It was recently announced that Satoshi Tsumabuki will be appearing in the NHK Asadora drama series "Anpan ," starring Mio Imada Tsumabuki is also known as the lead actor in the NHK's taiga drama "Tenchijin" (2009), but surprisingly, " Anpan " will be his first Asadora . It was also revealed that Motoki Omori of the three-member band " Mrs. Green Apple " will also be making his Asadora debut in " Anpan ." Here, we would like to introduce the notable cast members who will be making their Asadora debut in the series, which is gradually gaining momentum as it approaches its broadcast on March 31st.
◇ The lineup of notable "first-time performers" includes Kazunari Ninomiya, who will also be making Asadora debut
"Anpan" is based on the married couple Takashi Yanase(1919-2013) and Nobu Komatsu(1918-1993), the manga artist and picture book writer who created "Anpanman." It is a "story of love and courage" that will make you feel the joy of living, depicting how these two, who were once nobody, overcame all sorts of rough seas to become "Anpanman," the embodiment of "unreversible justice."
The script is written by Miho Nakazono, known for the TV Asahi series "Doctor X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon." The narrator is NHK announcer Risa Hayashida Risa, and the music is by composer and musician Izutsu Akio. The theme song is a new song by rock band RADWIMPS called "Tamamono."
Among those making their first appearance in a Asadora are Takumi Kitamura , who was selected to play Takashi Yanai , along with Kase Ryo, Kawai Yumi, Yuumi Kawai Nanoka Hara, Hosoda Kaito, Kazunari Ninomiya, Motoki Nakazawa Motoki, Hitomi Himari, Himari Hitomi, Takahashi Yutaka Takenouchi, Shida Sara, Sonim, and Takiuchi Kumi, who have now been joined by Tsukamoto and Omori, as mentioned above.
Among these, Ninomiya's name is the one that particularly catches the eye. He plays Yanai Kiyoshi, the beloved father of Takashi Yanai(Kitamura). Kiyoshi has a deep knowledge of literature and art, but after working at a publishing company, he was sent overseas to work for a newspaper company before dying of illness. The story begins with Kiyoshi having already passed away, so it is unknown how many scenes he will have. Nevertheless, the episodes in which he appears are sure to be very exciting.
◇ Yuumi Kawai and Nanoka Hara play the heroine's younger sister
We are excited to see the Asadora debuts of Kase and Takenouchi, who have already made their mark in the film industry, and Sonim and Takiuchi, whose talents are beyond doubt. However, if we were to limit the list to potential future Asadora heroines, expectations would naturally be high for Kawai, Hara and Shida. What do you think?
Since her hugely successful drama "Futehodo" (TBS) last year, Kawai has been on a roll, winning the Best Actress award at the 48th Japan Academy Awards for her performance in the movie "Ankoto." Hara, who started out as a child actor, has been cast in popular works such as Makoto Shinkai Shinkai's animated feature film "Suzume" (2022), NHK's taiga drama "What Will Ieyasu Do?" (2023), and the live-action "Oshi no Ko" series. In both roles, she will play the younger sister of the heroine Asada Nobu (Imada), who is modeled after Komatsu Nobu Komatsu.
Kawai will play the reliable second eldest daughter, Ranko, and Hara will play the cheerful and innocent third daughter, Meiko, who loves to sing. Chief Producer Kurasaki Ken, who is in charge of production, revealed that he chose them based on their abilities and characters, saying, "Yuumi Kawai and Nanoka Hara also participated in the heroine auditions, and with their overwhelming acting ability and cheerfulness, we felt they were perfect for the characters of the second and third daughters, so we offered them the role."
In the past, Tao Tsuchiya, Hana Sugisaki Hana, and Kiyohara Kaya have all risen from "younger sister of the Asadora heroine" to "Asadora heroine" themselves, and there is a good chance that Kawai or Hara will follow the same route.
◇ Sara Shida has steadily established her foothold
On the other hand, Shida plays Usako Ogawa, a childhood friend and classmate of the heroine Nobu in "Anpan". When she attended high school with Nobu, Usako dreamed of finding a good partner and becoming a bride before graduation...
After appearing in the drama "Cheer☆Dan" (TBS, 2018), the live-action "Laid-Back Camp" series (TV Tokyo), and the Sunday Theatre "Dragon Zakura" (TBS, 2021), Shida played the role of the 14th shogun, Tokugawa Iemochi, in season 2 "Bakumatsu Edition" of NHK's "Drama 10 "Ooku"" (2023).
Last year in January, she played the lead role in two dramas, "The Unforgettable 'I' - Chain of Revenge" (Nippon TV) and "Betrayal in a Place Like This" (Chukyo TV), and has been steadily gaining a foothold ever since. Her debut in a Asadora will likely be an opportunity for her to make her presence widely known.
Either way, I look forward to the start of the drama in just two weeks.
