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EXILE’s KEIJI to star in late night drama ‘Monsieur!!’
KEIJI, the performer from popular dance vocal group EXILE will star in a late night drama on CBC/TBS titled “Monsieur!!“. This program will begin airing in April.
Though he has been expanding his activities as an actor through his appearance on several dramas, a movie, and stage plays, this will mark his first leading role for a drama series airing on a terrestrial broadcasting station.
This will be a comedy drama with the story revolving around a restaurant that is in financial crisis. In the drama, KEIJI will play as a genius chef who changes the customers’ lives and the restaurant itself, with his cooking. In a real life, KEIJI actually has a cooking license, and also has his own cooking serialization through the magazine “Monthly EXILE.” About his character in the drama, KEIJI said, “He is, in a word, a dynamic man. There are some parts which resemble myself, as he is honest, but clumsy and a bit careless.” Reportedly, KEIJI participated in giving his own ideas for the menu that will be introduced in the drama. He said, “I get nervous on the scenes I use a kitchen knife. It is especially difficult to slice things while I speak the lines.”
KEIJI also said, “Although I feel nervous and pressured, I will work hard to make the most of my acting ability by providing my experiences through stage plays and dramas. Since the drama has a comedic element, I hope the viewers can see a new side of me.”
Other cast members include Machida Keita (Gekidan EXILE), Sakata Rikako, Harukawa Kyosuke (Gekidan EXILE), Isomura Yosuke (Gekidan EXILE), and Anan Kenji.
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2013/02 ... ght-drama-monsieur/
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Fuji TV to cancel their Sunday drama time frame
'Marumo no Okite' (Fuji TV)
On February 12th, Fuji TV announced that a new variety show titled ‘TV Shakai Jikken Variety Asunaro Lab‘ (tentative title) - featuring comedian Kato Koji and freelance announcer Takashima Aya as the hosts – will be aired every Sunday at 9:00 pm starting in April.
Fuji TV has been using this time frame for weekly dramas since the drama ‘Perfect Report‘ in fall 2010. They dubbed it as their “Dramatic Sunday” frame and were hoping to become a tough competition for TBS and their well-established “Sunday Theater” at the same time, which boasts long track record of many popular dramas.
The most popular ‘Dramatic Sunday’ on Fuji TV had been ‘Marumo no Okite‘ starring the two child actors Ashida Mana and Suzuki Fuku in spring 2011. Other dramas in the same time frame did miserable enough to get cut down by two or three episodes while the rest did mediocre at best. Therefore, Fuji TV has decided to give up competing with dramas after the end of the current drama ‘dinner‘ and to change the said time frame back to variety shows again.
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2013/02 ... y-drama-time-frame/ |
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Aragaki Yui to star in a drama adaptation of “Sora Tobu Kouhoushitsu”
It was announced that Aragaki Yui will star in a new TBS drama “Sora Tobu Kouhoushitsu“, which is a drama adaptation of Arikawa Hiro’s novel of the same name.
The drama will be directed by Doi Nobuhiro, who has previously worked with Aragaki with the movies “Hanamizuki” and “Kirin no Tsubasa ~Gekijoban Shinzanmono~“.
In the drama, Aragaki will play a beautiful TV director named “Inaba Rika”. Rika became a news reporter, which was her dream since childhood, however, she was transferred to an informative TV program as a director, after her forcible way of news gathering activities provoked people’s antipathy.
Aragaki’s co-star will be Ayano Go, who’s gaining popularity through his appearances in several dramas. Ayano’s role will be a former fighter aircraft pilot named “Sorai Daisuke”. Daisuke had a dream to be a pilot of “Blue Impulse” since he was little, and the dream was about to come true. However, he was involved in an accident, and it caused him to be assigned to the public relations office. It was also announced Daisuke’s boss ”SagisakaMasashi” will be played by Shibata Kyohei. Sagisaka is said to be an ideal boss with outstanding negotiation skills and known as a “trickster, Sagisaka”.
Aragaki commented, “Sometimes, when reading the script, I feel frustrated at Rika’s straightforwardness toward her job, which makes her too blind with work. But she is just like us, as she makes mistakes and gets depressed which makes her figure things out, but sometimes she repeats the mistakes without noticing anything. She comes to a stop, and starts running again….I believe there will be many things that make you feel something through Rika. I will do my best to make it happen.”
The two characters, “Inaba Rika” and “Sorai Daisuke”, who had to give up on their childhood dreams and run into the walls presented in their lives, are sure to win the sympathy of many viewers who have experience with labor and work.
“Sora Tobu Kouhoushitsu” is schedule for broadcast starting on April 14th on TBS (every Sunday at 9:00 pm).
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2013/02 ... -tobu-kouhoushitsu/ |
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Maeda Atsuko to appear in Katori Shingo’s new drama ‘Kasuka na Kanojo’
On February 16th, Fuji TV announced that the former AKB48 member Maeda Atsuko will be appearing in their upcoming spring drama ‘Kasuka na Kanojo‘ starring SMAP’s Katori Shingo.
