It has been revealed that actress and model Mizuki Yamamoto will star in the drama series "Otona ni Nattemo" which will be exclusively distributed on Hulu. This will be Yamamoto's first lead role in a drama since giving birth. She will play Okubo Ayano, a married elementary school teacher who is serious but surprisingly bold.
The drama is based on the manga of the same name by Takako Shimura, which was serialized in the manga magazine Kiss (Kodansha) from 2019 to 2023. The main theme is "love between adult women," and the story depicts the romance between married Ayano and Hirayama Akari, who works at Ayano's favorite dining bar. It was also announced that Kuriyama Chiaki will appear in the role of Akari, which will be her first time acting alongside Yamamoto. A Teaser trailer capturing the honest feelings of Ayano (Yamamoto) and Akari (Kuriyama) was also released.
Yamamoto said, "I've always loved Shimura-sensei's manga since I was in high school, so I couldn't believe that I would be asked to take part in the first live-action adaptation. Of course, 'Even as an Adult' is one of my favorite works, so I was very happy to be able to play the role of Ayano. As a fan, I wanted to make sure that I didn't destroy the worldview of the work and that it would be a wonderful work that would be worth adapting into live-action, so I took on the challenge."
Regarding the drama, she revealed her impression, saying, "This is a romance drama, but it may feel a little different from your typical romance dramas." She continued, "I don't think it's a romance drama that heads straight to a happy ending. There are many characters, and they all have their own feelings. Some people think that each decision is right, and some think that they are wrong. But I don't think there is a right answer, and I think that is what makes it very real. This is a work that depicts the ambiguous and beautiful feelings of such people. I'm sure someone will be able to see themselves in the story. I would be happy if it is a work that gently empathizes with the hearts of those who cannot be honest with their own feelings."
The drama will have 12 episodes and will begin streaming on April 26th. After that, new episodes will be released every Saturday.
