"Magudaraya no Maria," a drama starring Machiko Ono, is currently airing on NHK's Saturday drama slot (General channel, Saturdays at 10 PM). In the third episode, airing on May 2nd, Maria, played by Ono, suddenly disappears from "Tsukihate." Scene cuts have also been released.
◇The following contains spoilers.
"Magudaraya no Maria" is a live-action drama adaptation of the novel of the same name by Maha Harada. It is a human story that looks at the "irreplaceability of life," and depicts the "weight of life" based on the "karma, atonement, and rebirth" of those who have committed sins, as found in the original work.
The story is set in a fictional town called "Tsukihate." For some reason, those whose lives are fading away end up in Tsukihate. Are they trying to die, or are they trying to live? Shimon, a man who has pushed himself to the brink and resolved to commit suicide, is one of them. However, through his encounter with Ria (nicknamed Maria), who works at "Magudara-ya," and the food she prepares, he is saved by "unconditional love" and cultivates the "courage to live again"...
Ono will play Maria, or Arima Ria, and Fujiwara will play Oikawa Shimon. The cast also includes Ryota Bando, Iwashita Shima, Tanaka Ryuzo, and Omi Toshinori. The theme song is a new song written by Nakajima Miyuki called "Ichiju".
In episode 3, Maria (Ono) and Shimon (Fujiwara) hear a shocking story from Marukitsune (Bando). Afterwards, Maria suddenly disappears from Jinkaku. Shimon learns about Maria's tragic past from Katsuo (Tanaka) and is shaken... and the story unfolds from there.