This drama is going to mark Maeda’s first participation in a drama since her graduation from AKB48 and her first role as a teacher. It’s also her first time to appear in a Fuji TV ‘Tuesday-10′ drama.
‘Kasuka na Kanojo’ is a romantic comedy set at a junior high school. The protagonist is a teacher named Koyama Akira (Katori), who has the ability to sense ghosts. The heroine, one of the ghosts who used to be a teacher, is played by Anne. Maeda is going to play the role of Kawai Chiho, the assistant homeroom teacher of Akira’s class.
Chiho is very popular among the pupils. She is the ideal teacher – always smiling and completely devoting herself to her job, at least that what it looks like on the surface. The truth is that she couldn’t be less passionate about her job as a teacher and that she would change her occupation as soon as she would get a chance.
Maeda commented, “The filming hasn’t even begun yet, but I’m already all excited about it. This time I’m trying to think of how my old teachers were.” She continued, “I’ve been watching dramas with Katori as long as I can remember, so it feels like a dream (to appear in a drama with him). Since we’ll manage the same class together (in the drama), I’ll always be near his side and do my best watching his back.”
Fuji TV is going to air ‘Kasuka na Kanojo’ every Tuesday at 10:00 pm starting in April.
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2013/02 ... a-kasuka-na-kanojo/ |
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Survey reveals the most satisfying dramas of the winter season
On February 16th, Oricon BiZ published the results of their recent survey that asked 500 men and women about their drama viewing experience among the current winter season shows. NHK drama ‘Itsuka Hi no Ataru Basho de‘ came out on top with a very high satisfaction rate of 67.5%, though it only ranked on 11th place in Oricon’s survey about the most anticipated dramas prior to the start of the winter season.
Those polled asked viewers to give 12 prime time dramas and four night dramas (11:00 pm and later) a satisfaction score, from completely unsatisfying to absolutely satisfying, on a scale from 1 to 10 (with 10 being the best). They were only supposed to score the dramas that they are actually watching or have watched for a couple of episodes in the beginning of the season. The satisfaction rate seen in the ranking below describes how many of the 500 people who are watching the drama ranked it with a score of 8 or higher.
While Oricon BiZ didn’t go into much detail in the actual ranking or the public article, they released some additional information for the two dramas in first and the second place.
As for the top-ranking ‘Itsuka Hi no Ataru Basho de‘, 64.8% of all the viewers are satisfied with the starring cast, made up of Ueto Aya and Iijima Naoko. However, the supporting cast was liked by 64.8% of the viewers as well, which is the highest rating together with ‘LAST HOPE‘ (Fuji TV). In addition, 59.4% of the viewers are satisfied with the drama’s script (1st place among all dramas) and 54.0% with its art direction (4th place among all dramas).
‘Yakou Kanransha‘ (TBS) ranked second in terms of satisfaction and it also is the drama that makes most of its viewers (97.3%) tune in again for the next episode. ‘Itsuka Hi no Ataru Basho de’ only makes 91.9% of its viewers tune in again next week. The script of ‘Yakou Kanransha’ is satisfying enough for 58.6% of its viewers (2nd place after ‘Itsuka Hi…’), while the most striking feature of this drama seems to its visuals (satisfaction rate: 61.3%; 1st place among the dramas).
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Winter Drama Satisfaction Ranking – Prime Time
01
‘Itsuka Hi no Ataru Basho de‘ (NHK)
- Ranked 11th place in the anticipation ranking
- Satisfaction Rate: 67.5% (56.8% women; 43.2% men)*
- 91.9% said they are going to tune in again next week
*How to read this line:
67.5% of all those who are watching it are satisfied with the drama
56.8% of all the women who are watching it are satisfied with the drama
43.2% of all the men who are watching it are satisfied with the drama
02
‘Yakou Kanransha‘ (TBS)
- Ranked 6th place in the anticipation ranking
- Satisfaction Rate: 62.7% (72.0% women; 28.0% men)
- 97.3% said they are going to tune in again next week
03
‘LAST HOPE‘ (Fuji TV)
- Ranked 5th place in the anticipation ranking
- Satisfaction Rate: 55.4% (68.1% women; 31.9% men)
- 85.1% said they are going to tune in again next week
04
‘Saikou no Rikon‘ (Fuji TV)
- Ranked 4th place in the anticipation ranking
- Satisfaction Rate: 55.2% (68.6% women; 31.4% men)
- 88.6% said they are going to tune in again next week
05
‘Nakuna, Hara-chan‘ (NTV)
- Ranked 7th place in the anticipation ranking
- Satisfaction Rate: 52.2% (67.8% women; 32.2% men)
- 88.9% said they are going to tune in again next week
06
‘Tonbi‘ (TBS)
- Ranked 9th place in the anticipation ranking
- Satisfaction Rate: 51.7% (60.3% women; 39.7% men)
- 79.3% said they are going to tune in again next week
07
‘Saki‘ (Fuji TV)
- Ranked 2nd place in the anticipation ranking
