A making-of video for "BLOOD & SWEAT" (WOWOW), a Japanese-Finnish co-production drama starring actress Anne and popular Finnish actor Jasper Peakonen, was released on March 14th.
This drama is WOWOW's new overseas project, following the highly acclaimed "TOKYO VICE," a co-production between WOWOW and Hollywood. It's a completely original crime suspense series co-produced by the Japanese production company "AX-ON" and the Finnish production company "ICS." Two detectives, separated by a distance of approximately 7800 kilometers between Japan and Finland, team up to investigate a series of bizarre murders that occurred in both countries, ultimately uncovering an unimaginable truth.
Anne plays Aki Suzumiya, a detective in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's First Investigation Division, while Peakonen plays Jon Laine, a detective in the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (FNBI). Filming took place in Japan and Finland starting in December 2024.
The released making-of video features behind-the-scenes footage of the filming process, showcasing the diverse international cast and crew from Japan, Finland, and other countries, as well as never-before-seen footage from the film itself. It also includes plenty of exclusive interviews with the cast, including Anne, Päkkonen, Gaku Hamada, Mahiro Takasugi, Taichi Saotome, and Jun Kunimura.
The trailer includes scenes where Anne, who stayed in Finland with her family for three months for filming, talks about her life there, and a segment where Peakonen, who was looking forward to filming in Japan, reflects on his impressions of the Japanese staff and set, as well as his experience working with Anne, with whom he clicked from the very first day. Hamada, who played Keisuke Takagi, the Japanese detective partner of Aki Suzumiya (played by Anne), also spoke about his excitement upon receiving the offer for the film, saying, "It's on a scale I've never heard of. It's the thrill of encountering something completely new."
Furthermore, Saotome, who played the role of Japanese interpreter Hirofumi Tanaka and participated in the filming in Finland, spoke about his first experience acting with the international cast and his impressions of lead actress Anne on set. Kunimura, who played Aki's father Tokuro, shared his impressions of the film, saying, "The dark and mysterious worldview unique to Scandinavia is skillfully mixed with Japanese culture."
The trailer also includes never-before-seen footage showcasing the large-scale filming locations in Japan and Finland, as well as action sequences, gunfights, and a storyline that transcends time, offering a glimpse into the film's extraordinary scale.
"WOWOW Drama Series BLOOD & SWEAT" will air and stream every Sunday at 10 PM starting April 5th on WOWOW Prime and WOWOW On Demand. The first episode will be available for free on the official WOWOW YouTube channel and WOWOW On Demand.
