It has recently been announced that four short stories published by Haruki Murakami after the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake will be adapted into a drama series by NHK, titled "After the Earthquake," and will be broadcast in the station's Saturday drama slot (Saturdays at 10 p.m.) starting April 5. The script will be written by Takayoshi Oe, who also wrote the film "Drive My Car," which is based on another Murakami novel.
The drama will feature four stories, including "All God's Children Dance." The setting will not only be 1995, but will extend to 2025, depicting the 30 years of "after the earthquake" that continue into the present. The drama will be directed by Go Inoue , who also directed the NHK Asadora drama "Amachan" in the first half of 2013.
Also starring in the series will be Okada Masaki in "No. 1 'A UFO Lands in Kushiro'", Masaki Okada Yui in "No. 2 'A Scene with an Iron'", Watanabe Daichi in "No. 3 'All God's Children Can Dance'", and Sato Koichi in "No. 4 'The Frog Saves Tokyo, Part 2'". It has also been announced that the cast will include AI Hashimoto, Karata Erika, Kita Kana, Kodai Kurosaki, Kurosaki Kirayo, Shibukawa Kiyohiko, Kurokawa Soya, Kiriyu Aso, and Tsuda Kanji.
Screenwriter Oe commented, "This drama depicts what happens after "something has been shaken" in the characters' hearts. The screen captures a strange feeling, as if the world they thought they knew suddenly began to seem unfamiliar. I experienced that earthquake in Osaka. Thirty years have passed since then, and how have people's hearts changed? I hope that this drama will give viewers a chance to reflect on the past 30 years."
