It has been announced that "TV Asahi Drama Premium 'Innocent Witness'," starring actor Toshiaki Karasawa, will be broadcast on the network from 9:00 PM to 10:54 PM on April 18th.
This is a remake of the film of the same name released in South Korea in 2019. The script was written by Moon Ji-won, known for the drama "Woo Young-woo, the Lawyer," which was also a hit in Japan, and won the grand prize at the Lotte Screenplay Contest. The film was a huge success in South Korea, attracting over 2.3 million viewers.
This human drama depicts the emotional connection between a lawyer defending a murder suspect and a young girl with autism spectrum disorder who is the sole witness to the crime. Toshiaki Karasawa plays the lawyer, Kyosuke Hasebe, Ami Touma plays Nozomi Koike, the girl with autism spectrum disorder who holds the key to the story.
Regarding the development of the story in which the two characters connect with each other, Karasawa said, "Some of you may have seen the original Korean film, but I think this is a film that will draw you in straight away," and Toma appealed, "It's a heartwarming film, so I hope you enjoy it."
Regarding her role as a character with autism spectrum disorder, Toma said, "I discussed the role with the director and thought about how to play it. I found it difficult because Nozomi's actions and emotions don't always match, but I tried to come up with several patterns in mind and act accordingly. It was difficult to act in a way that made her actions and emotions not match in each scene." Karasawa reflected on the filming, saying, "I think Toma's role is a difficult one, but it was fun to act in accordance with her performance."
