The NHK Asadora drama series for the second half of 2026, "Blossom, " starring actress Shizuka Ishibashi , began airing on September 28th (NHK General, Monday-Saturday, 8:00 AM, etc.). The story is based on the life of Chiyo Uno(1897-1996), a writer who lived through the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa eras and constantly sought freedom. Five Blossom have aired so far and have been well-received. Now, let's go back in time 10 years to today (October 3rd, 2016) and see what Asadora started...
◇The show opens with Kyoko Yoshine's tears; the meaning behind the title
Ten years ago, there was a Asadora called "Beppin-san" starring Kyoko Yoshine. It was based on Atsuko Sakano, one of the founders of "Familiar," a children's clothing manufacturer headquartered in Kobe City, and depicted the lives of women, including the heroine, as they pursued their dreams in the postwar era.
The heroine, Sumire (played by Yoshine), was born in the upscale Kobe district in the early Showa era. She was a girl who loved handicrafts, which she learned from her late mother. She grew up without any hardships, married, and had a smooth life until the war changed everything. In the ruins of the postwar period, she and her friends devoted themselves to making children's clothes...and that's how the story unfolds. Asadora often seem to include war (World War II), and "Beppin-san" is no exception. The drama opens with a scene where the heroine, Sumire, carries her baby on her back and weeps as she looks down at the burnt-out city from atop a gentle hill.
The script was written by Chiho Watanabe, the wife of freelance announcer Shinichi Hatori, who also wrote the dramas "The Goddess Who Lost Her Name" and "First Class" (both on Fuji TV). The theme song was "Hikari no Atelier" by Mr.Children, and the narration was provided by Miho Kanno, who played Sumire's mother, Hana.
Furthermore, the title "Beppin-san" not only means "a beautiful person (a pretty woman)," but also carries the meaning of "an exceptionally good product (a special item)" that artisans meticulously create. The story depicts Sumire and her friends putting their hearts into creating "beppin" items.
◇She overcame a serious illness and finally landed the lead role on her fourth attempt.
Yoshine, who plays the heroine Sumire, was selected through an audition from among 2,261 applicants and was introduced to the public on April 6, 2016, six months before the drama started.
Yoshine, who played the daughter of the heroine's best friend in the 2014 morning Asadora"Hanako to Anne," was auditioning for a Asadora heroine role for the fourth time with "Beppin-san." She had suffered from Guillain-Barré syndrome in her second year of junior high school, which caused her to miss a year of school, but she overcame the serious illness and finally landed the major role of Sumire in "Beppin-san" on her fourth attempt. In the previous year, 2015, Yoshine had also won the lead role in the drama series "Omotesando High School Chorus Club!" (TBS) through an audition among approximately 1000 people, and at the time, she seemed to be on a roll. Many people probably "became aware" of Yoshine's existence around this time (2015-2016).
However, Yoshine was only 19 years old at the time. Kazuki Miki, the chief producer of "Beppin-san," cited her "cuteness and inner strength" as the reason for casting her, but as the story progressed, the gap between the character's age and her own appearance became unavoidable. In the drama, Sumire and her friends started making children's clothes, which some viewers ridiculed as "playing house," and the drama as a "workplace drama" also fell somewhat flat.
Yoshine has been very active in recent years, and her starring drama "A Calm Sea and Beautiful Days with You" (Fuji TV, Thursdays at 10pm), which will begin its sequel on October 15th, is proving popular. She is currently a hot topic, but it remains to be seen whether "Beppin-san" fully utilized her charm as an actress. Nevertheless, the average viewership rating for all 151 episodes from the first to the last episode (Kanto region, according to Video Research) was 20.3%. Although this did not reach the 23.5% of the drama before that, "Asa ga Kita" (second half of 2015), or the 22.8% of the drama before that, "Toto Nee-chan" (first half of 2016), it still achieved the 20% mark.
◇ Kanako Momota is one of the main cast members, playing a married couple with Yoji Tanaka, who is 15 years younger than her.
In addition to Yoshine and Kanno, the drama also featured Katsuhisa Namase, Kento Nagayama, Kengo Kora, Misako Renbutsu, Mizuki Tanimura, Kanako Momota, and Kaori Tsuchimura.
Among the cast members, Momota, a member of the idol group "Momoiro Clover Z" (Momoclo), was a hot topic at the time of the broadcast. She played Ryoko, Sumire's classmate from girls' school. Ryoko co-founded "Kiaris," which later grew into a comprehensive children's goods store, with Sumire and others. After many twists and turns, the story concludes with "Kiaris" celebrating its 35th anniversary.
When Momota's casting was announced, Chief Producer Miki expressed his expectations, saying, "There's a side to Momota that's not from Momoiro Clover Z, a side that's not just bright and cheerful. She's a very appealing actress. At first glance, she seems like a mood maker, but... I think she'll be able to play that '...' part." It was somewhat unusual for a currently active popular idol to play one of the main cast members of a Asadora for such a long period. Is it an exaggeration to say that she paved the way for younger generations? (In fact, six years later, Mizuki Yamashita of Nogizaka46 followed a similar path in "Maiagare!"). Incidentally, Momota, who played Ryoko, a couple with a 15-year age difference with Tanaka Yoji, who played her husband Katsuji, married Domoto Tsuyoshi in real life in 2024. It should be added that the age difference between the two (15 years) became a topic of conversation. (Kishitani Fumio/MANTANWEB)
