Tsuyoshi Kusanagi to star in the October drama series "Shumaku no Rondo"

It has been revealed that Tsuyoshi Kusanagi will star in the drama series "Shumaku no Rondo" (Kantele/Fuji TV, Mondays at 10pm) which will begin airing in October 2025. This will be Kusanagi's first lead role in a commercial TV drama series in about two and a half years, since Kantele's "Trap Wars", and this time he will play an estate cleaner.

Since his first lead role in a serial drama, "Good Person" (1997), Kusanagi has starred in many dramas produced by KTV, such as the "Boku Series" starting with "Boku no Ikiru Michi" (2003) and the "Senso Series" starting with "Zeni no Senso" (2015). This will be his ninth serial drama and his tenth lead role if the one-off "Kamisama no Beret: Osamu Tezuka's Black Jack Creation Secret Story" (2013) is included.

All that has been revealed about this film is that it is an original work that brings together staff who worked on the "Boku Series" and "War Series," and nothing else has been revealed other than that Kusanagi will be playing an estate cleaner.

Kusanagi said, "I've returned to this place, which is my home! I will be taking on a new drama that is different from the previous 'war series'. I hope you will look forward to 'Shuuhaku no Rondo,' which starts in October, to see what kind of drama it will be!"

--This is your first TV drama in two and a half years since "War of the Trap," and your 10th KTV drama will be the most you've starred in. What were your honest thoughts when you received the offer?

This is the most! I'm really grateful to have been invited again. I feel like I've come home. I've worked with KTV on various projects at various milestones up until now. My first lead role in a drama series was a KTV drama called "Good Person," and remembering that time makes me happy and humbled at the same time.

--This will not be a sequel or part of a series, but a completely new work. What are your thoughts about it?

I'm excited and thrilled. The "War Series" has been a trilogy, and we've been working with the same staff for a very long time, so of course there's an afterimage of that, but this time, I was surprised by the difference in the script from the "War Series". The gap and unexpectedness made me feel excited, as if I was being invited into an unknown world that I don't know yet. I want to go back to my roots and create something new with everyone! I want to do that.

--About your role as an estate organizer.

Actually, I had never really thought about the job of "estate organizer" before. After reading the script, I thought it was a wonderful job that involves being close to people, and a job that is full of humanism. The script was based on reality, and I was impressed by it. I think this will be a good opportunity to spread awareness to people who have never paid attention to it before, including myself. Sooner or later, it will affect everyone, and I think it will be a good opportunity to think about your loved ones and also to look back on yourself.

--The other day, it was announced that Goro Inagaki will be appearing in a drama series in July. In 2025, the three of you will be taking turns appearing in TV dramas, with Katori (Japan's Worst Man) in January, Inagaki (We Still Don't Know the School Rules of That Planet), and Kusanagi in October. Of course, you'll all be working continuously in movies, streaming, and on stage, but I'd like to ask you again how you feel about this.

I am truly grateful. There is an increasing amount of content, but I think television is a warm thing that everyone can enjoy together, all across Japan. I'm also happy that the three of them will be appearing in a drama series one after another, and when I return home after working in various places, the cells inside me are activated, and I feel like there is a new chemical reaction. Now that I'm activated, I want to liven up the world of television.

--Finally, please give a message to your viewers and fans!

I'm back at this place, my home! I'm taking on a new drama that's different from the "war series" so far. I hope you'll look forward to "Final Rondo," which starts in October, to find out what kind of drama it will be!