It was revealed on March 6th that actor Jun Shison will be starring in the new NTV Sunday drama "No Tree Will Fall After Ten Cuts," which will begin airing on April 12th (Sundays at 10:30pm). This will be Shison's first lead role in a commercial prime-time drama. The drama was planned by Yasushi Akimoto and has an entirely original script, depicting a turbulent pure love story spanning Japan and Korea.
The title, "No tree can survive ten cuts," is a Korean proverb that means, "No matter how difficult something is, if you keep trying, you will surely succeed." Shison plays Kim Min-seok (Aoki Teru), a young Japanese man who is adopted into one of Korea's leading conglomerates. The film was shot on location in Korea, and this was his first attempt at acting in Korean.
Kim Min-seok (played by Aoki Teru, played by Shison) is a young man who lost his Japanese parents in an accident at the age of seven and was adopted by his father's best friend, Kim Jeong-hoon, the head of one of Korea's leading conglomerates. He moved to Korea and, after graduating from university, got a job at his adoptive father's company. He was seen as the successor and performed well, but his adoptive father suddenly died and he subsequently fell from grace. He was kicked out of the Korean headquarters and demoted to a Kim group hotel in Tokyo, coming to Japan for the first time in 23 years. Meanwhile, Kawase Momoko, who lost her father in an accident at a young age and, inspired by that experience, overcame poverty to become a doctor, faces life with determination every day, determined not to let anyone else experience the same tragedy as she did.
Then Min-seok and Momoko meet in Japan. In fact, they met in a certain place when they were children, and the Korean proverb "No tree can survive ten cuts without falling" connects them. Without realizing this, the two are drawn to each other across 23 years and national boundaries. Then, one unexpected challenge after another befalls them... This is a pure love story full of ups and downs, as they face difficult situations and waver, but never give up.
The script will be written by Kawasaki Izumi, who has worked on "Subtle but Amazing! Etsuko Kono, the Proofreader Girl" (2016) and "Nagatan and Blue - Ichika's Cookbook" (2023), the music will be by Hara Kanako, and the direction will be by Komuro Naoko and Uchida Hidemi.
The Japanese cast, including the heroine Momoko who has a fateful encounter with Min-seok, as well as Korean cast members such as Min-seok's adoptive father, will be announced in the future.
Comments from Akimoto, Shison, and others are as follows:
◇Comment from Yasushi Akimoto
While working on a project between Japan and Korea, one of the staff members told me a Korean proverb: "No tree can survive ten cuts." In other words, no matter how difficult something is, if you try again and again, you will surely succeed. I thought it was a great saying. I remembered that proverb when planning this drama. After planning it, I left everything up to the excellent drama team at Nippon Television, and I'm really looking forward to working with the lead actor, Jun Shison, as I've always wanted to work with him. I think he's a wonderful actor who can convey something that goes beyond lines and stage directions. I believe this will be a drama that will make viewers realize the importance of "never giving up."
◇Comment from Jun Shison(role of Kim Min-seok/Aoki Sho)
-How did you feel when you found out you were going to appear?
To me, there's absolutely no difference just because I'm the sole lead. However, I hope to continue to create solid productions as I have done up until now, and as the leader of the troupe, I want to be conscious of creating an atmosphere on set as well. Before I read the script for episode 1, I was shown the plots for episodes 1 through 10, and the settings were very interesting. I think it's also a challenge to see if this can be made into a terrestrial TV drama series. The story is set not only in Japan but also in Korea, with some filming taking place on location in Korea, and many Korean actors will be appearing. I thought it would be very interesting to act in both Japanese and Korean and have the two languages mix together.
-What were your impressions when you read the script?
My first impression was, "There's a lot of Korean in it, it wasn't supposed to be like this!" (laughs) Also, since the story is about Min-seok and Momoko, two people with different pasts and outlooks on life, who come together, I feel that while the lines are important, the parts between the lines are also extremely important when reading the script.
-What is the appeal of the character Minseok?
This work is a turbulent love story in which many things happen, but there are also many other obstacles that Min-seok faces in his life, such as identity, borders, and language differences. I'm sure there are many people who can't express their feelings in words, and I think Min-seok is one of them. How will Min-seok, who has lived in an oppressive environment, change after meeting Momoko and the others? Min-seok is a character who changes rapidly throughout the drama from the very beginning. This is true for me as well, but I think he will be a character who will be nurtured by the staff and viewers alike.
