NHK's new night drama "Itsuka, Mujuryoku no Sora de" to air in September

It has been announced that the new drama "Itsuka, Mujuryoku no Sora de" will be broadcast on NHK's "Yorudora" time slot (General TV, Monday to Thursday at 10:45) from September 8th. Kiryu Aso will play the main character, Mochizuki Asuka, and Misato Morita will also appear as Hibino Hikari, a girl Asuka reunites with.

The drama is about four girls from the astronomy club who, in their high school days, shared their dream of going to space together. As they grow up and walk their own paths, they suddenly reunite with their forgotten dream. "If we had a micro-satellite, maybe we could aim for space now..." Pushed by their "old" selves, they are about to embark on a second youth...

The protagonist, Mochizuki Asuka, is 30 years old and works at an advertising agency in Osaka. He is said to be a role model for young employees and is listed on the company's recruitment website as a representative of the employees, but he tries hard every day to live up to the expectations of those around him. He no longer knows what his own words and thoughts are. In high school, he loved space and often went out to observe the stars, but as an adult he completely forgot about it. When he reunites with Hikari, his thoughts about space, which he had been suppressing, begin to overflow little by little.

Hibino Hikari is always cheerful and positive, like the sun. She explores what she likes, and is powerful enough to forge her own path without being swayed by the atmosphere around her or the common sense of the world. Because of this, she is sometimes called an oddball, but she doesn't care at all. In high school, she started the astronomy club with Asuka and continued to pursue her dream of becoming an astronaut. After a certain incident, Hikari gave up on her dream of becoming an astronaut, and appears in front of Asuka for the first time in 13 years, wanting to meet her old friend.

Kiriryu, who plays Asuka, commented, "Ever since I read the original script, I've been very happy to be able to play the lead role in this production, and at the same time, I'm approaching filming with a feeling of excitement and nervousness. The older we get, the more we feel we have gained and lost, and I think this film is trying to carefully pick up those things. I hope that viewers will relax and watch over the people who go about their daily lives finding and then losing important things little by little through their longing for something as endless as space. I hope that the gravity of everyone's daily lives will be lightened, even if just a little, as they watch."

Morita, who plays Hikari, said, "This is my first night drama since 'The Woman Who Wants to Make and the Woman Who Wants to Eat,' and I'm very happy to be back in my favorite space where I can take a break at the end of the day. This is the first time we've filmed entirely in Osaka, but each day I feel a nostalgic, warm, and lively atmosphere, and I am carefully moving forward step by step. 'Those days' were filled with endless dreams like the universe. I gently pull out the person I was at that time from the corner of my memory, and a sigh comes to my face as I think, "There was a time like that." I hope we can deliver a drama that will fill tomorrow with a little hope. Just 15 minutes on a weekday night. I would be happy if you could chase your dreams with us."