The new cast of the Asadora drama "Anpan " starring Mio Imada was announced on May 2nd, revealing that Ayumu Nakajima and Misuzu Kanno will also appear.
Jiro Wakamatsu, played by Nakajima, is Nobu's (Imada) first arranged marriage partner. He graduated from a maritime academy and works as a first-class engineer. His father is the chief engineer and an acquaintance of Nobu's late father, Yutaro ( Ryo Kase). Jiro himself once met Yutaro on board a ship. His hobby is photography.
Nakajima, who will be appearing in a Asadora for the first time since "Hanako to Anne" in the second half of 2014, commented, "Asadora after 11 years was definitely special, difficult, and somehow youthful. I'm surprised at myself for being able to immerse myself in the work so much. I feel very lucky to have had this opportunity again. Please look forward to it."
Setsuko Wakamatsu, played by Kanno, is Jiro's mother, who finds out about Nobu's existence and brings the idea of an arranged marriage between Jiro and Nobu to the Asada family.
Kanno said, "I was helped by the great tolerance and casual kindness of the Asada family. All the staff loved this production, and I was happy to be on set, filled with a gentle heat with Mio Imada's brightness and passion at the center. I am from a generation that has family members who experienced that war. I would like to pass on the meaning of the things they told me, and the lives they connected. I can't wait for everyone to meet my proud son, Jiro, played by Nakajima Ayumu."
"Anpan" is based on the married couple Takashi Yanase(1919-2013) and Nobuyuki (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 and arrived at "Anpanman," the embodiment of "unreversible justice."
