The NHK morning drama series " Anpan " starring Mio Imada (General TV, Monday to Saturday, 8am and others) will begin airing on March 31st. The story is about love and courage, based on the married couple Takashi Yanase Nobu Komatsu(1918-1993). Imada Nobu Asada the main character Asada Nobu, while Takumi Kitamura plays Takashi Yanai , Nobu's childhood friend who later becomes her husband. This will be the sixth time Imada and Kitamura have worked together. Let's take a look back at the previous works in which the two have worked together, playing a married couple for the first time.
◇ Their first co-starring role was as a senior and junior at the same part-time job. They also co-starred in the spin-off of "Naoki Hanzawa"
Imada and Kitamura first starred together in the 2019 film "You Shine in the Moonlight" (directed by Tsukikawa Sho). Kitamura co-starred with Mei Nagano in the film, which tells the story of a love story in which the heroine, who suffers from an incurable disease called "luminescence disease" that causes her skin to glow due to a cellular abnormality, and a young man who "experiences on her behalf" her wishes deepen their bond.
Kitamura played Takuya Okada, a high school student who experiences the "unfulfilled wish" of Mamizu (Nagano), who suffers from luminescence disease. Imada played Rico Hirabayashi, a senior at the maid cafe where Takuya works part-time as part of his experience, and who falls in love with Takuya.
The second time they worked together was in the TBS series "Hanzawa Naoki Spin-off Project: Naoki Hanzawa's Password is Stolen," starring Ryo Yoshizawa, which aired in January 2020. In this spin-off of the popular drama "Hanzawa Naoki" starring Masato Sakai, Imada played the role of Hitomi Hamamura at Tokyo Central Securities, where Hanzawa was seconded. In her role as a boss who admires Hanzawa, she also appeared in the second season of the series, which aired in July of the same year, supporting Hanzawa.
On the other hand, Kitamura plays the role of Ryosuke Kuroki, a mysterious person who was a programming friend of the talented programmer Kei Kosaka (played by Yoshizawa) during their university days and has a past connection with him. He plays a character who is in an antagonistic relationship with Kosaka and Hitomi.
◇ Co-starred three times in the "Tokyo Revengers" series
The two later co-starred in the "Tokyo Revengers" series (directed by Tsutomu Hanabusa), starring Kitamura. They co-starred in all three films: "Tokyo Revengers" released in 2021, "Tokyo Revengers 2: Bloody Halloween Chapter - Fate" and "Tokyo Revengers 2: Bloody Tokyo Revengers- Decisive Battle," which were released in 2023 as a two-part series.
The film is based on Wakui's manga "Tokyo Revengers," which was serialized in "Weekly Shonen Magazine" (Kodansha) from 2017 to 2022. It depicts the struggle of Takemichi Hanagaki (Kitamura), a hopeless part-time worker at rock bottom in life, as he repeatedly time-leaps to save his high school sweetheart Hinata Tachibana (Imada), who lost his life in a conflict with Tokyo Manjikai, the most vicious organization in the Kanto region.
In the film, the two played lovers, with Kitamura playing the cool protagonist who is timid but exudes a hidden passion, and Imada playing the charming heroine that everyone wants to protect.
◇ In "Anpan" they play a married couple. The production manager also praised their chemistry.
After five co-starring roles, Imada and Kitamura will play a married couple in "Anpan." Imada said of how he felt when he found out that Kitamura would be his co-star, "I was really relieved, and thought I had nothing to worry about."
Production manager Kurasaki Ken also gave the pair their stamp of approval for their roles as a married couple, saying, "When I watch the scenes with the two of them together, I think they have excellent chemistry. Even when I watch their scenes together on the monitor, I can't think of a better combination. I don't think there was any other casting possible for these two, with Imada as Nobu and Kitamura as Taka. They have great chemistry, and you'll want to watch the footage forever."
Nobu, played by Imada, is a character who is full of energy and speed, overcomes the rough waves of life with power, and is also called "Hachikin Onobu" or "Idaten Onobu" because of his tomboyish and competitive personality. On the other hand, Takashi, played by Kitamura, is a bit timid and lacks confidence.
Regarding the relationship between Nobu and Taku, Imada said, "At first, it feels like Nobu's energy is pulling Taku along, but Nobu is also stronger because of Taku, and when Nobu is in trouble, Taku will casually lend her a hand. There is something that only the two of them can understand. Their personalities are complete opposites, but I envy the way they can support each other like that, and that they can understand each other so well despite their different genders."
Imada and Kitamura have already worked together in perfect harmony, so what kind of married couple will they play? Keep your eyes peeled for their performances in "Anpan."
