Netflix holds completion report meeting for "Like Ashura"

A meeting to announce the completion of the Netflix drama series "Like Ashura" (to start streaming on January 9, 2025) was held in Tokyo on December 2nd, and Miyazawa Rie, Ono Machiko, Aoi Yu, and Hirose Suzu, who played the four sisters, attended. During the meeting, a video message from director Koreeda Hirokazu was played, and he revealed a harmonious shooting episode, saying, "Miyazawa and Ono alone would not have been able to keep things under control. Aoi managed to keep things under control. I think Suzu (who plays the youngest child) was the most reliable (laughs). They looked like they were having fun, and I was happy to watch them from the sidelines." In response to Koreeda's "revelation," Miyazawa said with a smile, "We were always talking except during filming (laughs). The director is kind, so he waited for us to finish talking. I don't have any biological siblings, but I feel like I have a biological sister now." Aoi, who was the "middle man," revealed, "There were times when things got out of hand on the set... I was just messing around for 18 minutes straight (laughs)." Ono immediately responded with a joking remark, "You hold a grudge." She concluded, "It just means we were good friends (laughs)." This is a remake of the famous drama series "Like Ashura" (1979-80), which is considered the masterpiece of screenwriter Kuniko Mukoda, who built the foundation of Japanese home dramas. It was planned by producer Yasuo Yagi, who worked with Mukoda when she was a newcomer, and directed by Koreeda, known for "Like Father, Like Son" (2013) and "Shoplifters" (2018). The story is set in 1979, just like the original, and follows the story of four sisters who sometimes fight like Ashura and sometimes laugh as they each face true happiness after their elderly father has a mistress problem. In a video message, Director Koreeda said, "As a fan of Mukaida, this is a script I've always wanted to try. It was realized by a top Japanese actress. It turned out to be a wonderful work." Producer Yagi also appeared at the completion report meeting.