It has been revealed that voice actor and actor Kenjiro Tsuda will be triple-starring alongside Takashi Sorimachi and Nao Omori in the January 2026 drama series "Ramune Monkey" (Wednesdays at 10pm). This will be Tsuda's first time starring in a terrestrial TV drama series. The human comedy is written by Ryota Furusawa, and Tsuda commented, "I want to have fun with Sorimachi and Omori, while also cherishing the comedic atmosphere that Furusawa creates, and make it a fun show for all viewers to watch."
This is Furusawa's first terrestrial TV drama series since "The Confidence Man JP." The main characters are a trio of very different characters, with different looks and personalities: Yuta Yoshii (Yun) played by Sorimachi, Hajime Fujimaki (Chen) played by Omori, and Kikuhara Kisuke (Kinpo) played by Tsuda. In 1988, they were in the film club in junior high school, and were obsessed with making kung fu films, but now they are 51 years old. Each of them feels stuck in life, saying, "It wasn't supposed to be like this."
One day, news breaks that "human bones have been discovered at a construction site in Tanbe City." Kisuke, who is troubled by the name of the town where he spent his childhood, contacts the two, and the three are reunited for the first time in 37 years. As they reminisce about old times, he realizes that his memory of his female advisor, whom he had a crush on in middle school, is becoming hazy. A piece of paper he digs up along with a group photo of the film club also has the word "missing" written on it. Investigating the mysterious disappearance of their advisor, the three hit the ground running again... This is a "1988 youth recovery human comedy." The series is produced by Songha Hiroaki, who has teamed up with Furusawa on such notable works as "Legal High" and "The Confidence Man JP."
Yuta, played by Sorimachi, is a typical "extrovert" character. He was a star salesman at a major trading company, but an incident led to him being relegated to a less-active position and he began to live a quiet life at work. He was treated with sympathy by his wife and high school daughter, and felt a sense of emptiness in his life. However, when he reunites with the two, he is reminded of his "passionate" self.
Omori plays Hajime, a film and anime otaku with a strong personality. Hajime was also the president of the film club, and he fulfilled his dream of becoming a film director. However, in recent years, he has not been able to produce any notable hits, and due to his pride, he tends to take it out on those around him, and he is seen as an eccentric and troublesome man, and is isolated. Hajime himself has completely lost his desire to create, but he regains his old feelings along with the memories of his suppressed middle school days.
Kisuke, played by Tsuda, is the most timid of the three and a philanthropist. At one point, Kisuke aspired to be a manga artist, but he took over his mother's salon and became a barber. However, as he was busy caring for his mother who had dementia, he began to lose track of why he had become a barber and what he really wanted to do. Memories of his youth awaken his true feelings.
"Ramune Monkey" will air every Wednesday at 10 p.m. starting January 14, 2026.
◇ Comment from scriptwriter Ryota Kosawa
I had always wanted to bury the shameful me of when I was in full chuunibyou mode, but before I knew it, I had begun to yearn to recapture it with such radiance. With this embarrassing feeling, I wrote a slightly unusual story about lost adults, and wonderful people came together to read it. Please take a peek at it secretly, because you might feel embarrassed. After all, we're all going to be eternal chuunibyou anyway, right?
◇ Comment from Takashi Sorimachi
--Please tell us how you felt when you were chosen to appear in this film.
I've always been fascinated by the unique worldview that Furusawa-san creates, so I'm really looking forward to being a part of that world this time. I'm excited to see what kind of scenery will unfold with Omori-san and Tsuda-san.
--What were your thoughts after reading the script?
The relationship between the three characters and the atmosphere of the dialogue really bring to life Furusawa's unique worldview, and at the same time, there's a realism to it that seems like it could actually happen in real life, which really drew me in. The alternating depiction of the present and the past gives the story depth, and the overlapping of these two periods creates even more depth.
--What is your impression of the character you play, Yuta? How would you like to portray him?
