It has been revealed that actor Hidetaka Yoshioka will be starring in the Drama W: Yoru no Dohyo" (WOWOW). This will be Yoshioka's first lead role in a WOWOW drama since "W Tokusou" (W Serial Drama).
The original work is the mystery novel "Yoru no Dohyo" (Chuokoron-Shinsha) by Akira Ashizawa, which won the Mystery Writers of Japan Award in the "Novel and Short Story Collection Category." This is a full-scale social mystery in which Yoshioka plays Taira Shotaro, the detective in charge of a murder case that occurred in 1996, who investigates the footsteps of suspect Akutsu, who has been on the run for two years, and the reason for the murder, while approaching the "truth" of the case. When the dots of the characters connect around a certain "suspect," an unexpected "dark side of society" comes into light...
"Drama W: Yoru no Dohyo" will be broadcast and streamed on WOWOW Prime and WOWOW On Demand in September. There are five episodes in total, with the first episode being broadcast for free.
◇Story
In 1996, Togawa Katsuhiro, a teacher who ran a cram school in Yokohama, was murdered. Akutsu Gen, a former student of the victim and suffering from a mild mental disorder, quickly emerged as a suspect in the investigation, but even now, two years after the incident, no trace of the perpetrator has been found.
As the investigation winds down, detective Taira Shotaro (Yoshioka Hidetaka), under the direction of section chief Izutsu Isao, is assigned to the full-time investigation of the Togawa murder together with young detective Oya Keigo. Why was Togawa, a man of character with no bad reputation to speak of, murdered? Taira and his team continue to question people at the cram school who knew Togawa, the mother, ex-wife, and acquaintances of suspect Akutsu, every day, but the mystery only deepens.
Meanwhile, Akutsu's classmate, Nagao Toyoko, ends up harboring the murderer, and elementary school student Hashimoto Haru, who Akutsu meets through a certain incident. When these seemingly unrelated people start to move around Akutsu, a suspect on the run, the seemingly disparate dots begin to connect, and the story soon unfolds in an unexpected way.
The reason behind Akutsu's murder and escape, the "truth" that Taira and his team discover, and a certain social problem that comes to light... This is a full-fledged social mystery that centers on detective Taira Shotaro, who himself has family problems, as he approaches the one and only truth.
◇Comment from Hidetaka Yoshioka
I always learn something new through the dramas and the roles I play in WOWOW dramas. As with "CO Transplant Coordinator," "Tokusou," and "Cold Case," I feel like I'm embodying the characters in the production rather than just playing a role. It's easy to call it a socially conscious human mystery, but I hope it's a drama that will leave viewers and myself asking questions in our own hearts.
◇ Comment from Junichi Mori, scriptwriter and director
This is a socially conscious drama, but rather than simply presenting the issues, I tried to structure it in a way that would allow viewers to find a ray of hope. The characters also have complex backgrounds and motivations, and I was careful not to simply categorize them as good or bad. Taira Shotaro, played by Yoshioka Hidetaka, has a strong sense of justice, but also struggles with how to confront social injustice.
However, this attitude places a mental burden on the child, causing a strain in the parent-child relationship. Yoshioka-san sensitively differentiates between the two roles of "detective" and "father," adding depth and persuasiveness to the story. I remember being impressed many times while watching the lingering expressions on the monitor. Each of the characters in this work has a complex background and circumstances. They search for their own path even as they are tossed about by life. I hope you will watch to the end to see how this human drama unfolds.
◇Comment from original author Akira Ashizawa
When I had the opportunity to observe the filming, the lead actor, Yoshioka Hidetaka, spoke about his feelings for Akutsu (the suspect in this film), and my heart warmed, thinking, ``I'm so glad that the detective in charge of this case is someone who looks at Akutsu with that kind of gaze.''
The original story was written because I wanted to see the scene that emerges when the heartbreaking fragments of each individual's life intertwine, a sort of miraculous chemical reaction, and I am so happy and grateful that so many people are devoting their precious time of their lives to this story.
I am truly looking forward to seeing what kind of scenes we will see as a result of the chemistry between everyone involved in the production of this drama.
