It has been announced that NHK's special audio drama "Damatainai," written and directed by actor Shota Sometani, will be broadcast on NHK Radio 1 at 10:05 pm on December 29th. This will be Sometani's first time writing and directing a radio drama. Also appearing in the drama have been announced: Sometani's wife, actor Rinko Kikuchi, as well as Daichi Watanabe, Yota Kawase, and Kenjiro Tsuda.
"Damatenai" is a time-slip sci-fi x monster panic story depicting a battle between the two main characters and an alien that transcends time and space. The "sound" of the alien's feet, the "sound" of their voices, the "sound" of the time slip, and the "sound" of the two main characters fighting the aliens - this is an ambitious work that is extremely particular about "sound" that can only be achieved through an audio drama.
"Talkers" are aliens with unknown identities and purposes who have taken on the appearance of humans and are living on Earth, blending in with the rest of the planet. Yugo and Sakie work as "monitors" for them. One day, as usual, the two head to the apartment complex where the Tokers are living to keep an eye on them. There, they discover that there are two Tokers, whereas they had only seen one before. This is the first time they have seen multiple Tokers, so they timidly approach the room where the Tokers are hiding. However, they are discovered and try to escape, but the Tokers attack and send them to different eras. When Yugo and Sakie arrive in their new time zone, they are met with an astonishing sight...
Someya reveals, "I've always had a quiet ambition to tell a story using only sound, to express images, smells, and textures using only sound."
"I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to write and direct this special audio drama. I have always thought that sound is important when acting and when directing short films. However, expressing something using only sound was more difficult and interesting than I had imagined. I was able to bring it to life with the help of the staff and cast," he said.
"You cannot see the shape with your eyes, but by hearing it through your ears, a landscape that only you can see will unfold before your eyes. This is an unrealistic story. It's what we call science fiction. By looking at reality through expressions that are difficult to grasp, I hope that listeners will be able to use their own unique imaginations and feel a story that only they can see, and that when they listen to this, they will feel like they can't keep quiet," he said.
It will be broadcast on NHK FM at 10:00 pm on January 10, 2026.
