Osamu Suzuki, who retired from his work as a scriptwriter and television writer at the end of March last year, has announced that he will be writing the script for the TV Asahi drama series "Ubai Ai, Manatsu" (Fridays at 11:15pm *excluding some regions), which will begin airing in July. This is the latest in the "Ubai Ai" series, which has always been a hot topic for its slushy love-hate drama and the eccentric performances of its cast. Suzuki, the creator of the series, had promised the production team to write a sequel even before he announced his retirement, and has now decided to take up his pen once again in order to fulfill that promise.
The film stars Marika Matsumoto and Ken Yasuda as its co-star. After losing her mother in an accident and breaking up with her boyfriend who promised to marry her, the protagonist Umino Manatsu (Matsumoto) is living a life of despair. She decides to make a fresh start in life by changing jobs to a watch manufacturer, but the president, Sorachi Time (Yasuda), looks just like her ex-boyfriend. Manatsu finds herself in an unintentional forbidden love with Time, who is married. This is the story. The two talented actors play a man and a woman at the mercy of forbidden love, and the "Dark and Cute Theater" opens its curtains once again.
Suzuki commented, "Stolen Love is a special work to me. In 2016, I had a major depressing experience at work and it was causing me a lot of worry. Amidst all of this, I was in charge of the script for the drama Stolen Love in Winter in 2017, which became a big hit around the world and helped me regain my confidence as a creator. I've really "let it go" with this new version of Stolen Love in Midsummer. I think the story will be more intense, more passionate and full of mixed emotions than ever before. I hope you'll look forward to it."
Matsumoto expressed his joy at the offer, saying, "I never thought I'd be able to work on 'Ubai Ai' with Yasuda-san... I think it's going to be really interesting, and I'm really grateful. I hope we can spend a fun, lively summer together on set." He added, "I hope you enjoy the acting battle between the stellar cast, based on the lines that are unique to Osamu's script. Please be sure to check it out!"
Yasuda, who plays the dual roles of Tokimu and Manatsu's ex-boyfriend Oura Hayato, commented on the offer for this film, "I thought, 'Is this really okay? An old man like me...' (laughs). This is a role I've never really tried before, so I hope I can have a good time with Matsumoto." He continued, "It's a romance drama, something I haven't experienced much. To study, I'm going to watch a variety of romance dramas. From Lee Byung-hun to Alain Delon! I want to study a wide range (laughs)."