- Satisfaction Rate: 45.0% (67.6% women; 32.4% men)
- 85.6% said they are going to tune in again next week
08
‘dinner‘ (Fuji TV)
- Ranked 3rd place in the anticipation ranking
- Satisfaction Rate: 41.4% (60.3% women; 39.7% men)
- 89.7% said they are going to tune in again next week
09
‘Otome-san‘ (TV Asahi)
- Ranked 12th place in the anticipation ranking
- Satisfaction Rate: 41.0% (66.7% women; 33.3% men)
- 82.1% said they are going to tune in again next week
10
‘Apoyan‘ (TBS)
- Ranked 10th place in the anticipation ranking
- Satisfaction Rate: 38.4% (59.6% women; 40.4% men)
- 88.5% said they are going to tune in again next week
11
‘Share House no Koibito‘ (NTV)
- Ranked 1st place in the anticipation ranking
- Satisfaction Rate: 36.1% (51.4% women; 38.6% men)
- 81.9% said they are going to tune in again next week
12
‘Biblia Koshodo no Jiken Techo‘ (Fuji TV)
- Ranked 8th place in the anticipation ranking
- Satisfaction Rate: 32.3% (54.4% women; 45.6% men)
- 68.9% said they are going to tune in again next week
Winter Drama Satisfaction Ranking – Night Time
01
‘Karamazov no Kyodai‘ (Fuji TV)
- Ranked 4th place in the anticipation ranking
- Satisfaction Rate: 54.4% (76.1% women; 23.9% men)
- 82.6% said they are going to tune in again next week
02
‘Nobunaga no Chef‘ (TV Asahi)
- Ranked 2nd place in the anticipation ranking
- Satisfaction Rate: 50.6% (67.5% women; 32.5% men)
- 88.0% said they are going to tune in again next week
03
‘Mahoro Ekimae Bangaichi‘ (TV Tokyo)
- Ranked 3rd place in the anticipation ranking
- Satisfaction Rate: 44.8% (58.6% women; 41.4% men)
- 72.4% said they are going to tune in again next week
04
‘Shotenin Michiru no Minoue Banashi‘ (NHK)
- Ranked 1st place in the anticipation ranking
- Satisfaction Rate: 40.7% (63.0% women; 37.0% men)
- 83.3% said they are going to tune in again next week
Source: www.tokyohive.com |
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Matsuda Shota to star in new detective drama ‘Sennyu Tantei Tokage’
On February 18th, TBS announced that actor Matsuda Shota will be starring in their upcoming detective drama ‘Sennyu Tantei Tokage‘.
This is Matsuda’s second time to star as a detective after the 2009 drama Meitantei no Okite‘ (TV Asahi) and his first time to star in a TBS drama. This time, he will play a former elite police detective who possesses an overwhelming memory.
‘Sennyu Tantei Tokage’ is a mystery and suspense drama that follows Tokage and his assistant as they help the First Investigation Division of the Metropolitan Police Department with difficult and unresolved cases. His tough yet charming assistant, who does have feelings for him despite his unsociable nature, is played by actress Renbutsu Misako. One detective of the First Investigation Division is played by TOKIO’s Matsuoka Masahiro. He is a well-liked, warmhearted, smart and very mature man, which is basically the complete opposite of Tokage.
Other characters include Tokage’s former boss played by Endo Kenichi and the head of the ‘Yanagi Detective Bureau’ for which Tokage is working for, played by Ito Shiro. Actor Fukikoshi Mitsuru and actress Mimura are also appearing in the drama.
The script is written by Hashimoto Hiroshi (‘Karei Naru Ichizoku’, ‘Jukunen Rikon’, ‘Unmei no Hito’) and the direction handled by Ishii Yasuharu (‘Hana Yori Dango’, ‘Kurosagi’).
The protagonist’s nickname is ‘lizard’, because he never lets anyone catch onto his tail while working undercover and always manages to maneuver himself out of a dangerous situation. He is also able to seemingly transform into all kind of different characters – from a male host to a doctor, or from a politician to a prisoner – in order to get down to a difficult case.
Tokage used to be a normal police detective working at the First Investigation Division, but one day he lost his partner because of a grave mistake. After this incident he quit his job and got hired by a private detective bureau that helps the police with secret undercover investigations. Tokage has a difficult personality, no sense of cooperation and doesn’t trust anyone. He is methodical to the point of being neurotic and cynical to the point of being unsociable, but he also holds a great sense of justice and detests crimes.
To star as a detective in a drama is always a special chance for Matsuda, for his late father Matsuda Yuusaku was especially known for his great and multi-faceted performance as a detective in the 1979/1980 drama ‘Tantei Monogatari‘.
TBS will air ‘Sennyu Tantei Tokage’ every Thursday at 9:00 pm starting in April.
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2013/02 ... nnyu-tantei-tokage/ |
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Yonekura Ryoko to play a high school girl in new drama ‘35-sai no Koukousei’
On February 19th, NTV announced that actress Yonekura Ryoko will be playing a female high school student in their upcoming spring drama ‘35-sai no Koukousei‘ (tentative title). It will be the very first time for Yonekura to play a high school girl in her career and her first starring drama on NTV in general.
