Masaki Suda to star in drama series written by Koki Mitani

It was announced on September 2nd that actor Masaki Suda will be starring in the Fuji TV Wednesday 10pm drama "If This World Were a Stage, Where Would the Dressing Room Be?" (Wednesdays at 10pm, with the first episode extended by 30 minutes), which will begin airing on October 1st. The script is by Koki Mitani, who will be working on a prime-time drama series on a commercial TV station for the first time in 25 years, and the all-star cast will include Fumi Nikaido, Ryunosuke Kamiki, and Minami Hamabe.

The drama is an original story about young people set in Shibuya in 1984, and includes semi-autobiographical elements from Mitani. During the transition period from a period of stable economic growth to the bubble economy, the corners of Shibuya were filled with the struggles, setbacks, and sometimes romance of young people who were still unknown.

Some pursue glory, some are heartbroken, some are troublesome, some just want to get out of town... They're all a bit quirky, clumsy, and unskillful at life. From the outside, they may seem like a motley crew, but in reality, they're earnest and hardworking. This film is full of laughter and tears as it depicts the energetic lives of these "human" people in 1984.

This will be Mitani's first time working on a primetime drama series on a commercial TV station in 25 years, since "A Word Is Courage" (2000). It will also be his first time working on an 11pm drama in 22 and a half years, since "HR" (October 2002 - March 2003).

Suda plays the lead role of Kube Mitsunari, a young theatrical actor with dreams of success, while Nikaido plays the mysterious dancer Koda Rika, Kamiki plays Horai Shogo, a newcomer TV writer inspired by the "young Mitani," and Hamabe plays Egashira Juri, a shrine maiden at a shrine in Shibuya.

This will be the second time Suda and Mitani have teamed up, three years after the 2022 NHK Taiga drama "The 13 Lords of the Shogun." This will be the first time Nikaido, Kamiki, and Hamabe have worked on a script written by Mitani. The film will be directed by Masaki Nishiura, known for the "Code Blue" series.

◇Comment from Koki Mitani

For no particular reason, a long time has passed since I left commercial television serial dramas. Then I met a brave young producer who wanted to work with me, and now, for the first time in 25 years, I'm back on Fuji TV's golden prime time. I don't feel much pressure. Even if I worry about it, there's only so much I can write.

Write what you want to write. Draw what you can draw. With so many talented scriptwriters from the generation younger than me, what is it that only I can write? To begin with, it's impossible for me to portray the lifestyles of young people today. What I ended up doing was writing about my own youth. Surely there's no one who can write about that better than me. And obviously.

The year was 1984. I was a budding television writer. While writing scripts for variety shows, I also wrote comedy sketches for comedians. Back then, I felt like I had an eternal future. I believed that life offered countless options, and I was overflowing with hope. I wonder how I managed to stay so positive. You could say it was youth, but there was more to it than that. Back then, not just me, but the entire era, the entire country, was filled with energy and optimism. There was definitely an atmosphere in '80s Japan of everyone working together in unison to climb the hill. I wanted to portray that era itself, a time when everyone was living desperately, striving for their dreams. How wonderful would it be to write such a drama? I felt it could offer encouragement and encouragement to those living with anxiety in these seemingly endlessly unstable times.

I made a big promise like that, but the finished script is actually quite compact, with limited locations, times, and characters. Please don't be surprised, everyone. In the end, that's what happens when I write it. In other words, no matter how you look at it, it's a drama that only I could write. I guarantee it will be entertaining.

◇Comment from Masaki Suda

Written by Koki Mitani. "If this world were a stage, where would the dressing room be?" The setting is Shibuya in the 1980s. I play Kube, a director who admired Yukio Ninagawa. As an actor, Mitani has given me another big challenge. I'm shaking with fear.

Perhaps because I was playing the role of a director, my approach to acting was fresh every day. I felt like I was being encouraged, and also scolded. But one thing I can say for sure is that watching everyone's performances was a lot of fun. That alone made me feel like I had been rewarded as an actor. Theater is always at the heart of the story. There are many hot flames, for better or worse, around the works and people. Is that fragile passion a light or a darkness to others, or does it just burn you? Does that passion still exist now? Is it even needed in the first place? I am happy to be able to entrust myself to this drama, which is like an endangered species. Is this story a comedy or a tragedy? Please look forward to it.

◇Comment from Fumi Nikaido

Every time I turned the pages of the script, I was excited by the story that Mitani-san was weaving. Mitani-san's work was what made me want to join this world. I was able to take part in the set I had always wanted to be on, to be reunited with the leader Suda-kun on set after a long time, and to work with all the interesting seniors - it was a fun and happy set in every respect. Please look forward to the broadcast!!

◇ Comment from Ryunosuke Kamiki

I played the role of Horai Shogo. Ryunosuke Kamiki. I am incredibly happy to be able to live in the story that Mitani-san has written. I am also incredibly happy to be able to work again with everyone I have worked with before. I learned a lot while feeling incredibly happy. The whole team worked together as one and did our best, so I hope you will check it out if you have the chance. Thank you.

◇ Comment from Minami Hamabe

I'm Hamabe Minami, and I played the role of Egashira Juri. I remember being moved by the title, "If this world were a stage, where would the dressing room be?", which was so exciting. That feeling continued when I read the script, and the story, as well as the unique characters centered around the protagonist, were endlessly fascinating. To be honest, even though I'm starring in the show, I can't imagine what kind of drama it will turn out to be. I think it will be a production that will allow everyone to experience the same emotions. Don't miss the broadcast. It was a great honor to be able to appear in the show.

◇Comment from Director Masaki Nishiura

A clash of powers! This was the whole story of this drama. The power of the script, the power of the actors, and the power of the staff were all strong. However, the clash was not just a spark, but a big, vivid firework. Look forward to that power every week.