Drama Topics from September 27th to October 3rd (Part 2)

"Drama 1 Week" brings you a roundup of major drama news from the past week. This time (September 27th to October 3rd), we're covering topics such as Tomoyo Takayanagi , the voice actress who plays Oguri Cap in the TV anime " Uma Musume Cinderella Gray," appearing in the TBS Sunday Theatre drama "The Royal Family," and Kato Rosa appearing in the first episode of the drama series "Oshi no Satsujin" (Yomiuri TV/Nippon TV). We'll cover these topics in two parts.

On October 1st, it was announced that voice actress Tomoyo Takayanagi , who plays Oguri Cap in the TV anime " Uma Musume Cinderella Gray," based on the manga " Uma Musume Pretty Derby ," a game that is popular among fans, will appear in the TBS Sunday Theatre drama "The Royal Family" (Sundays at 9pm), starring Tsumabuki Satoshi Tsumabuki. Takayanagi will play the older sister of Kurisu Eiji, played by Tsumabuki. Takayanagi commented, "The natural acting in the world of the drama is different from the anime, so I found it difficult to get the balance right. But the recording was very stimulating and fulfilling, and I had a lot of fun."

On the 1st, it was announced that Yumi Matsutoya will be performing the theme song for the new Fuji TV drama "When I Was Young, God Was There," which will begin airing on Thursdays at 10 PM on Getsuku. The song, "Ten Made Todoke," was written specifically for the series, and marks Matsutoya's first theme song for a Fuji TV drama in about nine years, since "Chef: Three-Star School Lunch," which aired in October 2016. "Ten Made Todoke," which will also be included on Matsutoya's 40th original album, "Wormhole / Yumi AraI," to be released on November 18th, is characterized by its nostalgic atmosphere reminiscent of "Yumi Arai." Using the latest AI technology, Matsutoya's singing voice from her "Yumi Arai" days in the 1990s and 2000s was synthesized to create a new vocal style that could be called a "third Yuming."

On the 1st, it was revealed that Ken Watanabe will be providing a voice role in the drama series "If This World Were a Stage, Where Would the Dressing Room Be?" (Fuji TV, Wednesdays at 10pm), written by Koki Mitani and starring Masaki Suda. The announcement was made as a surprise during the first broadcast on the same day, and he will be providing the voice for Shakespeare's "epigraph" that appears in the series. Epigraphs are quotes or epigraphs that are placed at the beginning of a book, and the series incorporates various Shakespearean motifs, with epigraphs appearing frequently and apparently providing hints for the main story.

Additionally, in the premiere of "If This World Were a Stage, Where Would the Dressing Room Be?", the main character, played by Suda, gets lost in the shady shopping district "Hachibunzaka," where the mysterious dancer, Koda Rika (Nikaido Fumi), appears, sparking a buzz among viewers. After drinking with Rika, Kube attempts to leave the bar, but Rika charges him more than he expected and demands that he bring 90,000 yen by the following night. When Kube resists, Rika blows cigarette smoke at him and smiles, saying, "If you're willing to die, you can do it, big brother." Social media has seen a flood of praise for Nikaido's portrayal of the dangerous Rika. Comments such as "Fumi-chan is sexy and suits the role of a Showa-era woman," and "Her sex appeal and dignity are incredible" have been posted.

On the 2nd, timelesz's So Matsushima attended a press conference in Tokyo for the drama series "Papa to Chichi no Uchigohan" (TV Asahi, Saturdays at 11 PM), which begins airing on October 4th, along with his co-star, Jin Shirasu. Regarding his co-starring role with fellow group member Shuto Inomata in the drama, he smiled and said, "It's deeply moving to be starring in my first lead role at this time, and to be appearing in a drama with Inomata, who is also making his first drama appearance." The theme song is timelesz's new song "Recipe," and Matsushima commented, "It's not exactly a celebration, but I'm happy that it was chosen as the theme song at a time when we've formed a new group. I want to work together to make it a success."

On the 2nd, it was announced that Kato Rosa will be appearing in the drama series "Murder of My Favorite" (Yomiuri TV/Nippon TV, Thursdays 11:59 PM), which began airing the same day and stars Momoko Tanabe, Mayu Yokota, and Meari Hayashi. She plays the wife of a capable businessman played by Yu Shirota. In the first episode, Baby Starlight's Rui (Tanabe), Thelma (Yokota), and Izumi (Hayashi) end up killing their agency president, Haura (Tamura Kentaro), after a dispute. Hoping to cover up their crime and continue their idol activities, the three bury the body in the mountains. Sharing their guilt, the three decide to live in Izumi's apartment. However, various hardships will befall them in the future.

On the 3rd, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi appeared at the production announcement for his starring drama "Shumaku no Rondo" (Kantele/Fuji TV, Mondays at 10pm) held in Tokyo. At the beginning of the event, he mistakenly called his co-star Ryoko Kuninaka "Nakama-san" (Friend), for which he apologized. Despite getting her name wrong, the press conference proceeded in a friendly atmosphere, with Kusanagi, as the "leader," guiding questions. It seems the same was true on set, with co-star Yuri Nakamura recalling, "Just having Tsuyoshi there brightened up the set, he was always joking around in a good way, and there was constant laughter." The drama begins on October 13th.