Archive for 'Drama' Category

Tetsuya Takeda’s Kinpachi-sensei to retire with special drama in March

The popular drama series “3 Nen B Gumi Kinpachi Sensei” will come to a conclusion this March with a final special episode. The show, which stars Tetsuya Takeda (武田鉄矢）,61, as a junior high school teacher, has had a total of 8 seasons since 1979, with the last one in 2007-2008. This finale will be the drama’s 12th special episode.

Takeda is a Japanese folk singer and actor. He perhaps most known in Japan for his starring role in “3 Nen B Gumi Kinpachi Sensei” long-running, highly-rated drama.The program, targeted at junior high and high school aged adolescents. Over the show’s 8 seasons, Takeda’s character “Kinpachi-sensei” has guided approximately 240 students to graduation. In several cases, the show helped launch the careers of the young stars playing his students, including Kaori Sugita, Kazuya Kamenashi, and Aya Ueto.

Takeda alos wrote and performed several well-known songs, including the theme song for the 1985 animated movie Doraemon: Nobita’s Little Star Wars (のび太の宇宙小戦争). Takeda’s 1980 song Okuru Kotoba (The Word I Give to You) is often sung or performed at junior high school and high school graduation ceremonies in Japan.

The upcoming episode, tentatively titled “3 Nen B Gumi Kinpachi Sensei Final,” will deal with Kinpachi-sensei’s retirement. Filming starts next week, though the student cast has not yet been reported. TBS plans to broadcast the special at the end of March.

Takuya Kimura to star in Antarctic research expedition team’s drama

TBS has announced that Takuya Kimura (木村拓哉）,38, will star in a new drama series next fall, tentatively titled “Nankyoku Tairiku ~Kami no Ryouiki ni Idonda Otoko to Inu no Monogatari~.” The show is being produced in commemoration of TBS’s 60th anniversary, and it is said that it will have the biggest budget of any TBS drama series in history.

The series will focus on Japan’s first Antarctic research expedition team, which consisted of 11 members and 19 Sakhalin Huskies. The team stayed at the Showa Base in Antarctica for over a year until 1958 when a second team came to take over, but extreme weather conditions forced the teams to completely retreat from the base, unfortunately leaving behind 15 of the Huskies. When one of the dog handlers returned in 1959 with a third team, it was discovered that two of the dogs, Taro and Jiro, had somehow managed to survive.

That expedition team was also the subject of the 1983 film “Nankyoku Monogatari,” starring Ken Takakura (高倉健）,79,. That movie earned approximately 11 billion yen, making it the second highest grossing live-action Japanese film in history after “Odoru Daisousasen: The Movie 2.”

The drama will not be a remake of the film. Instead, it will be an original script inspired by the book “Nankyoku Ettoutai Taro Jiro no Shinjitsu” by Taiichi Kitamura.

Kimura plays the researcher Takeshi Kuramochi, the vice-leader of the team. His rival, the head weather observer Himuro, will be played by Masato Sakai (37). Teruyuki Kagawa (45) is playing the team leader, while Kyohei Shibata (59) is playing the overall person in charge of the expedition. Other team members will be played by Yusuke Yamamoto (23), Susumu Terajima (47), and Naoto Ogata (43).

Filming will start in February and last more than half a year. Scenes will be shot in Hokkaido, though TBS is also considering doing some filming in Antarctica. The series will begin airing in October in the Sunday 9:00pm time slot.

In February 1958, the Second Cross-Winter Expedition for the Japanese Antarctic Surveying Team rode on the icebreaker The Sōya to take over from the 11-man First Cross-Winter Expedition. Due to the extreme weather conditions in Antarctica, Sōya could not get near enough to the Shouwa Base and they decided not to proceed with the stay-over.

The First Cross-Winter Expedition retreated by helicopter, but they had to leave 15 Sakhalin Huskies at the unmanned Shouwa Base. The dogs were left chained at the base, as the team thought that they would be returning, but they did not due to fuel shortages. The team was worried about the dogs, as the weather was extremely cold and only one week of food was available.

