The TBS Friday drama "Takusari Brothers" (Fridays at 10 PM), starring actor Masaki Okada and also featuring Shota Sometani, opened its first episode on April 17th with a shocking scene in which the parents of the "Takusari Brothers"—detective Makoto Takusari (Okada) and medical examiner Minoru Takusari (Sometani)—were murdered by an unknown assailant. We asked producer Junko Arai, who has worked on hit dramas such as "Unnatural," "MIU404," and "Saiai," why she offered these roles to Okada and Sometani.
The drama follows the Tagusari Brothers as they investigate a whirlwind of heinous crimes, while simultaneously pursuing the real culprit behind a 31-year-old case of their parents' murder, which expired just two days before the statute of limitations was abolished.
Makoto, played by Okada, is a lazy character who, despite being assigned to the detective division, doesn't actively participate in investigations, but at times becomes obsessively reckless. In his private life, he is the complete opposite of his meticulous younger brother, Minoru. Minoru, played by Someya, was also stabbed and injured when his parents were murdered. Unlike his brother, he is calm and quiet, and has difficulty talking to people.
Producer Arai, who also worked with Okada on the film "Last Mile," revealed, "I wanted to work with him again. He has a handsome face, so he often plays serious roles, but I thought it would be good for him to play a role that would change that up. When this project was decided, I thought that he would have the image of a younger brother, but I wondered what would happen if he played a rough older brother, so I went in the opposite direction."
It seems that Okada and Someya were close friends even before co-starring in this film, but producer Arai chuckled and said, "I had no idea." "I had been thinking I'd like to work with Someya, and I was planning to ask him to play my younger brother. When Okada found out about this, he contacted Someya himself (laughs). There was a bit of a mishap because his agency hadn't even told Someya yet," he revealed, highlighting the close relationship between Okada and Someya.
The supporting cast includes members who need no introduction, such as Ayami Nakajo, Kaito Miyachika Yamanaka, Haruka Igawa, and Goro Kishitani.
Regarding Miyachika, he revealed the reason for selecting him after seeing him in "Ignite" (on the same network), which aired in April 2025, saying, "I thought this kid was good. When I looked at the caption, I saw that he was a member of Travis Japan. He had a different impression than usual, and I thought that was good."
