It has been announced that model and actor Nozomi Sasaki will be appearing in the drama series "Ameku M.D.: Doctor Detective" (TV Asahi, Tuesdays at 9pm) which starts on April 22nd. She will play the older sister of the main character, Takao Ameku (played by Kanna Hashimoto).
The drama is a screen adaptation of the novel of the same Mikito Chinen, which has sold over 3.6 million copies in total. The drama is a medical mystery in which the buddy team of Takao, a diagnostician with superhuman intelligence and memory, and Yu Takanashi (Shohei Miura), an internist, brilliantly solve mysterious cases and phenomena.
Sasaki plays Ameku Mazuru, Takao's older sister and the administrative director of Teniikai General Hospital, where the story takes place. She is a warm but strict watchful eye over Takao, who is constantly at odds with those around him, and is the only one who can control his words and actions, which could lead to trouble. She is usually elegant and cheerful, but when she gets angry, she changes completely, and she also has a scary side that scares even Takao.
Sasaki commented, "Manazuru is calm and has a strong sense of justice, and sees things from a different perspective than Takao. They respect each other, but sometimes their opinions clash. I think the reason Manazuru is so strict with Takao is because of the deep love and bond he has, which makes him want to be his only understanding friend and protect his sister at all costs. I want to do my best to express the kindness hidden within Manazuru's strength."
Manazuru is also set to play a strong-arm pitcher who does well in softball tournaments, and she revealed about her role preparation, "I've been practicing on my own with the help of an actual pitcher."
The cast of Mei Hata, Reiko Takashima, and Toshiro Yanagiba was also announced. Hata will play Mai Konoike, a medical intern who admires Takao. Takashima will play Natsuko Kuraishi, a member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly who is secretly promoting the "hospital reorganization and consolidation plan," and Yanagiba will play Owashi Ameku, the uncle and hospital director who is always at odds with his niece Takao.
