast a live-action drama special called “Young Black Jack,” based on Tezuka Osamu’s classic manga “Black Jack.” Actor Okada Masaki (21) will be the latest to take on the role of the iconic main character, following in the footsteps of Shishido Joe, Kayama Yuzo, and Motoki Masahiro.
The drama will be an original story about the past of the brilliant mercenary doctor Black Jack, during his days as a medical student. In particular, the story will address questions such as why Black Jack does not have a medical license, why he seeks such expensive fees for his services, and how he is connected to his fateful rival Dr. Kiriko.
Other cast members include Toda Naho as Black Jack’s mother; Naka Riisa as a student at the same medical school as Black Jack; Ozawa Yukiyoshi; and Ichimura Masachika. Otani Kentaro is directing.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Ashida Mana to make singing debut with “Marumo no Okite” theme song
Posted on April 3, 2011 by tokyograph
Child star Ashida Mana (6) will make her singing debut this spring, providing the theme song for her upcoming drama series “Marumo no Okite.” She and co-actor Suzuki Fuku (6) are forming a temporary unit called “Kaoru to Yuki, Tama ni Mook” to sing the song, titled “Maru Maru Mori Mori!”
“Marumo no Okite,” which was announced in February, is a family drama with a touch of fantasy about a man (played by Abe Sadao) who becomes the guardian of his friend’s twin children Kaoru and Yuki (played by Ashida and Suzuki). The two kids find a dog named Mook, and it turns out that he can speak like a human.
As the name of their unit suggests, Ashida and Suzuki are singing the theme song as their characters, along with the dog Mook. They already recorded the song at a Tokyo studio at the end of March. The two had to learn a dance created by Hamada “Peco” Miwako, who also choreographed the “Gake no Ue no Ponyo” song.
“Maru Maru Mori Mori!” will be released on May 25.
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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AKB48's Akimoto Sayaka joins “Detective Conan” cast
Posted on April 4, 2011 by tokyograph
AKB48 member and Team K captain Akimoto Sayaka (22) has been added to the cast of the new “Detective Conan” live-action drama special airing this month. She will play the part of Suzuki Sonoko, the best friend of Mori Ran.
It was announced in February that this drama special stars Mizobata Junpei (21) as Kudo Shinichi and Kutsuna Shiori (18) as Mori Ran. In the previous drama specials in 2006 and 2008, those two were played by Oguri Shun (28) and Kurokawa Tomoka (21), while Iwasa Mayuko (24) played Suzuki Sonoko.
Otsuka Nene (42) is another new addition to the cast. Jinnai Takanori (52) and Ibu Masato (62) are returning in their roles from the previous specials.
NTV will air the special on April 15 at 7:00pm. The full title is “Meitantei Conan Drama Special: Kudo Shinichi e no Chousenjou ~Kaichou Densetsu no Nazo~.”
Source: www.tokyograph.com |
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Post time 23-2-2011 05:55 PM
