It has recently been revealed that actor Airu Kubozuka with his role in the Sunday Theatre drama " Mikami Sensei " (TBS) starring Tori Matsuzaka , will star in "Aozora Beer", which will be broadcast on NHK's "Yorudora" time slot (General TV, Monday to Thursday, 10:45am) from June 16th. This will be Kubozuka's first lead role in an NHK drama. It was also announced that Maito Fujioka, Toyoshima Hana, Minade Ryoka and Sato Eriko will appear as regular cast members.
The drama is based on the essay collection "Aozora Beer" and its sequel "Yuzora Beer" by novelist Akio Morisawa, which describes the strange and bizarre incidents he encountered while traveling on a budget or playing outdoors with his "bad friends" when he was in his late teens to early twenties. The drama will be a laid-back "outdoor drama" that quotes unique characters and episodes from the essays, while also incorporating camping, local cuisine, and original characters created by screenwriter Hayashi Mori.
The protagonist, Morikawa Yukio, played by Kubozuka, is a fourth-year student in the literature department at a self-proclaimed "F-rank university." He is an outdoorsy person who wants to spend every day having fun, and goes on group camping trips, solo camping trips, sleeping in his car, touring, and more almost every week. He is good at cooking ingredients he finds locally, such as fishing and picking wild plants. It is time to start job hunting, but after applying to several companies, he quits, saying "it's not for me." He dislikes conflict with others and is good at getting close to people.
Kubozuka said, "I am very grateful to have been given the opportunity to play the lead role in the NHK evening drama, but I also feel as much pressure as I do gratitude for the big role. However, I will not let that get me down and I want to play Morikawa in a way that is true to myself."
He then expressed his enthusiasm, saying, "I hope to create a work that viewers can enjoy together, where warmth spreads from person to person through camping." He also called out to viewers, saying, "I would be happy if I could express through this work the small but precious happiness that no matter what the situation, no matter what position we're in, we're all connected under the same sky. I would like to approach filming with the feeling that we're all connected together. Please look forward to it!"
