It was announced on September 20th that actor Kyohei Shimokawa will be appearing in the NHK Asadora drama series "Bakebake, " starring Akari Takaishi , which will begin airing on September 29th in the second half of 2025. He will play Kotani Haruo, a student at Matsue Junior High School of Lefkada Heaven ( Tommy Bastow ), who will become the husband of the heroine Toki Matsuno Matsuno (Takaishi). This will be Shimokawa's first appearance in a Asadora.
Shimokawa appeared in the film "National Treasure" (directed by Lee Sang-il), starring Ryo Yoshizawa, as Tokuji Hayakawa, the best friend of the protagonist, Tachibana Kikuo, played as a boy by Kurokawa Soya. In "Bakebake", he was selected along with Sugita Rairin and Yukito Hidaka from an audition that had 287 participants, and plays the role of a student at Matsue Junior High School.
Kotani Haruo, played by Shimokawa, is a pure, honest and good-natured young man, but because of that he also has a tendency to jump to conclusions...
Shimokawa explained, "Otani is a student at Matsue Junior High School, where the elite of the era gather, but he is also somewhat absent-minded and approachable, and his clumsy yet straightforward personality makes him a charming character that will put a smile on your face when you watch him."
"I've always respected Akari Takaishi ever since we co-starred in a completely improvised film and I was inspired by her commanding acting, so I'm very happy to be working with her again this time. Please also pay attention to the relationship between Toki and Kotani. Thank you very much!"
Production manager Hashizume Kuniomi commented, "The students of Matsue Junior High School, who are students of Heaven-sensei and Nishikori-sensei (Yoshizawa-sensei), were selected from 287 applicants through auditions. Kotani, played by Shimokawa-san, is a bit different from the other two, a bit of a scatterbrained character that is lovable. I'm sure that the way he pushes forward with all his might will bring a smile to the faces of many viewers. Shimokawa-san plays a difficult role that requires exquisite balance with an amazing sense of balance."
"Bakebake " is based on the life of Lafcadio Hearn Yakumo Koizumi and his wife Setsu, and depicts the story of a ghost story-loving heroine who lives an ordinary, everyday life with her foreign husband. The script is written by Mitsuhiko Fujiki, who has worked on NHK's "Asagaya Sisters' Relaxed Life" and WOWOW's "Shooting Break Series."
