The third season of the NHK BS historical drama " Akinaiseiden Kin to Gin 3," starring actress Fuka Koshiba , aired its final episode on May 24th. The series, which began in December 2023, seemed to have come to an end after three seasons... but it was announced that a concluding episode will air in the winter of 2026, much to the delight of fans. The role of Sachi, the protagonist of the series, is one of the representative works of Koshiba's twenties, and is indispensable when discussing her career as she turned 29 last month. Some could say that she laid a solid foundation here for "even bigger roles," such as starring in a Taiga drama.
◇ Will the final installment of " Akinaiseiden Kin to Gin" be the work that concludes the author's 20s?
"Akinaiseiden Kin to Gin" is a series set in the mid-Edo period that vividly and cheerfully depicts the lives of ordinary people who succeed in business through hard work and ingenuity, interwoven with a variety of customs and traditions. Season 1 aired in 2023, and Season 2 aired in 2025.
In Season 3, which started in April, although Sachiko was unable to repair her relationship with her younger sister Yui (played by Itsuki Nagasawa), the story ended with Kensuke (played by Yu Sakuma), a shop assistant, telling Sachiko, who has now become a respectable "maid," that she is "gold" and he is "silver" and that he will spend his life making "gold" shine.
The final season, airing in the winter of 2026, will be based on Iku Takada's original novel, "Special Edition Volumes 1 & 2," and will tell the story of Sachi and Kensuke's lives afterward as they strive to make Gosuzuya a store that will last for 100 years. It will also depict Souji's (Shigeaki Kato) feelings, the love of Sasuke (Yo Aoi), the manager of the Edo main store, what happened to Osugi (Reika Onishi) after she left Souji, and the long-cherished wish of the 8th generation owner, Shusuke (Yuki Izumisawa), and will reveal what happened to Yui afterward.
In addition to being the "emotional finale" of the series, this might also be the work that concludes Ms. Koshiba's twenties, as she will turn 30 next April.
◇The "elegance" and "subtlety" unique to period pieces; a presence that "tightens up the image."
Ms. Koshiba has starred in the "Akinaiseiden Kin to Gin" series for three seasons so far. She made her acting debut in 2012 and gained attention for her roles in the film "Kiki's Delivery Service," released in March 2014, and the NHK Asadora drama "Asa ga Kita" in the latter half of 2015. In her first leading role in a TV drama series, "Tokusatsu Gagaga," which started in January 2019, she fully showcased her talent as a comedienne, and since then, she has continued to charm many viewers with her inherent cuteness.
Her already high reputation was solidified by her portrayal of the legendary courtesan Segawa (Hana no I/Sei) in last year's historical drama "UNBOUND (Berabou)". In "Akinaiseiden Kin to Gin", she embodied the "chic" and "subtlety" unique to period dramas in many places, and as she has taken on more and more roles, she has grown into an actress who can convey emotions to viewers through gestures and facial expressions alone, without relying on flashy movements or forceful lines.
Incidentally, Taku Ohara, the chief director of "UNBOUND," commented on Koshiba's performance, saying, "Her presence tightens up the visuals. I apologize for this being a director's way of putting it, but the screen becomes more vibrant, and not only is it more vibrant, it also tightens up and brings everything together properly. I think a large part of that is due to her charm. She definitely has a strong presence, and she really brought to life the feeling that there was a person named Segawa."
Next year he'll turn 30, and even further ahead. Whether or not his "even greater role" will be the lead in a historical drama series as some fans hope, we look forward to him encountering new, high-quality works and roles that will allow him to continue to make his presence felt.
