Gordon Maeda makes his debut as a Asadora star in " Anpan " as a genius manga artist modeled after Osamu Tezuka

It was revealed on July 11th that actor Gordon Maeda will appear in the NHK Asadora drama "Anpan " (General TV, Monday to Saturday 8am and others), starring Mio Imada . This will be Maeda's first time appearing in a Asadora, and he will play the genius manga artist Osamu Tezuka, modeled after Osamu Tezuka, known as the "god of manga."

Teshima Osamu is a genius manga artist who Takashi (played by Takumi Kitamura) meets after moving to Tokyo. He later asks Takashi to do the character design and art for the animated film "Tales of the Thousand and One Nights."

Maeda said, "This is my first time appearing in a Asadora, and I'm very nervous but feeling rewarded to be playing a character modeled after Osamu Tezuka, who is known as the 'God of Manga.' I have the image of him as a god who descends from the world of his own accord, a gentle but particular person who loves manga. I would like to play Teshima Osamu to the best of my ability and be a convincing character who can have a major impact on Yanai Takashi's life."

Chief Producer Kurasaki Ken, who is in charge of production, explained the role of Teshima Osamu, saying, "One day, he is an entity who will intersect with Takashi's life in an unexpected way, causing a chemical reaction. For Takashi, there is incredible talent in the younger generation, and this causes him emotions that cannot be expressed simply as jealousy."

"When I thought that the role should be played by a talented younger actor who would be a threat to Takumi Kitamura, who plays Takashi, I thought that Gordon Maeda was the best," he explained the reason for casting him, adding, "He is stoic and has strong convictions, but he also has a pure side. I can't wait for everyone to see Teshima Osamu played by Gordon."

"Anpan" is based on the married couple Takashi Yanase(1919-2013) and Nobu (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 to become "Anpanman," the embodiment of "unreversible justice."