Posts Categorized: Japanese Dramas

Jun 26 2020

Hidekazu Mashima is cast in NTV drama series “Middle-Aged Man Loves Cute Things”

Hidekazu Mashima is cast in NTV drama series “Middle-Aged Man Loves Cute Things” (literal title). The drama series is based on webcomic “Ojisan wa Kawaii Mono ga Osuki” by Tsutomu. The drama series will consist of 5 episodes and air sometime this summer.

Plot Synopsis by AsianWiki: Mitsutaka Oji (Hidekazu Mashima) is 43-years-old and works as a sales department manager. He is divorced and lives alone. His colleagues respect him at work, but he has a secret. His secret is that he likes cute things, including dolls of the Pug Taro character.

Jun 25 2020

Taisho Iwasaki, Ryuga Sato, Yuto Nasu, Hidaka Ukisho cast in TV Asahi drama series “Midsummer’s Boy: 19452020”

Taisho Iwasaki, Ryuga Sato, Yuto Nasu, Hidaka Ukisho, Naoki Fujii, and Issei Kanasashi are cast in TV Asahi drama series “Midsummer’s Boy: 19452020” (literal title of “Manatsu no Shonen: 19452020”). The six actors are all members of J-pop boy band “Bishounen.” The drama series follows 6 high school students as they meet a man who traveled through time from the past.

“Midsummer’s Boy: 19452020” first airs July, 2020 in Japan (takes over TV Asahi’s Friday 11:15PM time slot after “Mr. Housekeeper, Mitazono Season 4“).

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Jun 22 2020

Yui Aragaki cast in NTV drama series “Doting Parent Youth White Paper”

Yui Aragaki is cast in NTV drama series “Doting Parent Youth White Paper” (literal title) starring Tsuyoshi Muro and Mei Nagano. For the drama series, Yui Aragaki will play Sachiko Obika. She is the late wife of Taro Obika (Tsuyoshi Muro) and the deceased mother of Sakura Obika (Mei Nagano). Filming of the drama series began early June, 2020, but Yui Aragaki has not yet taken part in the filming.

“Doting Parent Youth White Paper” first airs August, 2020 in Japan.

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Jun 12 2020

Taishi Nakagawa cast in NTV drama series “Doting Parent Youth White Paper”

Taishi Nakagawa is cast in NTV drama series “Doting Parent Youth White Paper” (literal title), starring Tsuyoshi Muro & Mei Nagano. For the drama series, Taishi Nakagawa will play Masaharu Hatakeyama. He leaves his hometown in Akita Prefecture to attend a university in Tokyo. This is the same school where father (Tsuyoshi Muro) and daughter (Mei Nagano) attend. The daughter takes an interest in Taishi Nakagawa.

Meanwhile, ep.1 air date for “Doting Parent Youth White Paper has been postponed by 1 month. The drama series was originally scheduled to air July, 2020, but will now air August, 2020. The delay is likely caused by scheduling complications around the Covid-19 outbreak.

May 30 2020

Supporting cast announced for movie “Midnight Swan”

Supporting cast announced for movie “Midnight Swan” starring Tsuyoshi Kusanagi. The film is scripted and directed by Eiji Uchida and has Tsuyoshi Kusanagi playing a transgender woman as the main character. Just announced for 11 supporting character roles are Misaki Hattori, Asami Mizukawa, Tomorowo Taguchi, Sei Matobu, Shunsuke Tanaka, Kaito Yoshimura, Reo Sanada, Rinka Ueno, Eriko Sato, Yusuke Hirayama, and Toshie Negishi. Notable roles include Misaki Hattori who will play Ichika Sakurada. She is a distant relative of Nagisa (Tsuyoshi Kusanagi) and they begin to live together. Asami Mizukawa will play Saori Sakurada, who is the mother of Ichika Sakurada.

“Midnight Swan” will be released sometime this autumn in Japan.

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May 29 2020

Teaser trailer & poster for movie “Soiree”

Teaser trailer and poster added for movie “Soiree” starring Nijiro Murakami and Haruka Imou. The teaser trailer plays a song from a portable radio which is “How many times did I kiss you?” by Toshio Kamei and his late wife Chieko Kamei. Toshio Kamei is the music director for the film and he made the song with Chieko Kamei, while she was fighting a disease at the hospital. The song is their love song looking back at their life. Movie is written and directed by Bunji Satoyama.

“Soiree” will be released sometime this summer in Japan.

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May 27 2020

Kaya Kiyohara cast in NHK drama series “Welcome Back, Mone”

Kaya Kiyohara is cast in NHK drama series “Welcome Back, Mone” (“Okaeri Mone”). The drama series is NHK’s 104th asadora (morning drama series). For the drama series, Kaya Kiyohara will play Momone Nagaura. She eventually becomes a weather forecaster.

“Welcome Back, Mone” first airs spring, 2021 in Japan.

Plot Synopsis by AsianWiki: Momone Nagaura (Kaya Kiyohara) lives with her parents, grandfather and younger sister on an island in Kesennuma Bay, Miyagi Prefecture. In the spring of 2014, Momone Nagaura graduates from high school and moves to the city of Tome. She fails to enter a university. While she tries to figure out what to do with her life, she begins to work as an apprentice of a forest guide. A turning point in her life occurs. A popular weather forecaster from Tokyo arrives. Momone Nagaura walks on a mountain with the weather forecaster. She hears from the weather forecaster that the weather forecaster can predict the future. Momone Nagaura becomes touched by that comment and decides to become a weather forecaster. She studies hard for the exam to become a weather forecaster. With the help of the people around her in Tome, she finally passes the exam. Momone Nagaura moves to Tokyo and begins to work at a private weather forecasting company. Working there, she grows up as a weather forecaster. Several years later, in 2019, a major typhoon approaches Japan. To help her hometown, she heads to Kesennuma Bay.

May 24 2020

Yukie Nakama cast in WOWOW drama series “24 Japan”

Yukie Nakama is cast in WOWOW drama series “24 Japan” starring Toshiaki Karasawa. The drama series is a remake of U.S. television series “24” starring Kiefer Sutherland. For the drama series, Yukie Nakama will play politician Urara Asakura. She is vying to become Japan’s first female prime minister, but an assassination plot on her life takes place.

“24 Japan” will first air October, 2020 in Japan.

Plot Synopsis by AsianWiki: Genba Shido (Toshiaki Karasawa) is the director of Team A in the Counter Terrorist Unit (CTU). He is excellent at his job. He is a reasonable person, but he often has to make drastic decisions to save lives. He is separated from his wife because of marital problems. They have a daughter.

Meanwhile, Urara Asakura (Yukie Nakama) is the leader of the Minsei Party. She has strong support from the people. She is married and has a son and daughter. Urara Asakura is expected by many to become Japan’s first female prime minster. On the day of the election for the Prime Minister office, an assassination plot on Urara Asakura’s life is revealed. Genba Shido must stop the assassination attempt, but his daughter is also kidnapped at the same time.