Next Asadora"Bakebake" Akari Takaishi& Tommy Bastow one-shot visual released

A one-shot visual for " Bakebake ," the NHK Asadora drama series starring actress Akari Takaishi that will air in the second half of 2025 and start on September 29th, was released on August 13th.

The one-shot visuals feature the heroine Toki Matsuno(played by Takaishi) and her husband-to-be, Lefkada Haven (played by Tommy Bastow). The photos were taken by photographer Kotori Kawashima, and the poster visual design was done by Kazuki Nishizawa.

Takaishi commented, "I photographed the old homes where Koizumi Setsu and Yakumo actually lived, and the scenery of Matsue, which still retains traces of that time. As Toki and Heaven, I followed the same path that the two of them took in life. Kawashima Kotori then captured every moment on film, resulting in visual photographs that are overflowing with transience and small happiness, just like the catchphrase, 'This world is sad, but wonderful.' I am grateful for the opportunity to spend such a luxurious time with them."

Bastow commented, "Heaven is a little unconventional, but charming, and is well-liked by those around him; he tries his best to speak Japanese, even if it's only broken. I think you can see his loving, yet mischievous, side in these photos. It was a very relaxing day, and I had a lot of fun working with Kotori. Akari always came up with interesting ideas, which allowed us to naturally express the relationship between the two of them in the photos. We all shared the same desire to take photos that would make everyone's hearts flutter and swoon, and it was really fun to work together to make that happen, and I'm very happy with the finished product."

"Bakebake " is the story of a couple who, together with her foreign husband, love ghost stories and shed light on the "nameless people" who had been forgotten in Meiji-era Japan as it became increasingly Westernized, and who acted as spokespeople for them. Takaishi plays the heroine, Toki Matsuno , the daughter of a fallen samurai from Matsue, modeled after Yakumo Koizumi Lafcadio Hearn 's wife, Setsu. The script is written by Fujiki Mitsuhiko, who has worked on NHK's "Asagaya Sisters' Laid-Back Life" and WOWOW's "Shooting Break Series," among others.