‘35-sai no Koukousei’ is a socio-critical school drama set at a senior high school. It follows a 35 year-old woman who enters the school as a student, where she has to face the dark sides of present-day senior high schools, including bullying and playing hooky. The drama depicts how she is gradually changing the students as well as the school in general.
She hates it when students pretend not to see the difficulties of one of their classmates or blame someone else for the problems they are dealing with every day. Thanks to her age and experience in society, she can help the students to solve their problems and acts as an an older student they can rely on.
Yonekura is going to completely transform herself into an ordinary high school girl and the drama is going to show her wearing the school’s uniform, doing homework after school, participating in physical education and so on. However, her character is still going to be somewhat different to a normal 17 year-old student. For example, she always arrives school in an expensive foreign car; or during lunch break she always goes to the smoking area and after school she always needs a refreshing can of beer. It is unknown why she suddenly returns to school 18 years after graduation, but the mystery about her identity is gradually going to be revealed as the story progresses.
Yonekura commented, “First I thought I was going to play a teacher when I received the story, but then I was really glad to hear that I’m actually going to play a student. I want to think about how all the different problems on the campus could be settled when experienced by a 35 year-old student and how it should be conveyed to the viewers. Please look forward to this drama!”
The expectations for this drama are high, since Yonekura once again strengthened her image as the queen of drama ratings in the year 2012. The producer of the drama is aware of her ever increasing charms and the kind of image the viewers have of the actress. The producer hopes to live up to their expectations, while showing them yet another side of her by putting her into the role of a high school student.
NTV is going to air ‘35-sai no Koukousei’ every Saturday at 9:00 pm starting in April.
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2013/02 ... 5-sai-no-koukousei/ |
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Mano Erina added to the cast of Sono Shion’s upcoming drama ‘Minna! Esper dayo!’
On February 19th, it was announced that singer and actress Mano Erina is going to appear in TV Tokyo’s upcoming drama ‘Minna! Esper dayo!‘ starring Sometani Shota.
‘Minna! Esper dayo!’ will be directed by famed movie director Sono Shion (‘Cold Fish’). The story follows an ordinary high school student named Kamogawa Yoshiro (Sometani), who suddenly realizes that he has the ability to read minds and decides to use his power to help others. However, he isn’t the only one who suddenly received a special ability, and not everyone has the same mindset as he does about helping other people. He suddenly finds himself in a fight against people who are using their new powers for evil deeds. The story is based on the manga of the same name created by Wakasugi Kiminori (‘Detroit Metal City’).
Mano is going to play a female high school student and the love interest of the protagonist. The character seems like a neat and clean girl, but her mindset isn’t all that pure and she uses a lot of foul language. This role is going to be Mano’s first regular role in a drama series broadcast by a major TV network and her first big project since graduating from Hello! Project on February 23rd. She commented, “I want people to think of her as a scary young woman who speaks her mind frankly while making everyone around her believe that she is just a charming girl.”
According to officials, Mano is going to challenge herself to acting and speaking like an indecent girl for the first time in her career. This could be the first step in trying to get rid of her own neat and clean image.
In related news, it was announced that actress Kaho has joined the cast as well.
TV Tokyo is going to air ‘Minna! Esper dayo!’ every Friday night at 12:12 am starting in April.
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2013/02 ... a-minna-esper-dayo/ |
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More cast members for NHK’s upcoming morning drama “Gochisousan” announced
On February 18, a press conference to announce the main cast members for NHK’s upcoming fall morning drama “Gochisousan” starring Anne, was held at the NHK Osaka Broadcasting Station.
As reported earlier, the theme of the drama will be “food”, and it will follow a life of the heroine “Uno Meiko” (played by Anne), a gluttonous girl who was born as the daughter of a family that runs a Western-style restaurant in Tokyo. Meiko later marries a crusty man from Osaka, named “Saimon Yutaro”, and strongly lives through the turbulent eras of Taisho ~ Showa period. The script will be written by Morishita Yoshiko who was in charge of the script for a big hit drama “JIN.”
At the press conference held the day, it was announced that model Higashide Masahiro would be playing the role of the heroine, Meiko’s husband. Along with his activities as a model, Higashide has just made his acting debut with a movie “Kirishima, Bukatsu Yamerutteyo” which was released last year. He commented, “I hope I can grow as a human and as an actor through this work that I will spend a whole year. All I can do is to face with it sincerely.” Reportedly, he will move to Osaka in April, and begin preparing for the filming that will start in May.
Other cast members announced include Harada Taizo (of comedian trio Neptune) as “Uno Daigo” (Meiko’s father), Zaizen Naomi as “Uno Iku” (Meiko’s mother), Yoshiyuki Kazuko as “Uno Tora” (Meiko’s grandmother),Inowaki Kai as “Uno Teruo” (Meiko’s younger btoehr), Kondo Masaomi as “Saimon Shozo” (Yutaro’s father), Miyazaki Yoshiko as “Saimon Shizuka” (Yutaro’s mother), Kimura Midoriko as “Saimon Kazue” (Yutaro’s older sister), Takahata Mitsuki as “Saimon Kiko” (Yutaro’s younger sister), and Wada Masato as “Genta” (Meiko’s childhood friend).
