It has been revealed that the July serial drama "Chihayafuru -Meguri-" (NTV, Wednesdays at 10pm), starring actress Ami Touma, will begin airing on July Getsuku. The main visual featuring Touma, Mone Kamishiraishi and other cast members has also been released.
"Chihayafuru" is a manga by Yuki Suetsugu that was serialized in "BE・LOVE" (Kodansha) from 2007 to 2022. The story is about Ayase Chihaya, who awakens to the charm of competitive karuta through her encounter with transfer student Wataya Arata, and becomes passionate about karuta together with her childhood friend Mashima Taichi and the other unique members of the karuta club.
This drama is an original story set 10 years after the trilogy of films. The competitive karuta club at Umezono High School, where the club is set, has few members and is on the verge of being disbanded. The protagonist, Aizawa Meguru, a ghost club member and second-year high school student played by Touma, meets Oe Kanade (Kamishiraishi), a part-time classical Japanese teacher who has become the club's new advisor, and his fate begins to change dramatically. Hara Nanoka plays Tsukiura Nagi, a member of the Mizusawa High School competitive Nanoka Hara built and which has now become a powerhouse, while other up-and-coming young actors such as Jun Saito and Soma Santoki play the karuta club members.
The main visual released shows Meguru played by Touma, along with the members of the Umezono High School Karuta Club, including advisor Kanade (Kamishiraishi), Shirano Fuki (Saito), Yono Sota (Yamatoki), Murata Chieri (Arashi Rina), Okuyama Haruma (Takamura Kahito), and Yakumo Riki (Sakamoto Aito), all wearing hakama. In addition, Tsukiura Nagi (Hara), Orie Kenshin (Fujiwara Daisuke) from Mizusawa High School, and Okuyama Sho (Riku Onishi) from the veteran school Hokuo Gakuen also join in, making a total of 10 cast members in traditional Japanese clothing.
A trailer was also released on Nippon Television's official YouTube channel for the drama. It includes various famous scenes from the film series, such as when Chihaya and her friends won the national championship, and leads to a scene where Kanade, now a teacher, asks the new protagonist Meguru, "Would you like to play karuta with us?" It also includes scenes where Nagi, Fuki and others face off in competitive karuta. The trailer is narrated by Asami Seto, the voice actress who played Ayase Chihaya in the anime "Chihayafuru."
