Kei Inoo of the popular group Hey! Say! JUMP appeared at the premiere screening of WOWOW's drama series W-30 Strobe Edge Season 1, held in Tokyo on November 10th, along with co-star Riko Fukumoto and Kyohei Takahashi of Naniwa Danshi .
The drama is based on the manga of the same name by Io Sakisaka, which has sold over 8 million copies (including digital editions) across 10 volumes, and is a full-fledged youth love story divided into two parts: Season 1 and Season 2. It is currently airing on WOWOW Prime every Friday at 11pm, and all six episodes of Season 1 are available to stream on WOWOW On Demand.
Inoo plays Miyoshi Kyoichi, the owner of the cafe where the heroine Ninako (Fukumoto) and others start working part-time. When his role was announced, he commented, "I was surprised and thought, 'What, I'm playing a high school student?' but when I heard that I'd be playing Miyoshi Kyoichi, the cafe owner, I was relieved." However, when asked by the host, "What if you really were offered the role of a high school student?" he replied with a wry smile, "I'd be in trouble."
Inoo, who is currently 35, said, "But if I were to come, I would like to ask Kyohei if I could do it," and Takahashi, a junior at the agency, expressed his desire to "do it together then!" When the host pressed him, saying, "I'd like all the fans to see it too," he blushed and said, "I wonder..."
This was the first time Ino and Takahashi had acted together. Takahashi expressed his gratitude, saying, "It was my first time working with a senior from the agency, so I was very nervous, but he spoke to me so kindly. He loved me like a cat that had been picked up. Thank you very much." Ino, who doesn't often have the opportunity to act with juniors, also recalled being nervous. He revealed that when they first met, they shook hands with both hands, and the two of them demonstrated it, exciting the crowd.
Koki Yamashita, Hinatazaka46's Kosaka Nao, Motoki Nakazawa, and Chiba Yudai also appeared at the premiere screening.