The character I play, Yuta, is not a special character, but an "ordinary person" you could find anywhere. I want to portray Yuta as someone who gets caught up in various events and gradually remembers his precious past, without being too strong, but in a natural way, while still maintaining his "ordinariness."
--Message to viewers
"Ramune Monkey" is a fascinating drama that blends the slightly mysterious atmosphere of the Showa era with modern scenes. I hope you enjoy the unique worldview to the fullest. Please be sure to check it out!
◇Comment from Nao Omori
--Please tell us how you felt when you were chosen to appear in this film.
The title itself is intriguing, and I was happy to be asked to participate! I also thought it would be a lot of fun to work on this story with Sorimachi-san and Tsuda-san, two people of the same generation. I love the lines in Furusawa-san's works, and I thought they'd probably talk a lot this time too (laughs), but once I read them, I couldn't stop reading them because they were so interesting, and I was happy to be able to take part in another work by Furusawa-san, who has helped me so many times.
--What were your thoughts after reading the script?
The tempo is excellent, the balance between past and present scenes is well done, and it's chock full of episodes that are perfect for our generation, so I really enjoyed reading the script. But I want to make it enjoyable for younger people as well. I want to act in a way that makes Furusawa's script even more interesting. I also have high hopes for the actors playing little Chen, Yuen, and Kin-Bo! I want to try to bring out the atmosphere that's right for them! I hope the three of us can skillfully bring out the atmosphere and feel that's on par with the three actors playing their childhoods.
--What is your impression of the character you play, Hajime? How do you want to portray him?
My character is influenced by Jackie Chan (laughs), but I also feel that Chan is the closest to me, and I could relate to his competitive side. I want to carefully portray the character of Chan, who pushes forward in his own world and grows up with misconceptions. I like how he believes in himself and pushes forward, and I admire people like that. It might be a bit difficult when you become an adult, though (laughs).
--Message to viewers
This time, the three of us, Sorimachi-san, Tsuda-san, and I, are going to work hard to create an interesting drama based on Furusawa-san's script, so we hope you will enjoy it! Please look forward to it!
◇Comment from Kenjiro Tsuda
--Please tell us how you felt when you were chosen to appear in this film.
I was so happy! I was excited to be able to make a drama with such wonderful people as Sorimachi, Omori, and Furusawa.
--What were your thoughts after reading the script?
It was interesting! The overall feel is pop, but also nostalgic, being set in 1988. At first, you have no idea what kind of story it will be, but the story gradually comes together, and the way it starts to take shape halfway through is interesting, so I was really excited to read the script. During filming, I was thinking about how to make the worldview and individuality of the character that Furusawa created even more appealing. It's difficult, but fun!
--What is your impression of the character you play, Kisuke? How do you want to portray him?
Of the three main characters, the other two besides Kisuke have a certain strength, but I imagine Kisuke as a quiet, kind, and sensitive person. I want to act as sensitively as possible. However, since it's a story about a trio, I want to create a fun and lively story that viewers can enjoy, while also cherishing the comedic atmosphere created by Furusawa and having fun with Sorimachi and Omori.
--Message to viewers
It's bright and pop, as only Furusawa can do, but it also has a strong core as a story. I think it will be a work that will bring back memories for people of a certain age, and conversely, open up a fresh world to younger people. I hope you'll check it out!
◇Comment from Songha Naruga (Fuji Television Drama and Film Production Center), who planned and produced the series
I wanted to create a slightly unusual drama that would carefully portray the emotions of the characters, so I imagined a story about three boys living in a space colony traveling through space one summer. As Furusawa and I debated this and that, before we knew it, it had become a story about a winter in which lost adults regain their chuunibyou syndrome.
All that remains of the original fantasy is a setting of three main characters and a few fantasy elements, but the key to the story lies in the "childhood memories" that the main characters hold in their hearts, which is what makes this drama so colorful...I hope that every Wednesday night you will return to being "juniors" and enjoy the excitement and thrills.
