A press conference was recently held for TV Asahi Drama Premium "New Abarenbou Shogun" (January 4, 2025, 9:00 p.m.), which is a revival of the popular period drama "Abarenbou Shogun," which aired from 1978 to 2003, for the first time in about 17 years. Matsudaira Ken, who plays the main character and the eighth Shogun of the Edo Shogunate, Tokugawa Yoshimune, and Nishihata Daigo of Naniwa Danshi, who plays the eldest son, Ieshige, attended the event.
The story is set more than twenty years after the reign of Yoshimune. At the beginning of the series, Yoshimune was a young shogun, but now he is approaching his 60th birthday and is faced with the issue of succession. His eldest son, Ieshige, is paralyzed in the right arm and face due to illness, and there are voices within Edo Castle calling for him to be deposed, while a huge conspiracy attacks the shogun family.
At the press conference, Matsudaira began by expressing his joy, saying, "I am extremely happy that a revival, which I have longed for, has become a reality." Nishihata, who is making his first appearance in the series, said, "It is a great honor to be given the opportunity to appear in such a historic production. I was especially surprised to find out that I am the son of 'His Lord.'" He smiled and said, "I haven't told him yet (before the information ban was lifted), but my father told me how much my grandfather loved 'Abarenbou Shogun,' so I think he would be happy if I told him (that I will be appearing)."
This was the first time the two had performed together. When asked about their first impression, Matsudaira revealed, "At first, he said (out of the blue) 'I'm singing Matsuken Samba II'..." Nishihata explained, "I greeted him by saying, 'I love Matsuken Samba II! I often sing it' (laughs). I'm a fan, so I just wanted to convey my feelings of 'I love it!'" Matsudaira laughed and said, "So we hit it off right from the start."
Looking back on the filming, Nishihata expressed his gratitude, saying, "Matsudaira gave me so much advice. I don't have much experience in period dramas, and it was my first time doing sword fighting. He carefully taught me how to swing the sword, and that was really helpful."
When asked "If Matsudaira were your father?" she smiled and said "I think I would be extremely proud!" "What really surprised me was how quickly he memorized the sword fighting scenes. Even for long sword fighting scenes with over 20 moves, he would check the flow two or three times and then immediately start the real thing. I was amazed and asked how he memorized them, and the other cast members said, "That's too fast!" Each and every one of his movements is beautiful... I'm really proud of him as a father," she said with a smile.
Regarding Ieshige's appearance, Matsudaira said, "This is the first time that (Yoshimune's) son has appeared in the story, so it's very fresh. (The incorporation of historical facts) has made this a new, different 'Abarenbo Shogun' from previous versions." He added, "I think it's a production that anyone can enjoy, from children to seniors."