Harada who will be playing as Anne’s father, said, “Well…speaking of Anne-chan’s real father, it’s Watanabe Ken-san…so I am still not sure if I would be enough (to play as Anne’s father). I hope I will be able to appear in as many scenes as possible. I will do my best.” Kondo who will be Higashide’s father, also said to Anne who is 174 cm (5′8.5″) tall, and Higashide who is 189 cm (6′2″) tall, “It’s the Taisho era we are talking about. What did you guys eat to grow that big? You guys are about 30 cm (a foot) taller than the average height from people back then.”
Anne commented, “I heard from people how the filming of morning drama is hard, but I think I would be able to enjoy it and I would feel the time would go by fast if I’m surrounded by these great people. I am looking forward to it.”
“Gochisousan” is scheduled to start airing in October.
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2013/02 ... hisousan-announced/ |
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Sato Ryuta to star in a new late-night drama as a hopeless man who becomes an unlikely hero
It was announced that Sato Ryuta will star in a late night drama “Detarame Hero (tentative title)” that will start airing in April.
In the drama, Sato will play a hopeless man who is unemployed, hates to do anything troublesome, and asks girls for money. He is clearly not someone to be thanked by others. Though he is just a scum usually, he becomes a hero “Goggle Z” for 10 minutes.
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One day, a hopeless man named “Kuzumi Kenta” (Sato), whose favorite phrase is “it’s troublesome”, happens to take care of “Daichi”, a son of his older sister who passed away from a traffic accident, reluctantly.
Kenta finds out that his physical ability and five senses get 10 times stronger than usual only for 10 minutes when he eats a mysterious candy that Daichi has. Knowing about Kenta’s special power, his best friend and police officer “Tanba Shuji” tries to forcibly make Kenta into a hero.
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Though it’s a comedy, it will also be a human drama that shows Kenta’s growth through helping people and being thanked by them in return.
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2013/02 ... s-an-unlikely-hero/ |
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Ito Hideaki & Sakaguchi Kenji to team up as detectives in new drama ‘Doubles’
On February 22, TV Asahi announced that the two actors Ito Hideaki and Sakaguchi Kenji will co-star in the upcoming detective drama titled ‘Doubles‘.
10 years has passed since Ito and Sakaguchi last starred together in a project and in ‘Doubles’ they are going to deal with heinous crimes as the strongest detective partners on TV. The drama is set at the central police station in Shinjuku, Tokyo and said to feature plenty of action, drama and comedy.
Both actors have already been portraying strong and ‘fighting men’ in their trademark series ‘Umizaru‘ and ‘Iryu‘, respectively. The last time they actually co-starred together was in the 2002 drama ‘Tentai Kansoku‘ (Fuji TV). This time they are playing hot-blooded and righteous detectives who fight against increasing number of heinous crimes in Shinjuku.
Ito is portraying a thoughtless detective named ‘Yamashita Shunsuke’ who doesn’t seem to care about the minor details when being on a case. Sakaguchi is playing a more serious and more hot-blooded kind of detective named ‘Tashiro Keiichi’. Their actions and opinions are often clashing with each other, but despite those disputes they always end up cooperating in order to solve all the different cases.
Ito commented, “Kenji and I are of the same age, but when we worked together 10 years ago, we were still in our twenties. Back then we sort of tried to keep each other in check and weren’t able to be all that upfront with each other. Now we get the chance to work together again at the end of our thirties, and with that part between us gone, I’d like us to create a great drama together.”
He continued, “My character will do a lot of action, handle guns and catch a lot of those small details related to a case. I want to create a character that even the very young viewers will admire and think of as ‘cool’. There have been many detective dramas already, but I hope the two of us will be able to leave our mark with this new detective series.”
Sakaguchi stated, “I’m looking forward to work together with Hideaki again after 10 years. Moreover it’s going to be a detective drama! I’m really happy since we boys love detective dramas (laughs) I want to try my best as long as my physical strength lets me to.”
He continued, “In our twenties, I strongly felt of Hideaki as my rival. I absolutely couldn’t lose to him and observed him all the time, but right now I can only think about how nice it will be to create a great drama by joining our forces. I want us to build a duo that people simply won’t be able to hate, although they always act recklessly.”
The story follows detective Yamashita and Tashiro as they get transferred to a new special unit of the very best detectives that operate from the station in Shinjuku. This new unit is often being referred to as ‘Section 0′.
‘Doubles’ is written by Ozaki Masaya (‘Umechan Sensei’) and TV Asahi is going to air this drama every Thursday at 9:00 pm starting in April.
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2013/02 ... -new-drama-doubles/ |
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Ono Erena to star in a new action suspense drama
It was announced that singer/actress Ono Erena will star in a serial drama “Tank Top Fighter“. This will mark her first starring serial drama, and she will also be in charge of its theme song.
