It has been revealed that model and actor Rinka Kumada will appear in the ABEMA original drama "Shinuhodo Aishite" (starting March 27th at 11pm), starring actor Hiroki Narimiya. Kumagaya will play Yuhi Minamizawa, a female magazine reporter who is murdered by someone.
The drama is a live-action adaptation of the manga of the same name by Amagi Seimaru, who is known for works such as "The Kindaichi Case Files," which has sold over 100 million copies. It is a pure love suspense story smeared with "love" and "madness" between an ideal husband, Jingu Masato (played by Narimiya), who is a murderer but outwardly devoted to his wife, and his wife, Mio (played by Takimoto Miori), who loves him wholeheartedly. It will be directed by Hideo Jojo, who has worked on films such as "I Want to Be Killed by a High School Girl" and won the 30th Japan Professional Movie Awards Director's Award for "At the Edge of the Alps Stand." It will have a total of 8 episodes.
Kumada, who plays the role of the murdered reporter who is a key character in the story, commented, "It was my first time playing the role of a reporter, so it was a challenge for me, but at the same time, I was able to approach filming with a very fresh feeling."
The appearances of Yoshihiko Hosoda and Yoshihiko Hakamada were also announced. Hosoda will play Ishiguro Souma, a mysterious man who sniffs around Masato and Mio, and Hakamada will play Ikeda, the editor-in-chief of the same weekly magazine as Minamizawa, played by Kumada.
◇ Comment from Rinka Kumagaya, who plays Rinka Kumada
Minamizawa Yuhi, the character I play, is a female reporter, and I felt that her figure of pursuing one thing with conviction was brave and cool. It was my first time playing the role of a reporter, so it was a challenge for me, but at the same time, I was able to approach the filming with a very fresh feeling. It was a work with a dark world view that I had never done before, so the filming was tense, but the cast members were all cheerful people, so the filming site was a stark contrast to the work itself!
◇Comment from Yoshihiko Hosoda, who plays Souma Ishiguro
I was asked not to write anything about the role, as it is a "mysterious man," but playing Ishiguro Souma under Director Jyojo was an unforgettable experience. When I read the script, I wondered how it would be filmed, and there were many stage directions I had never seen before. I was surprised and excited at the same time, and I took on the challenge headfirst. I hope you enjoy not only the way that Masato Kamishiro lives his life as played by Narimiya, but also the gradually revealed side of Ishiguro. Please look forward to "Love Me to Death."
◇ Comment from Yoshihiko Hakamada, who plays Ikeda
Is "the pen mightier than the sword"? I played Ikeda, the editor-in-chief of a weekly magazine. I feel the power of a weekly magazine to change something in reality, in this drama, in a big sense, and in a private sense. Please look forward to seeing how the "pen" fights against the insane existence of Masato.
