Actor Takashi Sorimachi appeared at the production announcement for the Fuji TV drama series "Ramune Monkey" (Wednesdays at 10pm, starting on the 14th), in which he stars alongside Nao Omori and Kenjiro Tsuda, held at Nihon University College of Art (Nerima Ward, Tokyo) on January 13th. When asked, in reference to the setting of the drama, "If you could go back to being a junior high school student?" Sorimachi replied, "I wanted to be a soccer player."
Born in December 1973, Sorimachi was passionate about soccer from the time he was in the second grade of elementary school until he graduated from junior high school. "I did dream of becoming a soccer player. I think I could aim to become a soccer player again..." he said, recalling his strict club activities, "It's probably not the case these days, but we were really desperate, with things like 'Don't drink water.' But it's because I had that time when I worked so hard that I can work hard now, and I think it's a plus for me."
Omori, born in February 1972, responded to the same question with a laugh, "I don't have time to watch 'Yuyake Nyan Nyan' (a variety show that aired on Fuji TV from 1985 to 1987) every day." Tsuda, born in June 1971, went to an all-boys school for middle and high school, and said with a wry smile, "I've never been on a date in a uniform. I thought it was nice. I wore a school uniform. Like, with the second button up. No one ever came near me."
The drama is based on an original story and script by Furusawa Ryota, known for works such as "The Confidence Man JP." The drama is a "youth-recovering human comedy" that depicts the reunion and rebirth of three middle-aged men with different appearances and personalities: Yoshii Yuta, also known as "Yun," played by Sorimachi; Fujimaki Hajime, also known as "Chen," played by Omori; and Kikuhara Kisuke, also known as "Kinpo," played by Tsuda. In 1988, they were all passionate about making kung fu movies during their junior high school days, but now feel stuck in life, thinking "this isn't how it was supposed to be." This is Tsuda's first lead role in a terrestrial TV drama series. The first episode will be extended by 15 minutes.
The three were all 51 years old and were in the film club together in junior high school. One day, they reunite after hearing the news that human bones have been discovered at a construction site in Tanbe City. They have a hazy memory of Miyashita Misa (Kiryu Aso), the teacher they looked up to 37 years ago. A piece of paper they dig up along with a group photo of the club members reads "missing." Pursuing the mysterious disappearance, the three hit the road again... Nishino Hakuba, a waitress at Gandhara Coffee, a coffee shop frequented by the three, is played by Fukumoto Riko, and Tsurumi, a police officer at Tanbe Police Station, is played by Hamao Noritaka.
