Upcoming Spring 2010 Dramas

10Feb10

Youkame no Semi
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Tuesdays, 30 March 2010
Station: NHK
Cast: Dan Rei, Kitano Kii, Baisho Mitsuko, Sakai Maki, Kishitani Goro
Synopsis: Kiwako (Dan Rei) is vainly in love with an unfaithful married man. The man manipulates her into having an abortion but has a baby daughter with his wife. Kiwako impulsively abducts the baby girl and lovingly raises her. After leading a life on the run for three and a half years, she returns the girl to her natural parents but …
Website: -

Rikon Doukyo
Date: From 10.00 p.m., Tuesdays, 11 May 2010
Station: NHK
Cast: Abe Sadao, Sato Eriko
Synopsis: Suzuki Ryuji (Abe Sadao) is a salaryman who could have created a happy family. One day, his wife, Harumi (Sato Eriko) suddenly broaches divorce, and Ryuji helplessly accepts when she files for divorce. A month later, Harumi turns up in front of Ryuji looking as beautiful as the time before their marriage. She has come with the aim of reconciling with him for the sake of their happiness. And so, Ryuji starts living together with the wife he had divorced …
Website: -

Rinjo Season 2^*NEW*
Date: From 9.00 p.m., Wednesdays, April 2010
Station: TV Asahi
Cast: Uchino Masaaki, Matsushita Yuki, Watanabe Dai, Takashima Masanobu, Ito Yuko
Synopsis: -
Website: http://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/rinjo/
Related: Rinjo

Omiyasan Season 7
Date: From 8.00 p.m., Thursdays, April 2010
Station: TV Asahi
Cast: Watase Tsunehiko, Sakurai Atsuko, Nanase Natsumi, Hayashi Yasufumi, Katagiri Ryuji, Onodera Joe, Ichijo Satoshi, Aimoto Kumiko, Sugai Kin, Tani Kei
Synopsis: -
Website: -
Related: Omiyasan Season 6

Keishichou Shissounin Sousaka
Date: From 9.00 p.m., Fridays, April 2010
Station: TV Asahi
Cast: Sawamura Iki
Synopsis: Takashiro Kengo (Sawamura Iki) was formerly an ace detective of the Metropolitan Police’s First Investigative Division. But ever since his daughter went missing, he has been living the life of a wandering, renegade detective. Assigned to the fictitious “Missing Persons Investigative Division”, he hides his pride as a detective and plunges into cases without regard for danger. As he pursues numerous missing persons cases, he is reborn as a detective. His partner is Myojin Megumi, the only female detective in the Missing Persons Investigative Division. She starts off hostile towards Takashiro’s methods but gradually grows to understand him.
Website: http://shissou.asahi.co.jp/

Chase ~ Kokuzei Sasatsukan
Date: From 9.00 p.m., Saturdays, 17 April 2010
Station: NHK
Cast: Eguchi Yosuke, Arata, Aso Yumiko, Saito Takumi, Tanaka Kei, Mizuno Erina, Masuoka Toru, Kimura Tae, Okuda Eiji, Nakamura Katsuo
Synopsis: Haruma (Eguchi Yosuke) is a veteran inspector at the National Tax Bureau’s Investigation Department (alias ‘Marusa’) spends each chasing tax evaders. Murakumo (Arata) is a genius tax evasion consultant who exploits the international financial network. These two men begin a thrilling battle over 600 billion yen in assets.
Website: -

Shinzanmono^*NEW*
Date: From 9.00 p.m., Sundays, April 2010
Station: TBS
Cast: Abe Hiroshi
Synopsis: A woman is murdered at Ningyo-cho in Nihonbashi, Tokyo. Kaga Kyoichiro (Abe Hiroshi), who has just been transferred to the Nihonbashi police precinct, is put in charge of the case. As everyone of the residents of Ningyo-cho’s shopping street emerge as suspects in the investigation, Kaga, an ace at reading a person’s thoughts, starts to unlock the complicated human relationships with his superior insight and deductive powers.
Website: -

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Filed under: Spring 2010   |  2 Comments

