The second episode of the January Sunday Theatre drama " Mikami Sensei " (TBS, Sunday 9:00 pm), starring actor Tori Matsuzaka , will be broadcast on January 26th. This completely original school drama is produced by Kazutaka Iida, who has been in charge of popular Sunday Theatre dramas such as "Anti-Hero" (2024) and "VIVANT" (2023). After the first episode aired, Iida gave an interview and talked about his impressions and what to look forward to from the second episode onwards.
◇ Related words trended in the first episode, but "get what you want to say"
" Mikami Sensei" tells the story of Migami Takashi (Matsuzaka), a Ministry of Education bureaucrat who wants to change education in Japan, who is ordered to transfer to a private high school called Rintoku Gakuin. In reality, he is demoted, but Migami takes to the podium himself and leads 18-year-old high school students living in the Reiwa era while standing up to authority... This is a "great reversal story of education revival." It is a completely original work, and Shimori Roba, who will be teaming up with Matsuzaka for the first time since the movie "The Journalist" (2019), is in charge of the script for the first time in a prime-time drama series.
The first episode started with a shocking incident where a candidate was stabbed to death at the venue of the national civil service examination. At the end of the episode, it was revealed that the theme song would be performed by the rock band "ONE OK ROCK", which caused a huge reaction on social media, with related words trending.
When asked for his thoughts, Iida said, "First of all, I'm glad that we were able to broadcast it without any problems. What we were trying to do was conveyed clearly, and the message was conveyed. There was also a positive response to the theme song, and I feel that we were able to convey the intention behind the plan, and we received a reaction that was greater than we had imagined."
He then calmly stated, "We believe that what is trending or written in the comments does not represent all of viewers' opinions of the drama.The theme of this drama is that you never know if what you see is the truth or not, so we would like to make sure to convey what we want to say in the second episode."
◇ ONE OK ROCK was offered the theme song after expressing their passion for the project
When the theme song was released, Iida commented that when he saw the video for ONE OK ROCK's "18 Matsuri," he was blown away by the sight of 1,000 18-year-olds performing together, and that this desire to "convey the energy, emotions and thoughts of young people through a drama" was what inspired him to create "Mikami Sensei."
When asked how he received the offer, he revealed, "When I was working with Takeru Satoh, he told me about ONE OK ROCK, saying, 'They're really cool.' I had watched the movie ' Rurouni Kenshin' (for which the theme song is provided), and they've been my favorite artists since then. Around 2020, I saw the video for ONE OK ROCK's 2016 '18 Sai', and saw the images of very lively 18-year-olds. It wasn't the cry of an 18-year-old's heart, but ONE OK ROCK were seen resonating with them. That was what led to the making of this drama, so I wanted to channel those feelings into it, and offered them the theme song."
The words that vocalist Taka spoke to 18-year-olds in the "18 Festival" video were a major driving force in the creation of "Mikami Sensei."
"Taka said to the 18-year-olds, 'You're not kids anymore.' Taka also told everyone that although there are many things that happen, the most important thing to him is to live life without lying about the reactions he receives and feels from them. Those words really stuck with me, and I think that Japanese people can't honestly say what they dislike or like, or there's an atmosphere that doesn't allow it. Sometimes that's necessary, but sometimes it's important to clearly express your feelings. There was a part that made me stop and think, and I thought it would be great if I could incorporate that into the drama. When I conveyed that feeling to them, they agreed with me, so I was very happy."
After the first broadcast, the theme song also received a great response, and he sent a message saying, "I'm happy that the theme song has attracted people who don't normally watch dramas, fans of the band, and young people to watch it. Since it was a surprise, I hope those who missed it will catch up and watch the first episode on streaming services. And I hope you will watch the second episode in real time."
◇ "Everything will come together later" - look carefully and you'll find hints for the future
Following the much talked about first episode, we asked what to look forward to in the second episode.
"How will the students, including Kanzaki (Daiken Okudaira), face the questions from Mikami Sensei? I think the first episode shows that they have not yet taken the attitude of facing Mikami Sensei. How will Mikami Sensei's words prompt the students to think for themselves and move forward? The problems they will face are problems for this class, but they are also problems for Japanese society. I think the second episode will help them get the message that they need to use their own heads to think carefully and face the problems head on."
He also revealed one of the major highlights, saying, "We will find out who the culprit of the stabbing incident is. That, along with two other cast members who have been hidden on the website, will be revealed in the second episode."
Furthermore, as a highlight of the second episode and beyond, he said, "Even students who are not speaking are filmed with meaningful expressions. Everything will connect later, so I would like you to watch that carefully. There are problems with the Ministry of Education, problems with Rintoku Gakuen, and of course problems with the students. These problems, which seem unconnected, all start to come together with the school newspaper that Kanzaki writes. As Matsuzaka said during the promotion, I would be happy if social issues could be touched upon through the drama ' Mikami Sensei' so that viewers, whether children or adults, can relate to it."
He also revealed some "very subtle" highlights, saying, "In the first episode, there was an animation where a butterfly flapped its wings and rain started falling during the commercial sponsorship, and if you watch it all the way through to the end, it becomes one story. If you watch it, you might realize that this is what the drama was trying to say."
The second episode also features a scene that discusses the current state of education in Japan, based on the classic school drama that Iida "admired." Iida emphasized, "In a sense, this is the second episode of my resolve."