Reportedly, she will receive special training for a month under an action team that is active in Hollywood, and will show the action battles wearing tank tops.
The drama is an action suspense which follows college students sisters named “Kai” (Ono) and “Riku.” They were spending every day peacefully, but one day, their father gets arrested on suspicion of burglary and murder. In order to return 100 million yen that is supposed to have been stolen by the father, the sisters become bounty hunters, and chase after 4 criminals.
Ono commented, “My aspiration for this year is ‘to get hold of a chance, and make it my own’, so I won’t let it go!” She continued, “Alhough I have no experience in martial arts, I’ve taken lessons in swimming, ballet, rhythmic gymnastics, golfing, and gymnastics before. I also like dancing, so I have confidence in my physical strength. I will try my best to lead other cast members and staff members, so that the viewers will be able to enjoy the drama.”
There is no information revealed regarding the theme song, but it is said to portray the outlook on the world of the drama.
“Tank Top Fighter” will be aired in a late-night time slot on TBS/MBS starting in April.
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2013/02 ... ion-suspense-drama/ |
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Omasa Aya and Honda Tsubasa to become beautiful vampires in a new drama
It was announced that actress Omasa Aya will star in TV Tokyo’s upcoming drama “Vampire Heaven” that will begin airing in April.
Omasa will play a beautiful vampire named “Sakurako” while Honda Tsubasa will be Sakurako’s best friend and also vampire named “Komachi”. The human male, whom the two vampires fall in love with, will be played by Hiraoka Yuta.
The drama will be written and directed by Seta Natsuki who has worked with Omasa in movie “Usotsuki Mi-kun to Kowareta Ma-chan“, and this will mark the first time for her to direct a TV drama.
The synopsis will be a sad love story in which two beautiful vampires “Sakurako” (Omasa) and “Komachi” (Honda) fall in love with a man named “Hayato” (Hiraoka).
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After violating a taboo in the world of vampires, Sakurako and Komachi come down to the world of humans, and encounter a human male, Hayato. Though Sakurako instantly falls in love with Hayato, vampires have the disposition that the more they love somebody, the more they desire the person’s blood. Sakurako finds out she can resist the uncontrollable impulse to suck blood somehow when she plays music, thus she strums on a guitar while thinking of her loved one. Komachi worries about Sakurako, but eventually, she also becomes attracted to Hayato.
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Reportedly, Skurako’s real age is 170 years old although she looks 20. She is particularly beautiful even among the vampires, but she has no experience with love. Komachi is actually 165 years old, but looks 20, and has a very vampire-like personality as she can be a little selfish and also has a cruel side. On the other hand, Hayato is a good looking guy, trying to become a professional musician. He keeps himself above all the vulgarity around him, but has an arrogant attitude toward others.
“Vampire Heaven” is scheduled to air starting on April 12th (Every Friday at 12:52 am).
Source: www.tokyohive.com |
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Takahashi Katsumi & Eikura Nana to co-star in new detective drama
On February 23rd, it was announced that actor Takahashi Katsumi and actress Eikura Nana are going to co-star in an upcoming TBS detective drama titled ‘Kakusho ~ Keishicho Sousa 3 Ka‘.
‘Kakusho ~ Keishicho Sousa 3 Ka’ is based on the police novel ‘Kakusho‘ written by Konno Bin. The story focuses on the Third Investigation Division of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, which specializes on theft cases that make up 70% of all recorded criminal offenses. It follows the members of this division as they gather information and conduct stakeouts in order to catch the thieves. They also often happen to help other divisions with difficult cases such as homicide.
The clashes between the First Investigation Division, who mainly work on homicides, and the Third Investigation Division will be one of the highlights of this series. Two detectives of the First Division will be played by Bananaman’s Shitara Osamu and Kadono Takuzo.
Third Division’s veteran detective ‘Hagio Shuichi’ is played by Takahashi. Hagio wishes to move up to the First Division someday. He is partnered with the passionate and very skilled female detective ‘Takeda Akiho’ (Eikura). They are a unique duo who are 26 years apart in age.
Takahashi commented, “I’ve been a fan of detective dramas since childhood. ‘Uwasa no Keiji Tommy to Matsu‘ and ‘Taiyou ni Hoero!‘ were two of my favorites. I was surprised that I’m actually going to play the protagonist in a detective drama, but I’m also very happy.”
Eikura expressed, “At first glimpse, it doesn’t seem like my character matches with Detective Hagio played by Takahashi, but I think they are going to work together really well. It will be great if the viewers gradually become used to this duo and eventually fall in love with them.” She continued, “I will work hard in order to make you think of it as an unconstrained drama that is overflowing with humanity.”
TBS will be airing ‘Kakusho ~ Keishicho Sousa 3 Ka’ every Monday at 8:00 pm starting on April 15th.
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2013/02 ... ew-detective-drama/ |
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Takanashi Rin to play a ‘yankee’ dance teacher in new drama
On February 24th, it was announced that actress Takanashi Rin is going to star in an upcoming TBS late-night drama titled ‘Houkago Groove‘.
