A spin-off drama of the 2024 NHK morning drama series "Asadora" (The Tiger and Her Wings), titled "Yamada Todoroki Law Office," will air on NHK General on March 20th at 9:45 PM. Comments from Shiori Doi Yamada, Junki Tozuka, who plays Taichi Todoroki, and scriptwriter Erika Yoshida have been released.
"The Tiger and Her Wings" is an original story modeled after Yoshiko Mitsubuchi (1914-1984), Japan's first female lawyer who later served as a judge, with Sairi Ito playing the heroine, Torako Inozume. "Yamada Todoroki Law Office" depicts the little-known story of how Torako's best friend, Yone, and Todoroki established the Yamada Todoroki Law Office. It incorporates plenty of Yone and Todoroki's backstory and portrays the world of "The Tiger and Her Wings" from a lawyer's perspective.
◇Comment from Shiori Doi
Through the spin-off, my understanding of Yone has deepened considerably. She is a person with a strong desire to help those in vulnerable positions, but I had always wondered what motivated her. Now, the reason makes perfect sense, and I was reminded once again of how truly cool Yone is. I, as the actress playing her, have also received great courage from Yone.
This film carries a simple yet very important message: "People can get back up." No matter how difficult things get, no matter how tough life becomes, people can rise again. It depicts that hope in a straightforward way. During filming, I was completely absorbed in the process, but when I saw the finished product, I felt that it was a very powerful work. I would love for many people to see it.
◇Comment from Junki Tozuka
The fact that a spin-off featuring Yone and Todoroki has been realized has made me realize once again just how much these characters are loved by so many people. Through this work, I learned for the first time what thoughts Yone had put into the "Article 14 of the Constitution" written on the office wall, and I was deeply moved. I also strongly felt the significance of creating this story now.
I'm also very happy that we can finally show everyone Todoroki's role as a lawyer, which wasn't really depicted in the main story! Although it's set in the turbulent post-war era, it depicts themes that are still relevant today, such as the importance of people caring for one another. I would be happy if this work could give even a little bit of encouragement to someone.
◇Comment from screenwriter Erika Yoshida
We received many requests from people saying they wanted to see a story about Yone and Todoroki, so it was a natural decision to make Yone the main character. Within that, I thought it would be meaningful to write about events that Torako doesn't know about—and therefore the viewers don't know about—so I wanted to write a story about how Yone and Todoroki teamed up in the immediate post-war period.
This time, the theme is "getting angry the right way." In today's society, I feel there's an atmosphere where getting angry and raising your voice is somehow viewed negatively. In "The Tiger and Her Wings," "anger" means the power to raise your voice and change society or to protect someone. I felt that only Yone could convey that message so directly. Since she is the main character, I decided to portray this theme properly.
Also, Master Masuno (Yusuke Hirayama) makes an appearance in this spin-off, and I never imagined he would become this popular while I was writing it, so I'm glad that I was able to supplement his story with this spin-off. And of course, Torako also makes an appearance. I struggled with how to have her appear, but I think she's the Torako that everyone wants to see. This spin-off was made possible thanks to all the viewers who supported us. I'm truly filled with gratitude. I hope you enjoy it.