2nd WOWOW Scenario Grand Prix – Drama Special

09Feb10

Hebi no Hito
Time: From 10.15 p.m., 7 March 2010
Station: WOWOW TV
Cast: Nagasaku Hiromi, Nishijima Hidetoshi, Itao Itsuji, Gekidan Hitori, Tanaka Kei, Katsumura Masanobu, Fuse Eri, Satsukawa Aimi, Kitamura Yukiya, Okunuki Kaoru, Kawarasaki Kenzo, Ishino Mako, Kunimura Jun
Synopsis: When Sanbe Yoko (Nagasaku Hiromi) comes to work in the morning, there is an immense commotion at her company. It is said that the department manager, Ito, has committed suicide. Furthermore, the section manager, Imanishi (Nishijima Hidetoshi), has disappeared. Yoko first of all goes to help with the funeral but all the department manager’s wife, Makiko, talks about is, for some reason, Imanishi. After the funeral, Yoko is summoned by the vice-president and hears that Imanishi is suspected of running away because of embezzlement and Ito had evidence of that. Imanishi murdered Ito. As Yoko thinks that that is not possible for such a good person, she receives instructions from the company to search for Imanishi …
Website: http://www.wowow.co.jp/dramaw/hebi/

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Filed under: 2010 Drama Specials (First Half), Upcoming Drama Specials, WOWOW   |  Leave a Comment

Spring 2010 Dramas – Rumours

09Feb10

TBA
Date: April 2010, Mondays 9.00 pm
Station: Fuji TV
Cast: Kimura Takuya, Yoshitaka Yuriko

TBA
Date: April 2010, Tuesdays 9.00 pm
Station: Fuji TV
Cast: Ueto Aya

Team Batista no Eikou Sequel
Date: April 2010, Tuesdays 10.00 pm
Station: Fuji TV
Cast: Ito Atsushi, Nakamura Toru

Rinjo Season 2
Date: April 2010, Wednesdays 9.00 pm
Station: TV Asahi
Cast: Uchino Masaaki

TBA
Date: April 2010, Wednesdays 10.00 pm
Station: NTV
Cast: Karina, Mikami Hiroshi

Dousoukai
Date: April 2010, Thursdays 9.00 pm
Station: TV Asahi
Cast: Kuroki Hitomi

TBA
Date: April 2010, Thursdays 10.00 pm
Station: Fuji TV
Cast: Ueno Juri, Eita

Yankee Kimi to Megane-chan
Date: April 2010, Fridays 10.00 pm
Station: TBS
Cast: Nishikido Ryo

TBA
Date: April 2010, Fridays 11.00 pm
Station: TV Asahi
Cast: Namase Katsuhisa

Tumbling
Date: April 2010, Saturdays 8.00 pm
Station: TBS
Cast: Yamamoto Yusuke, Miura Shohei, Seto Koji, Daito Shunsuke

Kaibutsukun
Date: April 2010, Saturdays 9.00 pm
Station: NTV
Cast: Ono Satoshi, Kawashima Umika

Shinzanmono
Date: April 2010, Sundays 9.00 pm
Station: TBS
Cast: Abe Hiroshi

Filed under: Spring 2010, Upcoming 2010 Dramas   |  4 Comments

Fuji TV Drama Specials 2010 (Second Quarter)

09Feb10

Wagaya no Rekishi
Date: From 9.00 p.m., 9 – 10 April 2010
Station: Fuji TV
Cast: Shibasaki Kou, Sato Koichi, Nagasawa Masami, Oizumi Yo, Matsumoto Jun, Sato Ryuta, Horikita Maki, Eikura Nana, Tamayama Tetsuji, Yamamoto Koji, Suzuki Suwa, Takada Junji, Amami Yuki, Nishida Toshiyuki, Fuji Sumiko,
Synopsis: It is 1945 and the war has come to an end. The Yame family, a family of seven, are living in a six-tatami mat room at the home of a family friend in Hakata. Masako (Shibasaki Kou), 17, the eldest daughter, has been supporting the family in place of their useless father, Tokijiro (Nishida Toshiyuki). Despite leading an impoverished life, the Yame family is cheerful, healthy and gets along well and Masako cares about this family more than anything else. When Masako starts working at a club at Nakasu, she becomes acquainted with Onizuka Daizo (Sato Koichi), the manager of the club who is a shrewd, up-and-coming businessman. Daizo has been devoting himself to the resurrection of the streets of Hakata, which had been bombed in the air raids. He is drawn to Masako’s positive attitude about her family and before long Masako’s respect for Daizo turns into love. Encouraged by Daizo’s pledge to take care of her family, Masako decides to “marry” him. At that moment, another one of Tokijiro’s get-rich-quick schemes fails and the people of Hakata start pointing fingers at the family and talking about them behind their backs. When Daizo expands to Tokyo, Masako proposes that the entire family moves up to Tokyo …
Website: http://www.fujitv.co.jp/wagaya/

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Filed under: 2010 Drama Specials (First Half), Upcoming Drama Specials   |  Leave a Comment

Shukumei 1969 – 2010 – Episode 2 Synopsis

07Feb10

Episode 2: The 20 million yen trap of consolation money … A woman’s revenge

Takashi tells his girlfriend, Nobuko, that he is breaking up with her, and proceeds with the marriage talks with Naoko.