Nearly a year later, on 14 January 1959, Kitagawa, one of the dog handlers in the first expedition, returned with the Third Cross-Winter Expedition, wanting to bury his beloved dogs. To everyone’s surprise, they were greeted warmly at the base by two dogs, Taro and Jiro, brothers who were born in Antarctica.

It is still unknown how and why the brothers survived, because an average husky can only live in such conditions for about one month.

Hiroki Narimiya cast as Yutaka Ozaki in biographical drama

The life of singer-songwriter Yutaka Ozaki(尾崎豊）is being dramatized for television for the first time. Hiroki Narimiya (成宮寛貴),28, will play the role of Ozaki as part of a special drama and documentary project by digital broadcasting station BS Japan.

Ozakiis one of the most iconic singer/songwriters of Japan. Debuting in 1983 with “15 no yoru,” he won the hearts of Japanese teenagers who could relate to his realistic lyrics about love, rebellion, and growing up. He died an untimely death on April 25, 1992 of heart failure, most likely brought on by an overdose. Since then, his songs have been covered many times by the popular artists of today.

To commemorate BS Japan’s 10th anniversary, the station is producing a mini-drama, tentatively titled “Kaze no Shonen ~ Ozaki Yutaka Eien no Densetsu.” The show will be a portrayal of Ozaki’s life, using an original screenplay based on a book by Akira Sudo, who was Ozaki’s producer.

Narumiya debuted in 2000 in the play “Horobikaketa Jinrui, Sono Ai no Honshitsu to wa (Perishing Humankind, What is the Essence of Its Love?).” He was chosen for the part of Kane out of the 3000 actors who auditioned. In February 2001, Narumiya made his movie debut in “Oboreru Sakana”, a Toei production. In 2002, he appeared as Noda in the television drama, “Gokusen.” With his life-sized performance in this role, Hiroki won both serious acclaim and popularity.
Narumiya has received many offers to model overseas for high-fashion brands, which fits in his plans to pursue work outside Japan as both a model and actor.

The drama will cover Ozaki’s life from the age of 16, when he first met Sudo through an artist audition. The show is expected to air on TV Tokyo in late March.

Visual-kei band Versailles appears in first TV drama “Onegai Kanaete Versailles”

The visual-kei band Versailles will act in a television show for the first time. “Onegai Kanaete Versailles” is a late-night mini-drama that will air in a 5-minute time slot on MBS (local station in Nagoya) and tvk (local station in Yokohama), starting in January 2011.

Versailles (known as Versailles -Philharmonic Quintet- in the United States) is a Japanese metal band formed in 2007. It is composed of several notable figures in the visual kei scene. Versailles’ key characteristics are their rococo-esque costumes, dueling guitar sounds and heavy but melodic arrangements.

The TV show stars Rina Koike (17) as a poor but pure girl named Rina Fukurokoujo. One day a group of “princes” (played by Versailles) appear before her to grant her every wish, no matter how unreasonable. There will be an element of comedy in their various missions, including one where they must serve as babysitters.

Versailles will provide the show’s theme song “Philia,” which they plan to release as a single on March 16.

“Onegai Kanaete Versailles” will air on MBS on Monday nights at 2:20am, starting January 17. tvk will broadcast the show on Friday nights at 12:30am, starting January 21.

Jun Matsumoto x Yuko Takeuchi star in next “Getsu 9″ drama

Jun Matsumoto (松本潤) will star in Fuji TV’s Monday night drama series next season.

Matsumoto, born August 30, 1983, often called MatsuJun, is a Japanese idol, singer and actor. He is a member of boy band Arashi and is best known to drama audiences for his portrayal as Tsukasa Domyoji in the Hana Yori Dango series.

