Actor Matsuyama Kenichi stars in NHK's "Drama 10: Themis's Uncertain Courtroom" (General TV, Tuesdays at 10 PM). The courtroom drama follows a judge with a developmental disorder who struggles with his own unique characteristics while tackling complex cases. The first episode, which aired on January 6th, got off to a strong start, with a total of approximately 640,000 views (simultaneous broadcast + catch-up streaming) on NHK ONE as of the 13th.
Matsuyama, who plays the main character Ando Kiyoharu, says, "People who have been diagnosed with a developmental disorder. People who feel they might be in the gray zone. People who feel life is difficult. People who are tired of being tossed around by what is considered normal. In any case, I think there are actually a lot of people who are constantly battling the anxiety in their hearts that they might be left behind in a society that moves at a fast pace like a marathon. I feel that this may be reflected in the number of views."
He continued, "This drama depicts how Ando Kiyoharu, who has characteristics of a developmental disorder, lives in society, but at the same time, it is a work that depicts how the other characters, who are thought to have typical development, accept Ando. I think this work contains 'hints on how to interact with people' from both perspectives. I hope you will stay with this story until the end. Thank you."
Chief Producer Shintaro Kamibayashi, who is in charge of production, revealed his feelings, saying, "The first episode of this series was watched by a huge number of people immediately after it began streaming. We feel that this result was made possible thanks to the viewers who chose this series from among many other options and took the time to watch it, and we are truly grateful."
"This work is not just a drama to enjoy, but a piece that the staff and cast have worked on as a team, with the theme of asking, 'What is normal?' and 'What is justice?' In future episodes, this theme will remain the main focus, and the stories of the characters will unfold deeper and richer. I hope you will keep an eye on the fate of the main character, Ando Kiyoharu, and other characters," he commented.
The third episode of the drama will air on January 20th.
