Seven new cast members have been announced for the NHK Taiga drama "UNBOUND - Tsutae Eika no Yumebanashi," which will begin airing on January 5, 2025, and it has been revealed that model and actor Ai Tominaga will be appearing. This will be Tominaga's first time appearing in a Taiga drama, and she will play Takaoka, the head of the Ooku.
Takaoka is the most powerful person in the Ooku, and holds real power in the shogunate alongside Tanuma Okitsugu(played by Ken Watanabe) and Matsudaira Takemoto (played by Ishizaka Koji). He plots to have Tanehime, the younger sister of Tanyasu Kenmaru (later Matsudaira Sadanobu, played by Kokoro Terada), adopted by the 10th shogun, Ieharu (played by Mashima Hidekazu), and to make her the legal wife of Ieharu's eldest son, Iemoto (played by Oku Tomoya).
Tominaga commented, "I had the opportunity to appear in a period drama for the first time in NHK Drama 10's 'Ooku,' which will be broadcast in 2023, and it was a wonderful experience, so I was very happy to be able to appear in another period drama. I would like to use that experience to play this new role in a way that is true to myself."
Regarding Takaoka, he said, "There are not many historical records about her, but I UNBOUND you will look forward to seeing how she lived her life in the story of 'Berabou,' and what her goals were as she made decisions within the unique organization known as the Ooku."
It has been revealed that Tanuma Okitsugu aide Miura Shoji, Kazama Shunsuke will play Tsuruya Kiemon, a local book wholesaler, Adachi Yumi will play Ritsu, the proprietress of the Yoshiwara brothel "Daikokuya", Aiki Reika will play Asagao, a prostitute, Kimura Ryo will play Hiraga Gennai's partner Hezutsu Tosaku, a comic book writer and kyoka poet, and Yamamura Momiji will play Shige, the supervisor of the greatest courtesan of the time, Dare Sode (Haruka Fukuhara). Like Tominaga, this will be Yamamura's first appearance in a taiga drama.
"UNBOUND - Tsutaya Juzaburou's Dream Story" is the 64th taiga drama, depicting the life of Tsutaya Juzaburo, who is said to have built the foundations of Japan's media industry and pop culture, and starring Ryusei Yokohama. The production team bills the drama as "a man of courage who was born without parents, money, or artistic talent... but who became the darling of the era as the 'Edo media king.'"
