The drama "When I Was Young, There Was a God" (Fuji TV, Thursdays 10pm), starring actor Kitamura Yukiya and co-starring Nakama Yukie, will begin airing on Getsuku. The script is by Okada Yoshikazu, known for the "Second to Last Love" series. The sitcom tells the story of three families living in a retro apartment building. Kitamura and Nakama play a married couple. This is Kitamura's first lead role in a prime-time terrestrial TV drama. The first episode will be extended by 15 minutes.
19 years ago, Ogura Wataru (Kitamura) and his wife Ann (Nakama) made a promise to divorce when their child turned 20. Wataru has completely forgotten that promise and has been living at his own pace, while Ann has always been his emotional support. The two men, with differing opinions, gradually begin to waver in their everyday lives.
The Ogura couple live on the third floor of the three-story apartment building "Tasogare States." Masao Kusakari plays Shinichi Nagashima, who lives on the first floor, Sawako Agawa plays his wife Satoko, Karin Ono plays Karin Ono, who lives on the second floor, and Anna Ishii plays Anna Ishii, Nao's girlfriend.
The first episode is set on the first floor of "Tasogare States" in the suburbs of Tokyo. Shinichi (Kusakari), a loving husband, is busy with housework and community activities, but Satoko (Agawa) doesn't seem to be too interested. On the second floor, a female couple, gregarious Higuchi Nao (Ono) and shy Takamura Shiho (Ishii), live together. There is almost no furniture in the room, and the two sleep in a camping tent. They seem very happy.
The third floor is home to a family of three: Ogura Wataru (Kitamura), who works at a food company; Ann (Nakama), who works part-time as a housewife; and their daughter Yuzu (Kondo Hana), a university student aspiring to become a film director. Their son, Jun (Kotaki Nozomu), is an independent firefighter.
About 20 years ago, Wataru somehow managed to get into his first-choice university, while An got into a backup university. At the announcement of the results, An was sobbing with joy that Wataru suddenly hugged her, causing her to slap him. From that encounter, the two eventually started dating, got jobs, and got married. An became pregnant and quit her job. Now, the Ogura family lives a seemingly peaceful life.
One day, a typhoon hits Tokyo. Shinichi piles up water bags in front of his apartment building in preparation for the river flooding. Wataru helps him with this and suggests that the apartment residents gather and spend the night at the Ogura house. Nao and Shiho see a sign and, after some deliberation, decide to go to the Ogura house.
Everyone introduces themselves and gets to know each other better as they spend the night together. As dawn breaks, Wataru smiles and reminisces about the past, saying, "There was a time when we said we'd get divorced when our child turned 20."
That night, Ann makes a shocking confession to Wataru: "I'm still alive, but that promise. I've been living my life with that intention in mind."
The theme song is Yumi Matsutoya's new song "Tenmade Todoke." The title of the drama comes from the opening lyrics of Yumi Arai's famous song "Yasashisa ni Tsutsumareta Nara."
