The 39th episode of the NHK Taiga drama "To You, Who Shines" (General TV, Sunday 8:00 pm and others), starring Yoshitaka Yuriko, titled "Unbroken Bonds," will air on October 13th. Starting from this episode, actor Minami Sara will appear as the grown-up Fujiwara no Kenko.
Kenko is the daughter of Mahiro (Murasaki Shikibu, Yoshitaka) and Fujiwara no Nobutaka (Sasaki Kuranosuke). She grows up being loved by her grandfather Tametoki (Kishitani Goro). There is a period when Mahiro rebels, but she inherits his literary talent and eventually becomes a court attendant. Her real father is Michinaga (Emoto Tasuku).
Minami will be appearing in a Taiga drama for the first time since playing Ohime in "The 13 Lords of the Kamakura" in 2022. Regarding her role this time, she said, "Kenko is bright and passionate, and it is said that she later rose to the high rank of Junior Third Rank, which is unusual for a woman."
She continued, "As she feels neglected, she has complex feelings of resentment towards her mother, and there is tension between mother and daughter." She also said, "I look forward to the script I receive every time. I hope to be able to carefully express the cuteness and intelligence that Kenko possesses."
"To You, Shining" is the 63rd taiga drama. Set in the aristocratic society of the mid-Heian period, the protagonist is Murasaki Shikibu (Mahiro), who later wrote "The Tale of Genji," said to be the oldest novel written by a woman in the world. The script was written by Oishi Shizuka, who is writing a taiga drama for the second time since "Koumyou ga Tsuji" in 2006, and depicts the glittering world of Heian aristocrats and the life of a woman who lived, wrote, and loved with all her heart.
