The 2026 NHK Taiga drama "Toyotomi Brothers!" starring actor Nakano Taiga will begin airing on January 4th. The story centers around Toyotomi Hidenaga, and depicts the miracle of the Toyotomi brothers, who, together with his older brother Hideyoshi, achieve the great feat of unifying the country through their strong bond. It's a success story of hope and dreams, depicting the rise of the powerful. Another Taiga drama, "Sanada Maru," was broadcast in 2016 and is set in the same Sengoku period as "Toyotomi Brothers!". Ten years after its broadcast, we'd like to take a look back at what kind of work it was.
Masato Sakai plays Sanada Nobuyuki with great enthusiasm. Also sees "Narration Death" and "Super High Speed Sekigahara"
"Sanada Maru" depicts the story of Nobuyuki, also known as Sanada Yukimura, born to a small feudal lord in Shinshu, who survives turbulent times with his family through wisdom, courage, and hard work. The drama's title comes from the outpost that Nobuyuki (Yukimura) built on the south side of Osaka Castle, its weakest point, during the Winter Siege of Osaka. This is Koki Mitani's first script for a taiga drama in 12 years, since 2004's "Shinsengumi!", and the lead role is played by Sakai Masato.
Mitani, who will be writing a taiga drama for the third time with "The 13 Lords of the Shogun" in 2022, has dramatically unfolded the story of the life of Sanada Nobushige, the last hero of the Warring States period, incorporating the latest findings of historical research and blending his signature dialogue and humor. Sakai, who played Nobushige, was 42 years old at the time and gave a passionate performance that solidified his status as a popular actor established in the 2013 TBS Sunday Theatre drama "Hanzawa Naoki." Ten years later, the work is still remembered by many fans as one of the greatest Warring States period taiga dramas.
The drama was narrated by Yumiko Udo, who was an NHK announcer at the time. Many deaths were announced solely through Udo's narration, and the term "narration death" became widely used after that.
The 3DCG map, provided by Kou Shibusawa, known as the creator of the popular game series "Nobunaga's Ambition," has also been praised for being "easy to understand." Furthermore, because the story is told from Nobuyuki's perspective, even the "decisive battle" of the Battle of Sekigahara is told through just a report from Sasuke (played by Takashi Fujii), a ninja of the Sanada clan. This surprising method has been called "Super-fast Sekigahara," and has received a great response.
◇ Masao Kusakari's outstanding presence in the role of Masayuki Sanada. Actor Wataru Takagi becomes a star.
"Sanada Maru" is a "story of the losers" from Nobuyuki's perspective, but it is also a "family story" of the Sanadas. Yo Oizumi plays Nobuyuki's older brother, Yoshino Kimura plays his older sister, Matsu, Atsuko Takahata plays his mother, Kaoru, and Mitsuko Kusabue plays his grandmother. Among them, the one who exuded the most outstanding presence was Masao Kusakari, who played Nobuyuki's father, Sanada Masayuki.
Masayuki was a brilliant military commander, skilled in strategic tactics, and even Toyotomi Hideyoshi called him a "two-faced man" who could not be underestimated. Kusakari, who played Nobuyuki (played by Yukimura) in the NHK historical drama "Sanada Taiheiki," broadcast from 1985 to 1986, described himself as "feeling a kind of fate," portraying Nobuyuki's "great father" with a sometimes human, sometimes wild, quality. The "Inubuse Farewell" in episode 35, where Masayuki and Nobuyuki decided to split into enemies, brought tears to the eyes of viewers, and when Masayuki passed away in episode 38, there were naturally cries of "loss."
Also among the cast members of the Sanada family (family/vassals), voice actor Wataru Takagi made his breakthrough as an actor. While Takagi had previously appeared in numerous anime productions, including the role of Garrod Ran , the protagonist of the TV anime " After War Gundam X, " "Sanadamaru" marked his first TV drama appearance. He played the role of Matsu's husband, Shigemasa Oyamada, whose lovable personality supports the Sanada family. Since then, he has steadily built his acting career, appearing in taiga dramas such as " UNBOUND Tou wo Tsuke" in 2021 and "Berabou: Tsutae Eika no Yumebanashi" in 2025, as well as Asadora(NHK morning drama series) and Sunday Theatre.
Furthermore, Takaya Sakoda, who played Nobuyuki's right-hand man, Yazawa Sanjuro Yoriyuki, also became well-known after appearing in "Sanada Maru." Two years later, in 2018, he was in charge of Satsuma dialect instruction in the taiga drama "Segodon," and appeared in the main story as Eto Shinpei. In 2022, he also attracted attention for his role as the kind-hearted Minamoto Noriyori in "The 13 Lords of the Shogun." He has also appeared in many Sunday Theatre productions, and is now known as the "Sunday Man."
Hideyoshi's eyes were not smiling, while Ieyasu's timid and cautious personality was emphasized.
One of the essential elements of a Sengoku period drama is the popular warlords and daimyo. In particular, the "Three Great Heroes" - Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu - always attract attention, and in "Sanada Maru" they are played by Kotaro Yoshida, Fumiyo Kohinata, and Seiyo Uchino, respectively.
Although he only appeared in two scenes, Kotaro Yoshida"Nobunaga" left a strong impression with his intimidating presence and insanity. Fumiyo Kohinata's "Hideyoshi" drew many comments from viewers saying he was "too scary" due to his intense emotions and "his eyes never smiling." Incidentally, Kohinata himself later said that he approached the role with three qualities in mind: "childlike innocence," "terrifying jealousy," and "calmness when politics are involved."
Finally, there's Seiyo Uchino as "Ieyasu," who, while positioned as the protagonist Nobuyuki's "greatest and strongest nemesis," is portrayed as a timid and cautious character, different from his usual image, and his behavior even includes comedic elements. Hoshino Gen also played Ieyasu's eldest son, Tokugawa Hidetada, in the same series. In October 2016, the same year as "Sanadamaru," he co-starred with Yui Aragaki in the drama "Nigeru wa Haji da ga Yaku ni Tatsu" (TBS), which became a huge hit along with Hoshino's song "Koi." Many fans will remember that "Sanadamaru" and "Nigehaji" solidified his popularity as a musician and actor during this period.