However, Nobuko, who has vowed revenge against Takashi, pretends to coincidentally visit the culinary class that Naoko attends, and meets her face to face. Nobuko hints that there is a person she is dating and deliberately drops a photograph from her bag. It is a picture of Takashi and Nobuko. Naoko is deeply shaken to find out about the relationship between the two of them.

Learning that Nobuko had made contact with Naoko, Takashi makes a clean break with Nobuko and promises Naoko that he will take responsibility for her life. In response, Naoko questions Takashi, “I want you to tell me what your goal is.” Takashi reveals that his goal is to be the prime minister. Hearing Takashi’s determination, Naoko reaffirms her marriage to him.

So Takashi makes arrangements with his mother, Mina, and goes to meet Nobuko with a cheque of 200 million yen in consolation money that he has received. “I hope you accept this as my way of saying thank you,” Takashi presents the cheque to a furious Nobuko who refuses to take it.

Naoko learns about this and visits Nobuko at her apartment. While Nobuko hurls harsh words because of her anger at Takashi, Naoko clearly attempts to face her in a calm manner. Naoko tells Nobuko that her parentage is not compatible with that of the Arikawa family and announces that she should quietly back out. Naoko’s poised demeanour hurts Nobuko’s pride further. She is overcome with a sense of defeat in front of the cheque that Naoko has placed before her.

On the other hand, Mina visits the Shirai residence to give her greetings. Seeing the Chinese-style poem that had been presented by Shinichiro’s mother adorning the drawing room, Mina is stunned. She is shocked when told Shinichiro’s former surname by his wife, Itsuko. Shinichiro is the man that Mina had dated during the time she had devoted herself to the student movement. “There is no other way … but to stop this marriage.”

The cursed past related to Takashi’s birth is about to come back life again …

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Filed under: Shukumei 1969 - 2010, Winter 2010   |  Leave a Comment

Fumou Chitai – Episode 14 Synopsis

06Feb10

Episode 14: The 10 billion yen gamble

Iki, who has returned to his post at Kinki Corporation’s Tokyo headquarters, is appointed to be the senior managing director. This means that he is Kinki Corporation’s number two man after Daimon.

Then, half a year later in December 1970, Hyodo, obtains information that an oil field in Iran is on the market, and makes a direct plea to Iki to let him work on oil development. He says there is also a possibility that the oil field on the market this time, is the Sarvestan oil field which he has had his eye on for some time. Knowing Hyodo’s strong determination to take all his chances with oil development, Iki instructs him to head to Iran at once. At the same time, Iki swings into action to introduce Iran’s liquified natural gas to Kanto Power as part of economic cooperation with Iran.

Iki visits Daimon and immediately broaches the topic of oil development. The cost of oil development is about 20 billion yen. If oil can be extracted, a profit of more than 100 billion yen is expected. Kinki Corporation can get up to fifty percent support from Japanese petroleum companies for the cost of development. Even if the development fails, Kinki Corporation will be exempt from repayment, but 10 billion yen in expenses would have gone to waste. Daimon avoids making a decision on the spot.

Meanwhile, Hyodo makes Kinki Corporation’s Tehran office his base and starts information gathering but is unable to find out which field is up for sale. Unable to curb his impatience, Hyodo communicates with an anonymous broker, whom he had been in contact with on several occasions in the past, in order to meet the head of the Iran Oil Company. However, that plan ends in failure because of Hyodo’s mistake.

In the midst of this, Iki visits the office of Takenaka, the international lobbyist whose cooperation he had enlisted during the third Middle East war. There, Iki obtains information that Habash, the former oil minister of Libya who is now an oil consultant, knows about the field which is on the market in Iran. He contacts Hyodo and orders him to travel to Paris where Habash is staying.

