It has recently been revealed that actor Airu Kubozuka with his role in the Sunday Theatre drama " Mikami Sensei " (TBS) starring Tori Matsuzaka , will be starring in "Aozora Beer," which will be broadcast on NHK's "Yorudara" time slot (General TV, Monday to Thursday, 10:45 PM) from June 16th. This will be Kubozuka's first lead role in an NHK drama. It was also announced that Maito Fujioka, Toyoshima Hana, Minamide Ryoka, and Sato Eriko will appear as regular cast members.
The drama is based on "Aozora Beer," a collection of essays by novelist Akio Morisawa, which chronicles the strange and bizarre incidents he encountered while traveling on a budget or playing outdoors with his "bad friends" in his late teens and early twenties, and its sequel, "Yuzora Beer." The drama will be a laid-back "outdoor drama" that quotes unique characters and episodes from the essays, while also incorporating camping, local cuisine, and original characters created by screenwriter Hayashi Mori.
The protagonist, Morikawa Yukio, played by Kubozuka, is a fourth-year student in the Faculty of Literature at a self-proclaimed "F-rank university." He is an outdoorsy person who wants to enjoy every day, and goes on group camping trips, solo camping trips, car camping trips, and touring almost every week. He is good at cooking ingredients he finds locally, such as fishing and gathering wild plants. It is time to start job hunting, but after applying to several companies, he quits, saying, "It's not for me." He dislikes conflict with others and is good at getting close to people.
Kubozuka said, "I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to play the leading role in the NHK evening drama, but I also feel as much pressure as I do gratitude for the big role. However, I will not let that get me down and will try to play Morikawa in a way that is true to myself."
He continued, "I hope to create a series that viewers can enjoy together, one in which warmth spreads from person to person through camping." He also called out to viewers, "I hope that through this series I can express the small but precious happiness that no matter what the situation or position, we are all connected under the same sky. I want to approach filming with the feeling that we are all connected together. Please look forward to it!"
