The 25th "Broadcasting Grand Prix 2026" awards ceremony was held in Tokyo on May 30th, and the 12th Katsumi Oyama Award, which recognizes outstanding drama creators, was presented to Naoki Murahashi, chief director of NHK's serial television drama "Bakebake," and Ayari Kijima, producer of TV Asahi's dramas "Mamono" and "Chotto dake Esper."
"Bakebake" is the 113th Asadora . Based on the lives of Lafcadio Hearn Yakumo Koizumi and his wife Setsu, it is a story of a married couple, where the heroine, who loves ghost stories, lives her ordinary daily life with her foreign husband.
Chief Director Murahashi, upon receiving the award, reread the records of the late Katsumi Oyama, a drama producer, and said that the words "drama is about making the known unknown" left a strong impression on him. He revealed that he felt that Oyama was saying, "Drama is about making people realize that they thought they knew something, but actually didn't, from the ordinary everyday life that everyone is familiar with."
He then recalled that he had told the staff that " Bakebake" was "not a drama that celebrates the achievements of the literary giant Yakumo Koizumi, but a drama that unearths the little incidents hidden in the daily lives of a married couple." He said that he felt there was "some connection" between his words and those of Mr. Oyama, and that he felt a sense of destiny, adding that he "wants to continue directing dramas like Mr. Oyama."
◇ "A Little Bit of Esper" Producer Kijima thanks the staff and cast
Producer Kijima was particularly praised for his work on "Chotto Dake Esper," a science fiction series written by Akiko Nogi and distributed worldwide on Netflix. The drama was an ambitious project depicting Bunta (Yo Oizumi), a salaryman at rock bottom, who becomes a little bit of an esper and takes on a mission to "save the world" with his friends.
Producer Kijima said, "It's been 10 years since I became a producer at the age of 26, and I've come to realize that making the cast and staff who are closest to me smile is more important as a producer than creating a great work, and it's my mission. I believe that beyond that, it will become entertainment that people all over the world can enjoy and be moved by," and he expressed his gratitude to the staff and cast who have fought together for the work.
