Mikako Tabe will star in her first WOWOW drama series "Shadow Work" starting in November

It has been revealed that actress Mikako Tabe will be starring in the drama series "Shadow Work" (WOWOW), which begins on November 23rd. Based on the novel of the same name by Edogawa Rampo Prize-winning author Sano Hiromi, the mystery depicts the "ultimate sisterhood" that wives suffering from domestic violence reach in the depths of despair in order to survive. Tabe will play a housewife whose life has been turned upside down by brutal domestic violence from her husband. This will be Tabe's first starring role in a WOWOW drama series.

Tabe plays the main character, housewife Noriko, who has suffered daily violence from her husband for several years, leading her to lose her sense of self and to believe that she is to blame for the violence she receives. One day, after barely escaping with her life, she meets someone at the hospital and is led to a house in Enoshima. While living there with a variety of women in similar circumstances, she begins to find her true self and a fulfilling life, but is confronted with the secret rules of the house, which causes her heart to break. This is Tabe's first time appearing in a full-scale mystery with such intense depictions.

The director is Atsuhiro Yamada. He studied film at New York University and won the grand prize at the Kinoshita Group New Director Awards sponsored by Kino Films in 2017. He made his feature film debut with the film "AWAKE" at the end of 2020, and "IOredewa nai enjo" will be released nationwide on September 26th. The script is written by Hisayo Seki, who has worked on such works as "Serial Drama W Iribito" (2021).

"Drama W Shadow Work" (5 episodes in total) will be broadcast and streamed on WOWOW Prime and WOWOW On Demand every Sunday at 10pm starting November 23rd. The first episode will be broadcast and streamed for free.

◇Comment from Hiromi Sano, the original author

When it was decided that the story would be made into a TV drama, my anticipation grew to see how it would be portrayed. With domestic violence as its subject, I thought it would be quite difficult to adapt it for the screen. But after reading the script, I learned a lot, and I see that it can be done on screen. The star , Mikako Tabe, has a natural image, so I think she will be able to portray Kiko as a life-size character. Many of the characters in this work are forced to make "decisions" throughout the drama. That's the "highlight," and it will also be interesting to see how the stellar cast portrays those "decisions." I hope that viewers will not think of domestic violence as something that only happens to other people, but will watch the drama while thinking along the lines of, "What would I do in a situation like this?"

◇Comment from lead actress Mikako Tabe

I'm excited to be taking on such a serious drama for the first time in a while, and to play a role I've never played before: a victim of domestic violence. There are many intense scenes, and I'm still trying to imagine how to portray the slightly strange atmosphere of a group of emotionally driven women. While Noriko doesn't have many lines, she's able to speak her mind to anyone except her husband and remains true to her purpose as a woman. I'm a bit worried about whether I'll be able to portray the hurt Noriko's transformation as she meets these strong, life-giving women, but I hope to do my best to portray the emotional changes she experiences, which I found fascinating when I read the script. Since it's a drama, I just want viewers to enjoy it. The women who gather at the shelter team up to accomplish something. I hope viewers will be surprised by the plot developments, but also watch to see how it all ends.

◇Comment from Director Atsuhiro Yamada

It's been over two years since I first read the highly entertaining original novel "Shadow Work," and I've finally reached the stage where I can film my carefully crafted script. WOWOW's serial drama W has always been a dream role for me, so I'm going to put all my effort into this project. While this work has a heavy theme and suspense, I also see it as a gentle tale of women who support, acknowledge, and cherish each other through their communal life. I look forward to working together with Mikako Tabe incredibly charming actresses, cast members, and staff to portray these women living quietly yet powerfully.

◇ Comment from scriptwriter Hisayo Seki

I remember picking up "Shadow Work" and closing the book soon after I started (about a third of the way through). It was so fascinating that I half didn't want to finish it, and half was nervous and anxious about being involved in adapting such a novel for the screen. But I couldn't stop reading; it ripped straight to my heart. Once I started writing, I wanted to convey this same emotion, so I had countless meetings with the director and producers. I don't know how close I got to Sano-sensei's world, but thanks to everyone, the script was completed and is now being adapted for the screen. We've assembled an incredibly wonderful cast and a staff that is nothing short of skilled. I hope you'll watch to see what kind of warmth this story will bring to the screen. I hope this work will inspire someone, somewhere.