-What do you want to keep in mind when playing the role of Min-seok?
I want to love Min-seok more than anyone else. If you just hear the setting, you'll see that he has a really difficult past, but I don't want him to be seen as a "pitiful person." Min-seok has a lot of feelings, so I want to portray Min-seok's human emotions and inner nuances, rather than just saying nice things like "I'll try! I won't give up!" I want to devote myself to surviving together with Min-seok.
-About the Korean cast and acting in Korean.
When you think of scenes shot on location in Korea, you probably imagine there are only a few, but in this drama it's extensive. But rather than feeling like it's difficult, I'm really looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to using a different language in a Japanese drama, acting with a variety of people from different countries and languages, and being able to fully interact with them in the story, and I think it's a great time. With a desire to do something new, I felt that the planning and setting of this story had the potential to take me to places I hadn't seen before. Of course, learning Korean is difficult, but I want to persevere and see this project through to the end.
--About practicing Korean.
I have friends in Korea, so I have had the opportunity to hear Korean and can read a little. I received my Korean lines a while ago, so right now I'm just memorizing them and adjusting my pronunciation one by one with my teacher. I don't know if the lines written in the script will actually come out exactly as they are when I act with the Korean actors, so I'm memorizing all the lines in various variations and preparing so that I can say the lines that suit the play.
-What are you conscious of when preparing for your role as filming begins?
Since I was approached about this project, I have been in constant discussion with the producer and director about the role. I believe that getting to know his feelings and life will be the most important thing in preparing for the role, so I think that living as Min-seok in front of the camera is everything. As for the visual aspect, I hope to work together with the makeup artist and stylist to create an atmosphere that only someone who has lived in Korea for 23 years can have.
-Apart from Minseok, are there any other characters you're interested in?
One is the characters played by Korean actors. I think there are many parts where our perceptions differ from those of Korean actors, such as the form of family love and thoughts on conglomerates, so I'm really looking forward to seeing how the Korean actors will express themselves when they act with their Korean sensibilities, and how we can work together.
Also, in the Japanese section, there is a character who is Momoko's childhood friend, and the actor who plays that role and I have known each other for a long time. However, we have never acted together, so it feels quite embarrassing or awkward.
His role is very charming and attractive, and I think it suits him very well. When we decided to co-star, I contacted him right away (laughs). He's such a perfect fit for the character that I contacted him and said, "I'm sure you'll make an incredibly attractive role, so I'm happy we could work together!"
-What are you looking forward to about filming?
I'm really looking forward to just starting filming. Ever since I was chosen for the role of Min-seok, I've been thinking only about Min-seok, so I really want to start filming as soon as possible and get immersed in the atmosphere of the story. While we're filming in Korea, the staff are all talking about going out to eat delicious food, but I'm not sure I have time to be happy about it since practicing Korean is so hard (laughs), but I hope I can enjoy it too. I've never had the opportunity to act in Korean with Korean people in a Korean location, so the visuals will change too. I'm looking forward to everything related to the production.
- A message to the viewers.
The drama airs on Sunday nights at 10:30pm, so I hope that this time on Sundays will be a fun time for everyone. I want to do my best to create a drama that will give you the strength and encouragement to get through the week that starts the next day. I really think that it's a show that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and genders, so I hope that you will enjoy the story. Thank you.
◇Comment from Producer Shimanoe Imi
"A love story about a man born to Japanese parents who was adopted into a Korean conglomerate."
When I received this project from Akimoto-sensei, I was surprised by the innovative setting, but also excited that it would be a drama never before seen! The person who will be playing this "new protagonist" is Jun Shison. We had many discussions about the character Min-seok (Teru). The staff is working together as one, determined not to be outdone by his enthusiasm and attitude, which shows how much he cares about the work.
The cast members who will be revealed from now on are also all wonderful people. We will also be featuring some Korean cast members who you may recognize as "that person from that global hit drama!"
We will do our best to make 10:30pm on Sunday night a time that everyone looks forward to. Please look forward to it!
