It has been revealed that actress Riisa Naka will star in the Fuji TV drama series "Tokyo middle 30" (Wednesdays at 10 PM), which will begin airing in July. This will be Naka's first leading role in a drama series on the network, and she will play the protagonist, a housewife who is grappling with lingering regrets and conflicts about her career.
"Tokyo Middle 30" is a Japanese drama adaptation of the hit series "Nothing But Thirty" ("30-Year-Old Woman's Thoughts ~Shanghai Girl's Story~"), produced by major Chinese production company Linmon Pictures. It achieved the highest viewership ratings in its time slot, garnered a record 5.5 billion total views, and won numerous awards, including the "Best Leading Actress Award at the 27th Magnolia Awards," one of China's three major television drama awards. The script is written by Ayako Kitagawa, known for the Reiwa-era "Tokyo Love Story" and the "Yuru CampΔ" series.
The main characters are Maki Sakura, Haruka Yamaji, and Kaoruko Nagano. These three high school classmates, despite their completely different personalities, become close friends, bound together by a certain incident, and swearing to be best friends forever. Approximately 20 years later, they promised to head to Tokyo, each harboring their own vision of a bright future. Now 35 years old, the three are indeed living in Tokyo. However, the reality they find there is somewhat different from what they once imagined...
Naka plays Maki Sakura (née Kurusu), nicknamed "Kurumaki," a beautiful and intelligent woman with a strong personality. She dreams of a future as a successful career woman in Tokyo and, after much effort, achieves her dream job, but then discovers she is unexpectedly pregnant. Currently, she is a full-time housewife raising her 5-year-old son, living in a luxury apartment and quietly supporting her husband's beauty clinic.
While leading a peaceful life, Maki is troubled by lingering regrets and conflicts about her career that continue to smolder deep within her heart. As she listens to Haruka and Kaoruko talk about their work, these feelings grow stronger and stronger. Eventually, Maki can no longer ignore these feelings... and the story unfolds from there.
Naka, who is also a mother raising a middle school-aged son, commented, "I am a mother myself, but I don't think women are born just to be mothers, nor is that the goal of life." She continued, "I want women to cherish their families, but also to cherish their own feelings and dreams as individuals. I hope to express these feelings carefully through Maki."
The drama series "Tokyo Middle 30" will air on Fuji TV every Wednesday at 10 PM, starting July 22nd.
◇Comment from Riisa Naka
--Please tell us how you felt when you were cast in this film.
It's been 12 years since I last appeared in a Fuji TV drama series, and this is also my first time starring in a drama. Up until now, I've mostly participated in projects as the heroine or a supporting character, so I was honestly a little worried about whether I could handle being the lead. But at 36 years old, I feel truly honored and very happy to be given the opportunity to star in a drama for the first time.
--What were your impressions after reading the script?
When we were in high school, I think we all enjoyed similar things and spent our time looking in the same direction, but when we reunited at the age of 35, we found that we had all walked different paths, and our circumstances and situations were completely different. I felt that this work very realistically depicted that change.
I myself am 36 years old, and while there are aspects where I feel more free, there are also aspects where my responsibilities and position have increased, making me feel less free. As a result, I often found myself nodding in agreement with the worries and conflicts that the characters faced, and I deeply empathized with them.
--What is your impression of the character Maki that you will be playing? How do you want to create that character?
I think Maki is a very serious, responsible, and strong-willed woman. She's the only one of the three who has a family and spends her days as a mother, so I can relate to her in many ways.
On the other hand, Maki is someone who has chosen to prioritize family over her career, and it pained me to see her put herself last and sacrifice herself for the sake of her family. While acting, I sometimes thought, "I wish she would cherish herself more."
I am a mother myself, but I believe that women are not born solely to become mothers, nor is that the ultimate goal of life. I want women to cherish their families while also valuing their own feelings and dreams as individuals. I hope to express these feelings carefully through Maki.
Because she's the same age as me, there are many worries and conflicts that I can understand about her character, so I want to portray her while cherishing her realistic emotional state.
-- A message to our viewers
I believe this is a work that can be enjoyed by everyone, whether you're about to turn 30, are currently in your 30s, or have already passed that stage.
I know that getting older can sometimes be worrying, but I hope that through this work, you'll feel like "the future looks fun" and "the future isn't so bad."
I believe that life isn't determined solely by age, and that you can take a new step forward at any age. I would be happy if this could be a catalyst for making everyone's daily lives a little more positive and brighter. I will do my best to deliver a work that many people can enjoy, so please look forward to the broadcast.
◇Script: Ayako Kitagawa
I think a woman's 30s are a very challenging time. It's a period when they are suddenly faced with choices that will greatly affect the rest of their lives, such as career, marriage, pregnancy, and childbirth, and it's quite difficult to have everything perfectly.
I can't wait to see how their story, set right in the middle of that season, will unfold with this captivating cast and amazing staff! I'm incredibly excited for every single scene!
◇Producer: Shigeo Shikanai
I'm 35. Mid-thirties. After the recklessness and uncertainty of my twenties, my thirties might be a time when I begin to understand a little bit about what it means to be myself. With countless choices in work, relationships, marriage, family, and raising children, there are no right answers, yet I continue to make decisions one by one as time goes by. I'm shaping my own identity. I can't proudly say I'm young, nor am I at an age where I feel old yet. Physically, I can still do a lot.
It is Riisa Naka, the lead actress, who will portray this complex age group. I am excited to see how she will carefully, and sometimes playfully, express the fluctuating and delicate emotions. I hope that viewers will enjoy watching the three main characters, Maki, Haruka, and Kaoruko, and feel a connection to them each week, perhaps by relating them to themselves or thinking, "I know someone like that!"
