"Drama 1 Week" introduces the main drama news of the week. This time (March 29th to April 4th), the topic was the start of the NHK morning drama " Asadora " (General TV, Monday to Saturday 8:00 am and others), starring Mio Imada , which will air in the first half of the 2025 fiscal year. This will be covered in two parts.
On March 29th, Mikako Tabe attended the "TBS DRAMA COLLECTION 2025 Spring" joint production presentation for TBS dramas starting in April, held in Tokyo. Tabe, who Taigan no Kaji ~Kore ga, Watashi no Ikiru Michi~" (Tuesdays at 10pm), was asked by Moka Kamishiraishi, who also appeared at the presentation, "How do you memorize your lines?" Tabe revealed, "I often memorize them in bed before I go to sleep... but if I feel like I can't do it, I put the script under my pillow and go to sleep like it's a jinx. So the script is often crumpled up."
Also appearing at "TBS DRAMA COLLECTION 2025 Spring" was Mei Nagano, who appears in the Sunday Theatre drama "Caster" (Sundays at 9pm). When asked about "the latest news that has happened around you," she revealed, "I went cherry blossom viewing yesterday." When asked who attended, she answered, "On my own." When the MC instinctively asked back, "On my own?", Nagano replied with a smile, "Is it bad to go cherry blossom viewing alone?", making everyone around her laugh. She went on to explain, "I bought some jumbo takoyaki and ate it by myself. While looking at the cherry blossoms," and added, "It's the season after all." "Caster" begins on April 13th.
On the 31st, the Asadora"Anpan" (General TV, Monday to Saturday 8:00 am and others), starring Imada, started airing, and the "First Viewing Party" was held in Kochi Prefecture, where the drama is set. The venue was Takashi Yanase 's alma mater, Kochi Prefectural Kochi Otemae High School. Nanako Matsushima , who plays Tomiko, the mother of Takashi Yanai(Takumi Kitamura ), who Yanase is based on, took the stage and said, "I had the opportunity to come across 'Anpanman' when I was in junior high school, and I remember being deeply struck by the lyrics of the theme song, wondering if they contained the answer to the meaning of life. This time, I had the opportunity to confront it deeply again, and Yanase's words, 'Life is a game of making people happy,' gave me a hint as to the answer to the meaning of life."
Also, in the second episode of " Anpan" broadcast on April 1, Kazunari Ninomiya, who plays Taku's (Kimura Yuuki) late father, Kiyoshi, made his first appearance. Kiyoshi had worked at a publishing company before dying of illness while working overseas for a newspaper company. He had a deep knowledge of literature and art, and Taku loved his father very much. At the end of the second episode, Taku draws a picture of the whole family eating bread while remembering the fun times when Kiyoshi was alive. Ninomiya's appearance lasted for about 20 seconds as a flashback, and on social media there were comments of surprise such as "Nino's destructive power in just a moment!", "Nino suddenly appeared in a Asadora lol. The cast is too impressive this time lol" and "Ninomiya-kun's memorable Asadora debut!"
On April 1, it was announced that Kyoka Suzuki will be appearing in the TV Asahi drama series "PJ ~Air Rescue Team~" ( Asadora Seiyo Uchino " Okaeri Mone" (2021), but in this work they will play a divorced couple. Mako, played by Suzuki, lives with her daughter Yuna (Yoshikawa Ai) after divorcing Usami. While she gently watches over Yuna, who rebels against her father who is devoted to work without regard for his family, she secretly cares about Usami even after they break up. The drama starts on April 24.
On the 1st, Kanna Hashimoto attended the company's induction ceremony held at the TV Asahi headquarters (Minato Ward, Tokyo). She appeared in a white coat, the costume for her lead role in the drama "Ameku M.D.: Doctor Detective" (Tuesdays at 9pm), which starts on the 22nd, and placed employee ID cards around the necks of the 29 new employees. Hashimoto said, "I was really nervous today, and I was thinking about what to say," and sent words of encouragement, saying, "I can't say anything cool, but I dream of working with you all, and I want to do my best, and I want to support each and every one of you!" Afterwards, a commemorative photo was taken with all the new employees.
