Actor Tomoya Nakamura attended the production announcement press conference for the drama series "DREAM STAGE" (Fridays at 10pm), which starts on January 16th, held in Tokyo on January 14th. He was moved by the live performance of the boy groups "NAZE" and "TORINNER", with whom he co-stars.
The drama is a "K-POP version of a sports drama" in which Nakamura plays Azuma Jun, a producer who was once expelled from the industry for causing problems, and seven dropout trainees from a small Korean entertainment agency form a boy group called NAZE, and work together to pursue their dreams across generations and nationalities.
The press conference began with a live performance by NAZE members Yoongi, Ato, Kim Gon, Dohyuk, Taan, Kaisei, and Yuya, along with rival group TORINNER members Yoji Iwase, HOJIN, Shiga Riku, Matsuse Taiko, and ISAAC. NAZE performed the drama's theme song "BABYBOO," and TORINNER performed the song "Top Tier."
Nakamura, who watched the two groups' performances from the front row, seemed deeply moved, saying, "Whenever I read 'SLAM DUNK,' I always cry, and the same thing is happening to me with NAZE. Seeing NAZE's sparkle gets me teary-eyed, so maybe it's just because I'm getting old."
"It was my first time to see them from such a special seat, and I even got some fan service. I now understand how (the fans) feel," she said with a smile, and praised them, saying, "They learned the choreography, singing, and formation for this song while filming, and I thought they were amazing."
Finally, he sent a message saying, "We've been filming for two months, and one thing I've personally realized is that the way they work so single-mindedly is very moving. I think it will be something that people who are chasing their dreams can relate to, and even for people who have given up on their dreams, I think it will give them a clear, beautiful, emotional feeling, like when you're cleaning the closet and you find something important from your youth and look at it. I hope you'll find your favorite character and enjoy the film."
The press conference was attended by Elaiza Ikeda and Ha Yeon-soo, and was hosted by Furuya Masayuki.
