The fifth episode of the NHK Taiga drama "Toyotomi Brothers!" (General TV, Sundays at 8pm and other times), starring actor Nakano Taiga, entitled "The Truth that Came from a Lie," was broadcast on February 1st, with Maro Akaji appearing in the role of Saito Dosan.
"Toyotomi Brothers!" is the 65th taiga drama. It is a success story of hope and dreams, depicting the miracle of the Toyotomi brothers, Hidenaga (Koichiro) and his older brother Hideyoshi (Tokichiro), who achieve the great feat of unifying the country with their strong bond.
The script is written by Hiroyuki Yatsu, known for "Naoki Hanzawa" (TBS) and the morning drama "Ochoyan." The music is by Hideaki Kimura, and the narrator is Sakura Ando, an actor.
In the fifth episode, Nobunaga (played by Shun Oguri), who has moved his base to Komakiyama Castle, decides to hold a tournament in front of the Oda clan. Koichiro (played by Sosuke Ikematsu) devises a plan to expose Toshiie Maeda (played by Shunsuke Daito), a rival of Tokichiro (played by Sosuke Ikematsu), in the tournament. Nobunaga tasks the two with strategizing for Unuma Castle, which is essential for the attack on Mino.
However, the lord of Unuma Castle, Osawa Jirozaemon (Matsuo Satoru), has so far refused to respond to any attempts to persuade him. Will Koichiro and his friends be able to change Osawa's mind?
Dosan, played by Maro, appears in Jirozaemon's recollection. He says, "Do you know a man named Oda Nobunaga from Owari? He's a man who gets angry at everything. He's just like me," and laughs. His 15-second appearance drew reactions from viewers on social media, with comments like, "Here it is, Dosan!", "Saito Dosan has arrived!", and "The viper has arrived!"
Comments included, "The casting for Saito Dosan is great!", "Oh, it's the real thing!!" and "They cast the real Saito Dosan (he looks so similar)," as well as, "Ahh, Maro Akaji is so cool!", "It's a shame that Dosan only appears in this one scene," "Maro Akaji has such presence," and "He only made a short appearance, but Maro Akaji's presence as Saito Dosan was incredible..."