Takanashi is known for her good looks and her vibrant on screen performances. She already gained global recognition as the heroine in Abbas Kiarostami’s Japanese-language film ‘Like Someone in Love‘ which screened at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. It’s her first time to star in a TV drama.
‘Arakawa Under the Bridge‘ director Iizuka Ken is set to direct the drama which was born from the fact that since April 2012, “dance” has become a part of the junior high school curriculum in Japan.
Takanashi is playing a physical education teacher with no dancing skills. Moreover, she used to be a delinquent (‘yankee’) during her student days and left school during senior high school, but thanks to her persistence and fighting spirit she somehow managed to become a teacher. She believes that you should always see something through once you got a taste of it.
Takanashi commented about her role, “When I heard about the story, I immediately wanted to get this role. A sports-minded former delinquent is a fresh character and a nice challenge. I’m already all excited about this.”
Director Iizuka is bound to give this drama a peculiar charm similar to his previous works and Takanashi is looking forward to work with him. She said, “I’ll work hard so that the viewers can enjoy all those surreal interactions between the characters.”
TBS is going to air ‘Houkago Groove’ every Monday shortly after midnight starting on April 22nd.
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2013/02 ... her-in-a-new-drama/ |
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Furuta Arata to star in a serial drama for the first time
Actor Furuta Arata (47) will star in Fuji TV’s new serial drama “Machigawarechatta Otoko“(lit. ‘A man who was mistaken’).
Furuta is the box-office star of theatrical troupe ’Gekidan☆Shinkansen‘. He has appeared in many stage plays, movies, and dramas, however, this will mark his first starring serial drama 29 years after he debuted. Furuta will team up with KAT-TUN’s Nakamaru Yuichi (29) for the drama.
The drama is a humane comedy based on the dissolved theatrical troupe ‘Tokyo Seleccion Deluxe’s stage play “Pierrot”. Takuma Takayuki who presided over the theater company will be in charge of the script and direction for the drama.
The story is set at a Sushi restaurant in Kuramae, Tokyo. It starts where the protagonist, a sneak thief (Furuta) who is very caring and easily moved to tears, and his underling (Nakamaru) break into the Sushi restaurant. However, he is mistaken as the skillful Sushi chef who left the restaurant 10 years ago. It depicts their 10 days of joy and sorrow.
Furuta commented, “I’m just worried about the viewer rating as I will be the lead. Bear up, Nakamaru!“, while Nakamaru said, “I’ve co-stared with Furuta-san in a variety show, but this will be our first time working together in a serial drama. I’m looking forward for the filming to start!”
“Machigawarechatta Otoko” will start airing on April 13th on Fuji TV (every Saturday at 11:10 pm).
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2013/02 ... for-the-first-time/ |
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“Real Onigokko” to get TV drama adaptation starring Hongo Kanata
It was announced that Yamada Yusuke’s popular novel “Real Onigokko” will get a serial drama adaptation titled “Real Onigokko THE ORIGIN“, and Hongo Kanata will be taking the lead role.
“Real Onigokko” has been adapted into comic, game, and live-action movies previously, but according to Hongo, the TV drama adaptation will be the one that stays true to the original novel the most.
“Real Onigokko” sets in a near future where people whose last names are “Sato”, become targets of a real tag, and when they are caught, they get killed. In the drama, Hongo will be playing “Sato Tsubasa”, and Shimizu Fumika will be Tsubasa’s younger sister “Sato Ai”. It was also announced Yokohama Ryusei will be participating as Tsubasa’s best friend named “Sato Hiroshi”.
Hongo commented, “This TV drama adaptation is like focusing on even the finest of details, and it brushes up the original well. The viewers will be able to enjoy the speedy and simple evolution.”
Reportedly, the filming for the drama has already begun, and Hongo revealed that he went to eat curry together with Yokohama between takes. He said, “I told him we had curry by catering when he had the day off, and he was depressed about it, so I took him.” Yokohama also said with a smile, “I felt uneasy since this is my first time to be a part of the main cast members for a drama, but Kanata-kun guides me with many things nicely. He even treated me to curry.”
TV drama “Real Onigokko THE ORIGIN” will be aired on TVS, CTC, and tvk starting on April 9th (every Tuesday at 1:00 am).
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2013/02 ... rring-hongo-kanata/ |
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Matsushita Nao to become a landlady in upcoming Fuji TV drama
Actress Matsushita Nao will star in a new Fuji TV drama “Kamo, Kyoto e Iku” which will start airing in April. The drama will be a comedy setting at a Japanese-style hotel in Kyoto, and Matsushita will be playing a landlady at the long-established hotel.
“Ueba Kamo” (Matsushita) is a career woman who works as a government official at the Ministry of Finance after graduating from Tokyo University. One day, her mother who is the landlady of an old Japanese-style hotel “Ueba-ya” in Kyoto, suddenly passes away, and she has to take over the hotel as a new landlady. It is hard enough for Kamo to take on this total new type of job, but she is also surrounded by tough and intensive employees. She then teams up with a calculating and clever financier named “Kinugawa Shuhei” (played by Shiina Kippei) who is cold-hearted, and yet somehow lovable, and tries to embark on the reconstruction of the hotel that is deeply in debt.
