" Bakebake " (General TV, Monday to Saturday 8:00 AM and others), starring Akari Takaishi, is an NHK Asadora drama series. The story of a couple whose heroine loves ghost stories and lives an ordinary, everyday life with her foreign husband has just about one month left. Starting on March 30th, the 114th Asadora, "Kaze,Kaoru," will replace the original series. Here, we will review the "basic information" of the drama to find out what kind of work it will be.
◇ Starring Ai Mikami and Juri Kosaka, this is the first time the two female protagonists have starred in a film like "Dandan."
The story of "Kaze,Kaoru " is based on two trained nurses (nurses who were formally trained during the Meiji era), Ozeki Chika and Suzuki Masa. The two graduated from the same nursing school, but struggle with how to interact with patients and doctors, and grow through their clashes, eventually becoming the "strongest buddy."
The lead roles will be played by Ai Mikami , who was highly praised for her role as Fujiwara Akiko in the 2024 historical drama " To Dear Radiance (Hikaru Kimi e) " and Juri Kosaka, who was selected from an audition of 2,410 applicants. This is the first time that 25-year-old Mikami and 20-year-old Uesaka will appear in a Asadora, making this a fresh pairing. They will play Ichinose Rin and Oya Naomi, respectively.
This is the Asadora with two female protagonists since "Dandan" (2008), and the first with a comma in the title since "Hanbun, Aoi" (2018).
◇ Will it bring a breath of fresh air? First Asadora cast Mikako Tabe returns for the first time in 17 years
The script is written by Tomoko Yoshizawa, who has worked on a wide range of genres, from comedies to family dramas, medical dramas, and period dramas. The theme song is "Kaze to Machi" (Wind and Town) by the three-piece band Mrs. Green Apple. The music is by Yuji Nomi, and the narration is also being handled by Naoko Ken, who plays the mysterious and elusive fortune teller Maji.
With two main characters, many are expected to appear as characters related to them. Over 50 people have already been announced, including Hayasaka Miu, Kobayashi Toranosuke, Oshima Miyuki, Takuya and Kazuya from "The Touch," Sano Shoya from "Ae! group," Fujiwara Kisetsu, Bando Yajuro, Nita Ayano, Maruyama Rei, Ken Naoko, Ikuta Erika, Kikuchi Akiko, Nakai Tomomi, Kigoshi Akira, Harashima Rin, Wakabayashi Tokihide, and Murakami Honoka, all appearing in their first Asadora. Along with Mikami and Uesaka, they will likely bring a breath of fresh air.
Another highlight will be Mikako Tabe's return to a Asadora for the first time in 17 years since she played the heroine in "Tsubasa" (first half of 2009).
◇The setting is the Meiji era, and the two are tempted by fate.
So, what kind of story will it be?
The story is set in the Meiji era. Starting with the establishment of Japan's first nursing school in 1885 (Meiji 18), other schools followed. As if drawn by fate, the protagonists, Ichinose Rin (Mikami) and Oya Naomi (Uesaka), enroll in one of these schools. Rin becomes a single mother at a young age due to a series of misfortunes. Naomi was abandoned by her parents immediately after birth and raised in the care of a church. Each of the classmates who gather at the school has their own complicated circumstances. As they begin their nursing education, feeling their way through, they come face to face with questions like, "What is nursing?" and "What does it mean to interact with patients?"
Rin and Naomi meet Oyama Sutematsu (Tabe), who was said to be the flower of Rokumeikan, and Shimizu Usaburo (Yajuro), a merchant who was also a member of the Meirokusha Society. As they feel the new winds of the Meiji era, they learn about a society where the strong and the weak coexist, and they search for ways to "live happily and true to themselves" in a society that is constantly changing.
After graduating from training school, Rin and Naomi debut as trainee nurses at the same university hospital. They struggle every day to establish the nursing profession, which is still not widely understood, but Rin is soon forced out of her job. Meanwhile, Naomi begins to think about a system that would allow everyone to receive equal care, but... Before long, various epidemics such as cholera and dysentery begin to rage across the country. The two are once separated, but they join forces again to face the great enemy that is epidemics.
"Kaze,Kaoru" is a bold retelling of the turbulent life story of two nurses and their companions who lived through a turbulent era, based on real people. It will be broadcast on NHK General TV from March 30th, Monday to Saturday at 8:00 am and other channels.
