It has been announced that Nogizaka46 member Nagi Inoue will star in the special drama "Spring!", which will be broadcast on TV Asahi from 11:15 pm to 12:15 am on March 21. Inoue is a 5th generation member who joined Nogizaka46 in 2022. She is the "next generation ace" who will also be the center in "Ohitorisama Tengoku" (2023), "Cheat Day" (2024), and the new single "Navel Orange" (on sale March 26), and this will be her first lead role in a terrestrial drama.
The drama is a film adaptation of the winning work by Matsushita Saya, which was selected as the 23rd Grand Prize winner from a total of 1,023 entries in the TV Asahi Newcomer Scenario Awards, which has produced many screenwriters. The drama is a youth love story that depicts the conflicts and love of high school students, with the theme of essays.
Inoue plays Aoi Osaka, a studious honor student who unexpectedly fails the first semester exams for the university she wanted to attend, even though she had always received A's. When she finds out that the second semester exams are only an essay and that only 10 people will pass, she is about to give up, but is persuaded by her classmate Yu Murase to take the essay exam... and so the story unfolds.
Regarding her role in this production, Inoue commented, "I was interested in acting, so I was very happy! I had seen my seniors working hard in various places for the group, and I had aspirations of being like them someday!"
She said that when she appeared in the Nogizaka46 5th Generation Musical "Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon 2024" last year, "I was able to feel the joy of acting," and honestly shared her thoughts, saying, "I was a bit nervous, but I think I was more excited than anxious."
Regarding the story, she said, "I thought it was about a very clumsy and naive youth. Osaka Aoi, who I played, has a certain inability to be honest, and Murase Yu also has a clumsy side because he is too straightforward. I thought the work was filled with the charm that only these two characters have." She added, "This will be my first appearance in a terrestrial TV drama and my first leading role. It is truly a wonderful work, so I would be happy if many people will watch it! Thank you very much."
Inoue will be playing a high school senior in his school uniform. He is also the former captain of the calligraphy club, and there is a performance scene in which he writes a banner in a dignified hakama outfit. Other cast members, including Murase, will be announced at a later date.
