Starring actors Sadao Abe and Takako Matsu , the popular drama series " Shiawase na Kekkon " (TV Asahi, Thursdays at 9pm) features an original story by screenwriter Shizuka Oishi . While a family drama, it is billed as a "marriage suspense" that explores the love between husband and wife. Six episodes have aired to date, with over 15 million views on catch-up streaming and ranking highly on various streaming services, making it one of the most popular summer dramas. We spoke to General Producer Nakagawa Shinko about the planning process and the casting.
◇A work like the Reiwa era's "The Eldest Son's Wife"
Producer Nakagawa was also in charge of "The Men of the Wada Family" (2021), which was written by Oishi and starred Aiba Masaki. He says that " Shiawase na Kekkon" started from a script he read at that time.
"'The Men of the Wada Family' was a family drama, but I had little experience producing family dramas up until then, so to study, I read the script of 'The Eldest Son's Bride' (TBS, 1994), which Oishi had previously produced and which had been a huge hit. I was an enthusiastic viewer at the time, and when I reread the script, I was blown away by the dialogue, structure, and development. It made me want to create a work like 'The Eldest Son's Bride' in the Reiwa era someday."
Oishi then began writing for the NHK Taiga drama "To Dear Radiance (Hikaru Kimi e)" (2024), so the project was realized after four years. It was also decided at the planning stage that Abe would play the lead role.
"I worked with Abe on the one-off drama "Switch" (2020), and it goes without saying that he was wonderful, so I had always wanted to ask him to star in a drama series someday. I really wanted to see what kind of chemistry would be created when Abe, who can easily play both comedy and serious roles, and Oishi's script were combined."
With Abe chosen to play the lead role, the story has become about a man who has remained single for a long time, but now in his 50s, he takes a step forward and gets married.
"However, when I was talking with Oishi about how it might be difficult to get viewers to watch a story that was just about a couple or a family, given the large number of dramas out there at the moment, he suggested adding a suspense element, saying, 'The wife has a secret.' From there, the worldview expanded all at once. I then asked Matsu to play the role of the mysterious, bewitching, artistic and dignified heroine, Nella."
Although the collaboration between a renowned screenwriter and a renowned actor was a solid one, there were concerns before the show aired about the challenging theme of a family drama mixed with suspense.
"I think that family dramas and suspense elements are generally polar opposites. It's not an easy-to-understand story of good triumphing over evil, so I was worried whether viewers would accept it. But today's viewers are exposed to a wide variety of content through streaming services, so many of them have discerning tastes. I was relieved to hear that it was well received, with viewers saying things like, 'It's strange and unsettling, but interesting,' and 'The creepy feeling is new.' I think it's a work that was well-received precisely because of the times we live in."
◇A drama that can be enjoyed worldwide
Speaking of Abe, last year's drama "Extremely Inappropriate! " (TBS) became a big topic of conversation. Matsu's film "First Kiss 1ST KISS," released in February this year, was a huge hit. Also appearing in this film are Yasunori Danta and Reo Tamaoki , who appeared in last year's NHK Taiga drama " To Dear Radiance (Hikaru Kimi e) ." However, he says that this wasn't intentional, but rather "it just happened to coincide."
"When we asked Abe and Matsu to appear, their most recent works had yet to be broadcast or released. As a result, we were really lucky to be able to gather together right after they had each produced a string of popular works."
The series is also available on Netflix and is ranked highly in Japan. It is also set to be released in over 190 countries and regions overseas.
"Even if countries are different, the 'story of family' is something that resonates universally. Abe and Matsu, two of Japan's most representative actors, have given performances that seem to clash with each other's souls, and I think the show would be a hit even on a global scale. In addition, this production brings together many staff members with a track record not only in television dramas but also in film and streaming, and we are proud that by combining talents from a variety of fields, we have been able to achieve an extremely high quality television drama."
Along with the story's outcome, attention is also focused on how this Japanese family drama will be received around the world.