Matsushita commented, “‘Kamo’ has been cleaving her own path while believing she chose the right way, but she runs into many difficulties when she goes back to her hometown. I wonder how it would change her…I can’t wait to play the role. I want to make it a drama that is full of power through which the viewers can see Kamo’s growth.”
“Kamo, Kyoto e Iku.” is slated to broadcast on Fuji TV starting in April (every Tuesday at 9:00 pm).
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2013/02 ... ming-fuji-tv-drama/ |
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Shinohara Ryoko to star in a new drama with Fujiki Naohito & Miura Haruma
Shinohara Ryoko is starring in a new drama series (currently untitled) on Fuji TV that will start airing in April.
It is said that 60% of unmarried women between the ages of 25 ~ 35 find themselves becoming more masculine. The drama will feature “Oyaji Joshi (lit. old-guy woman, a woman who acts like she is an old man )” who devotes herself to work.
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“Sakura” (Shinohara) is a 39-year-old woman who has not had a boyfriend in 10 years. Though she works as a vice store manager at a beauty parlor, she is careless about her style. She has a tender heart and a strong sense of justice, but she can be cowardly in terms of love. Recently, she is flustered that a couple of beard hairs start growing on her chin, which she thinks is due to overworking and a hormonal imbalance.
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The two guys who will be involved in the protagonist’s love story will be played by Miura Haruma and Fujiki Naohito. Miura’s role is a pro BMX rider named “Hiroto” who is very popular with girls, and Fujiki will play “Rintaro”, the manager at the beauty parlor where Sakura works. Though Rintaro looks cool at first sight, he has a wicked tongue and loves dirty jokes.
Other female cast members have also been announced. Otsuka Nene and Iijima Naoko will appear as Sakura’s friends. Otsuka will play “Miki”, a housewife who is distressed by her relationship with her mother-in-law and her sexless marriage. Iijima’s role will be “Shima”, who is loaded with sex appeal and aggressive towards men. Additionally, Nanao will be making an appearance as “Chiyoko”, a daughter of a rich family who falls in love with Rintaro (Fujiki).
As this will mark Shinohara’s first serial drama after giving birth to her second child back in February of last year, Shinohara commented, “Though I feel pressured, I would be happy if the viewers can laugh, cry, and that their hearts will flutter at the ‘Oyaji Joshi’ struggling in love. I hope it will be the kind of drama that can make the viewers think, ‘I want to fall in love!’ in the end.”
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2013/02 ... ohito-miura-haruma/ |
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Takei Emi & Okura Tadayoshi to co-star in TV Asahi’s upcoming late-night drama
It was announced that Takei Emi will star in TV Asahi’s upcoming late-night mystery drama “Otenki Oneesan” that will begin airing in April.
In the drama, Takei will play as a weather woman named “Abe Haruko.”
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Abe Haruko is somewhat of a weather prodigy as she acquires her qualification to become a certified weather forecaster at the young age of 11. She serves as a weather woman in a morning TV show and is nicknamed as ‘bomb cyclone woman’ because of her gruff personality, provoking negative feelings everyday from the staff members and other news casters of the show. On the other hand, Haruko also uses her vast weather knowledge to solve difficult criminal cases from different a point of view for the police. She teams up with a rookie detective Aoki Gota, and hunts down criminals.
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The rookie detective “Aoki Gota” will be played by Kanjnai 8 member Okura Tadayoshi. Medical examiner named “Mikumo Sanpei” who is an enthusiastic fan of Haruko, will be played by Sasaki Kuranosuke. The script will be written by Oishi Shizuka who is known for her works like “Futarikko” and “Second Virgin.”
This will mark the first time for Takei and Okura to co-star with each other. Regarding the co-starring with Okura, Takei said, “When I was in junior high school, Okura-san was my favorite member from Kanjani 8, so I’m happy to co-star with him honestly.”
Okura also commented, “I had a scary image toward Haruko as she would have no face expression and act recklessly, but the real Takei-san was a bright woman, so I’m looking forward for the filming to start. I’m glad she usually is not a scary person.” About his role, he said, “I hope ‘Gota’ will be a comfortable character for the viewers during the process of solving cases.”
According to Takei, she got a flowery and bright image toward the drama from the title, however, “I was excited to be able to play such a role, but I was told ‘No, if anything, your role is expressionless who hardly smiles.’ So I was like…’I am playing another quirky role…!’ I hope I can create mysterious atmosphere. Please look forward to seeing unbalanced conversation between Haruko and Gota as well.”
“Otenki Oneesan” will air on the “Friday Night Drama” time slot for TV Asahi (every Friday at 11:15 pm).
Source: http://www.tokyohive.com/2013/02 ... g-late-night-drama/ |
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Post time 23-2-2013 05:25 PM