Matsumoto will be the first member of “Arashi” to appear in a drama during that time slot, and this will be his first lead role in a full-length Fuji TV series. Read the rest of this entry »

Yu Yamada’s first lead role in drama “Gakeppuchi no Eri ~ Kono Yo de Ichiban Daiji na ‘Kane’ no Hanashi”

Yu Yamada (山田優) has been given her first starring role in a drama series.Yamada, born July 5, 1984 in Okinawa, is a model, actress, and singer best known from her modeling work with CanCam magazine.

Yamada will play the protagonist in TV Asahi’s “Gakeppuchi no Eri ~ Kono Yo de Ichiban Daiji na ‘Kane’ no Hanashi,（崖っぷちのエリー～この世でいちばん大事な“カネ”の話）” based on a semi-autobiographical essay by mangaka Rieko Saibara (西原理恵子). Read the rest of this entry »

Akiko Yada x Kenji Sakaguchi for Fuji TV special drama

Akiko Yada (矢田亜希子）made her first public performance in four years, joining actor Kenji Sakaguchi（坂口憲二）in Odaiba for the preview screening of their Fuji TV special drama, “Keiji Narusawa Ryo: Tokyo Terror, Jijou Saiaku no 24jikan” (刑事・鳴沢了～東京テロ、史上最悪の２４時間～/ Detective Ryo Narusawa: Tokyo Terror: The Worst 24 Hours in History). Read the rest of this entry »

Tomoya Nagase x Kankuro Kudo for new drama “Unubore Deka”

TOKIO’s Tomoya Nagase is once again teaming up with screenwriter Kankuro Kudo for a new drama series this summer.
This will be their third one together, after “Ikebukuro West Gate Park” (2000) and “Tiger & Dragon” (2005).

Tomoya Nagase (長瀬 智也) is a Japanese singer and actor born on November 7, 1978. Nagase has had parts in over 40 dramas. His first lead role was in Hakusen Nagashi (1996). More lead roles followed including Ikebukuro West Gate Park, Mukodono!, and Tiger & Dragon. Mukodono! was his first comedic role. In My Boss My Hero he had another comedic role. Read the rest of this entry »

Second live-action drama “Hotaru no Hikari”

The second live-action TV series based on Hotaru no Hikari manga will premiere in July.

Haruka Ayase will reprise her role as Hotaru, a 27-year-old office lady who would rather sit around lazily at home than pursue romance. Hotaru works for a famous interior design company. It’s a glamorous job but Hotaru’s private life is totally the opposite of glamorous. Read the rest of this entry »

Nozomi Sasaki x Sumo Drama “Dohyo Girl”

Fashion model Nozomi Sasaki (佐々木希) has her first starring role in a drama series, though it will unexpectedly be about sumo wrestling.
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Takuya Kimura’s drama “Tsuki no Koibito” Preview Clip

The Monday 9 PM slot drama in spring is “Tsuki no Koibito ~Moon Lovers~” starring Takuya Kimura , Ryoko Shinohara , Lin Zhiling, Keiko Kitagawa and Shota Matsuda . It will be a love pentagon between the five.
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Alisa Mizuki x “Sazae-san” drama

Due to the success of the “Sazae-san” drama special on Nov.15 2009, Fuji TV is working on a second one to air this summer. Last year’s special starring Mizuki Alisa (観月ありさ) was so successful that they decided to do another episode with her this year. Read the rest of this entry »

Joe Odagiri to star in drama “Atami no Sousakan”

Joe Odagiri (オダギリジョー) will star in a new drama series this summer on TV Asahi, titled “Atami no Sousakan.” Read the rest of this entry »

Rika Adachi in wedding kimono for “Gegege no Nyobo”

Rika Adachi (足立梨花) wearing a wedding kimono for drama “Gegege no Nyobo”.
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Takuya Kimura returns to Getsu 9 drama “Moon Lovers”

Takuya Kimura (木村拓哉) is going to star in Fuji TV’s Getsu9 drama “Moon Lovers (月の恋人～Moon Lovers～)” next season.

In this drama, kimura will have to try himself as a company president.
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