Five new cast members have been announced for the NHK Taiga drama " The Gyakuzoku no Bakushin ," starring Tori Matsuzaka , which will air in 2027. Actors Munetaka Aoki, Mitsuomi Takahashi, and Yoshiyoshi Arakawa, popular voice actor and singer Mamoru Miyano, and Daisuke Shiba of the comedy duo "Moguraider" will be appearing in the drama. This will be the first Taiga drama appearance for both Miyano and Shiba.
"The Gyakuzoku no Bakushin" centers on Oguri Oguri Kozukenosuke Tadamasa official said to be a rival of Katsu Kaishu. He was a genius of the Edo shogunate who became Japan's first envoy to the United States, experienced the civilization of a new era, and designed a new form of nation. However, he was branded a "traitor" by the Meiji government and buried in the shadows of history. This thrilling and heartwarming entertainment depicts the untold exploits of this shogunate official. The script is written by Naoko Adachi , known for her work on dramas such as "What Did You Eat Yesterday?" and the serial television drama " Okaeri Mone ."
The five people announced this time will play the roles of "friends who have known Oguri since he was a child."
Aoki will play Kurimoto Joun, a big brother figure who is always one step ahead and a lifelong ally; Takahashi will play Komai Tomoatsu, an honest and reliable childhood friend who will make his second son the heir to the Oguri family; Miyano will play Takigawa Tomotaka, a hot-headed and militaristic childhood friend whose house is right next door to the Oguri family's; Shiba will play Asahina Masahiro, a slightly cynical childhood friend who is adept at handling his own affairs; and Arakawa will play Minomura Rizaemon, who rises from a servant in the Kuri family to the head clerk of Mitsui.
Chief Producer Natsuko Katsuta, who is in charge of production, said, "The people we are introducing today are companions throughout Oguri's life. Kurimoto Joun is someone who could be called a buddy. He is generous and has extraordinary talent, and in the shogunate's diplomacy where individual negotiations were not allowed, he alone had the interpersonal skills to get permission to speak one-on-one with a Frenchman. The first person that the screenwriter, chief director, and I all thought of was Takashi Aoki. He is a perfect fit for the image. Also, the trio of childhood friends who are hatamoto are a diverse group of people. The sincere and reliable Komai Asaharu is played by Tori Matsuzaka , an accomplished actor who has co-starred with Tori Matsuzaka many times, including in Asadora , and has solid experience in period dramas. The passionate man of the militaristic faction, Takigawa Tomonori is played by a big star in the voice acting world, who has also been active as an actor, from starring in stage productions to working in the film industry." Mamoru Miyano is rapidly expanding. The cynical and tactful Daisuke Shiba is played by Daisuke Shiba, a talented comedian who rose to prominence after being a finalist in the 'M1' competition and has also made remarkable strides in his acting career. These three, who have been close friends since childhood, tease Oguri and get excited about gossip about the shogunate. When they take on positions of responsibility, they sometimes cooperate with each other, but at other times they clash. Furthermore, an indispensable figure when talking about the Oguri family is Rizaemon Minomura, played by Yoshiyoshi Arakawa. He was a servant whom young Oguri admired, and later, as the chief manager of Mitsui, he supports Oguri's economic policies, but eventually their bond will be put to the test. Please look forward to the human drama that unfolds amidst turbulent times among people who know each other inside and out."
The roles of the five new cast members are as follows:
◇Kurimoto Sukumo (Munetaka Aoki)
He was the third son of the Kitamura family, who were physicians to the shogunate. He was a bright and curious genius, excelling in both academics and martial arts to the point of being called a "ghost," and his childhood friend Oguri, who was five years younger, could never beat him. He eventually became the adopted son-in-law of the Kurimoto family, who were physicians in the inner chambers of the shogunate, but despite being a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, he was demoted to Ezo (Hokkaido) for requesting to join the naval training school. There, he befriended the missionary Cachon and dedicated himself to the development of Ezo. His achievements were recognized, and he was returned to Edo and promoted to Inspector (a supervisor of shogunate officials). He reunited with Cachon, who had become an interpreter for the French minister, and together with Oguri stood on the front lines of diplomacy with France.
◇Tomoaki Komai (played by Mitsuomi Takahashi)
Komai was a childhood friend of Oguri's, three years his senior, and a fellow hatamoto (shogunate retainer) with a gentle and honest character. He was promoted to inspector earlier than Oguri and became Oguri's superior. Oguri, who was selected for the Japanese embassy to the United States, had no children and needed to adopt one in case something happened, and the Komai family was the one they turned to. Komai supported Oguri as he embarked on the perilous voyage by sending his second son, Tadamichi, as the successor to the Oguri family. He served as an investigator in the Sakuradamon Incident, the assassination of Grand Elder Ii Naosuke. After Oguri's return to Japan, they often worked together, including serving as Commissioner of Finance at the same time.
◇Takigawa Tomoyuki (voiced by Mamoru Miyano)
A hatamoto (direct retainer of the shogun) and childhood friend of the Oguri family, he lived right next door to their mansion. In his youth, he was a playful mood-maker, but he steadily rose through the ranks, serving as Foreign Affairs Commissioner, Kanagawa Magistrate, and Kyoto Town Magistrate, eventually reaching the position of Ometsuke (Chief Inspector). In Kyoto, where the storm of anti-foreign sentiment was raging, he struggled to maintain order in the city. Takigawa, who placed absolute value on the Tokugawa shogunate, vehemently opposed returning power to the imperial court when Tokugawa Yoshinobu returned political power to the emperor, and he was a strong advocate of suppressing Satsuma in response to their provocative actions in Edo. During the Boshin War, like Oguri, he advocated for total resistance against the new government forces.
◇Masahiro Asahina (Daisuke Shiba)
He was a fellow hatamoto (direct retainer of the shogun) who spent his youth with Oguri, Komai, and Takigawa. Having served as a page close to the shogun from the 12th shogun Ieyoshi to the 13th shogun Iesada, he not only possesses impeccable manners but also the ability to keep secrets he heard and saw while working alongside the shogun, making him adept at all matters. He has the knack for slipping away from situations that might put him at a disadvantage, but he performs his work meticulously, and has held important positions such as Nagasaki Magistrate, Foreign Affairs Magistrate, and Finance Magistrate. He was particularly active in the field of diplomacy.
◇Minomura Rizaemon (played by Yoshiyoshi Arakawa)
Born into a family of samurai in the Shonai domain, he wandered the country after his father became a ronin (masterless samurai). He ended up in Edo and became a servant of the Oguri family. Though illiterate, he was quick-witted and was affectionately called "Liza" by Tadayoshi, who was six years younger than him. Eventually, he left the Oguri family to become the adopted son-in-law of a sugar merchant family, and after much hardship, he became a money changer. He showed talent in the money exchange business following the opening of Japan to the world and became the chief manager of the Mitsui Group, which supplied the shogunate. He supported Oguri's financial policies from a private perspective after Oguri became the Commissioner of Finance, but as the movement to overthrow the shogunate grew stronger, he was forced to make difficult decisions to survive as a merchant.
