It has been announced that the Gekidan Shinkansen gekixcine drama "Tengousei," starring actors Arata Furuta, Taichi Hayami, and his younger brother Tomoki, which has been much talked about for its realistic sword fighting, will be broadcast and streamed on WOWOW in February next year. The drama was first performed in 2023 to mark the 43rd anniversary of the company's founding, and was released nationwide in cinemas in 2024.
"Tengousei" was written by Nakashima Kazuki and directed by Inoue Hidenori. It is a shocking story of body swapping, starring people who live in the underworld in the town of Edo. It is a "Shinkansen-style" period drama filled with Edo atmosphere, with "Inoue Kabuki" that captivates with its dramatic action scenes.
Furuta will play Fujitsuboya Hanbei, the owner of a "Guidance House" that offers final farewells to those who should not be alive for the sake of society and humanity. Also appearing will be Taichi Hayatome as Yoiyami Ginji, a ruthless rogue assassin who ends up swapping bodies with Hanbei, and Yuki Saotome as Asaji, Ginji's sworn enemy and a violent assassin. This will be the first time Taichi and Tomoki will appear together with Furuta.
Also appearing were Shiori Kubo, Seiko Takada, Makoto Awane, Chihiro Yamamoto, and Narushi Ikeda.
The play was filmed at THEATER MILANO-Za in Tokyu Kabukicho Tower (Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo) on October 11, 2023. The video and audio have been edited to preserve the excitement of the stage, resulting in a highly immersive geki-cine production.
◇Story
Hanbei, the owner of the employment agency "Fujitsuboya," is known as the boss of a "guidance agency" that secretly eliminates villains for the sake of society and people. However, in reality, he is a timid, gentle-natured figurehead who is only popular for his scary face and can't even kill a bug. The real boss is the woman in charge, Oise. One day, Yoiyami Ginji, a rogue assassin who will slash to death anyone for as long as they are paid, appears. Ginji is hired by the Kuroha-gumi, a group plotting to monopolize the underground business, to kill Hanbei. At that moment, as if by the curse of the heavenly star, lightning strikes the two men directly, and Hanbei and Ginji's bodies are swapped.
At that moment, Asaji, an assassin, arrives from Joshu, aiming for Ginji's head. Hanbei, who has entered Ginji's body, is forced to flee for his life. Meanwhile, Ginji, who has entered Hanbei's body, is disappointed to learn that he is only the owner of the funeral home in name only. However, he comes up with the idea of using this body to fulfill his own ambitions. The fates of the two men intersect as they are tossed about by the Heavenly Star. What lies ahead...?