Arriving in Paris, Hyodo sets up an appointment with Habash and visits the hotel where he is staying. However, Habash will not meet Hyodo because he is very busy. Then, Beniko appears before Hyodo. She does not have time now because she has an appointment to go to the riding club, but spontaneously promises that she will wait for him at the hotel’s bar tonight.

That night, Hyodo meets Beniko at the hotel’s bar. Having heard that Hyodo’s performance has boosted the results of Kinki Corporation’s Petroleum Division, Beniko perceives that he has come to meet Habash. Then, the voice of a foreigner who seems to be Beniko’s acquaintance calls out to her. Hyodo gets up from his seat and is about to go back to the company when Beniko introduces that man to him. The man is actually Habash.

Hyodo discovers through Habash’s information that the Sarvestan oil field is indeed the one on the market this time and reports this to Iki. In response to this, Iki obtains Daimon’s consent and goes to meet Kaizuka, who is now the president of the state-run Japan Oil Corporation.

Meeting Kaizuka again for the first time in ten years, Iki asks him for his help in the international bid for the Sarvestan oil field. Kaizuka finds out that Iki came to meet him in person without lobbying the politicians and is put in a good mood. He promises Iki that he will see to it at his own discretion. That night, Iki calls Chisato when he returns home. Chisato seems busy with a Japanese pottery exhibition. Iki apologises for the time when Makoto came to his apartment, and tells Chisato that he wants her to contact him when she comes to Tokyo.

In the midst of this, Samejima visits Kaizuka. Tokyo Corporation has also set its sights on the Sarvestan oil field. Learning that Kaizuka’s support has already been enlisted by Kinki Corporation for the Sarvestan oil field from what Kaizuka says, Samejima calls up Kamio, the managing director of Goryo Corporation, and Arita, the managing director of Goi Trading, and appeals to them to form a consortium.

Satoi, who is recuperating at home, hears of the oil development from Kakuta. Angry that he has been told about it after the fact, Satoi makes Kakuta promise to report the details from now on.

Iki contacts Kaizuka regarding the preparations for the bid but is not able to meet him because he is out. That night, Chisato visits when Iki is having dinner. “I wanted to see you …” Chisato murmurs as Iki she is hugged by him.

The next morning, Iki is eating the breakfast that Chisato has prepared when Naoko comes by. She says she has brought offerings for her mother’s altar. Iki introduces Naoko to Chisato. “She just came,” he says, attempting to smooth over the situation. After Naoko leaves, Iki and Chisato continue with breakfast without saying a word. Then, Chisato asks Iki how he will cover up if someone comes next, and her words pierce his heart.

Several days later, Iki is contacted by Kaizuka and heads to Japan Oil Corporation. However, he sees Kamoi and Arita waiting in the meeting room. Before long, Samejima also appears. Then Kaizuka comes in and announces that Goryo Corporation, Goi Trading, Tokyo Corporation and Kinki Corporation, the four companies interested in the Sarvestan oil field, will form a consortium for the international bid. Furthermore, Kinki Corporation’s controlling share is only an insulting ten percent in contrast to the thirty percent that the other companies have. Iki is shaken with anger …

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Filed under: Fall 2009, Fumou Chitai   |  Leave a Comment

Fuji TV Drama Specials 2010 (First Quarter)

06Feb10

Kiseki no Doubutsuen 2010 ~ Arashiyama Doubutsuen Monogatari^*NEW*
Time: From 9.00 p.m., 12 February 2010
Station: Fuji TV
Cast: Yamaguchi Tomomitsu, Toda Erika, Koide Keisuke, Mizusawa Erena, Yoshida Eisaku, Ito Shiro, Tsugawa Masahiko
Synopsis: -
Website: http://wwwz.fujitv.co.jp/kiseki2010/

Sotsu Uta
Time: From 11.00 p.m., 1 – 4 March 2010
Station: Fuji TV
Cast: Shida Mirai, Kuninaka Ryoko, Kitano Kii, Nagasawa Masami
Synopsis: Four graduation stories linked to popular graduation songs.
Best Friend by Kiroro
Ayumi (Shida Mirai), a high school student, bids farewell to her high school life of love and friendship with her friend, Mami (Kutsuna Shiori).

Michi by EXILE
The bonds between a daughter (Kuninaka Ryoko), who is about to get married, and her stubborn but loving father (Hirata Mitsuru).

Kanade by Sukima Switch
The coming-of-age tale of a university couple, Yukari (Kitano Kii) and Yasuki (Yamamoto Yusuke), who still have not grown up. Yukari worries about her dreams and love as she looks for a job.

Sotsugyou Shashin by Matsutoya Yumi
Radio personality, Hitomi (Nagasawa Masami), moved to Tokyo and has worked hard at her job. She makes a new start in her good old hometown with the encouragement of a classmate (Masuda Takahisa) from high school days.
Website: -

Kyumei Byoto 24-ji 2010 SP
Time: From 9.15 p.m., 3 January 2010
Station: Fuji TV
Cast: Eguchi Yosuke, Matsushima Nanako, Santamaria Yusuke, Kitano Kie, Ishida Takuya, Natsuyagi Isao
Synopsis: A car travels along the coastline of Nagasaki. Shindo Issei (Eguchi Yosuke), who is driving that car, is headed for a hospital that has been forced to close down because of its financial plight. Sawai Etsushi (Santamaria Yusuke) is waiting there for him. He has asked Shindo to revive the hospital. It has been three months since Sawai left Kainan Medical Hospital’s critical and emergency care centre. Under the leadership of Kojima Kaede (Matsushima Nanako), staff have been added and a full medical care system has been established. On a day in January 2010, patients are brought in one after another. Because of a major accident, Kudo Ryosuke (Ishida Takuya), who has resumed work, also joins in. Kaede and her team of doctors and nurses receive the severely injured patients as they are brought in consecutively while Kudo and Kamoi Chinatsu (Kitano Kie), move patients with minor injuries to the general ward to free up the beds in the ICU. At that moment, the lights go out inside the hospital and it is pitch dark. The power outage has been caused by a hit to high-voltage cables nearby as a result of a fallen helicopter and for some unknown reason, the auxiliary power supply will not work. With only minimal equipment available for use, Kainan Medical Hospital’s critical and emergency care centre becomes a war zone …
Website: http://www.fujitv.co.jp/kyumei24/
Related: Kyumei Byoto 24-ji Season 4

Rinne no Ame
Time: From 11.30 p.m., 4 January 2010
Station: Fuji TV
Cast: Yamamoto Yusuke, Seto Koji, Kanjiya Shihori, Aoki Munetaka, Nagai Masaru, Tezuka Satomi
Synopsis: Mikami Kohei (Yamamoto Yusuke) lives together with his younger brother, Shuhei (Seto Koji), who intellectually disabled. Their mother passed away and they were abandoned by his father. Learning that Shuhei has been battered on a daily basis by the manager of the factory that he works at, a furious Kohei robs the factory of money, kills the manager and enlists Shuhei’s help to bury the dead body in the hills. The police detectives, Tokunaga (Nagai Masaru) and Aoki (Aoki Munetaka), who are investigating the case, begin to suspect the Mikami brothers because of Shuhei’s behaviour. Shuhei, who has been taught that a person should not kill, is persuaded that “bad people die and will be reincarnated as good people”. But due to the stress brought on by his inability to understand why his older brother committed murder, he starts to display behaviour to the police and Kohei’s friends that is decisive in the arrest …
Website: http://wwwz.fujitv.co.jp/rinne/

Saigo no Yakusoku
Time: From 9.00 p.m., 9 January 2010
Station: Fuji TV
Cast: Ono Satoshi, Sakurai Sho, Aiba Masaki, Ninomiya Kazunari, Matsumoto Jun, Kuroki Meisa, Otsuka Nene (guest star), Naohito Fujiki (guest star), Kosakai Kazuki, Kitamura Yukiya, Tsugawa Masahiko
Synopsis: One day, a massive building is taken over in an unprecedented incident that shocks the police and mass media. Five guys happen to be present in that building. Will they be able to escape from this crisis?
Website: http://www.fujitv.co.jp/yakusoku/

Hanshin . Awaji Daishinsai kara 15-nen Kobe Shimbun no Nanokakan
Time: From 9.00 p.m., 16 January 2010
Station: Fuji TV
Cast: Sakurai Sho, Fukiishi Kazue, Hagiwara Masato, Tanaka Kei, Takashima Masahiro, Ono Takehiko, Yamamoto Kei, Naito Takashi
Synopsis: On 17 January 1995, the Great Hanshin Earthquake occurred. Lifelines such as the roads, railroads, electricity, water supply, gas and telephone lines were cut off. At that time, Kobe Shimbun’s photojournalist Mitsuyama Tomohiko (Sakurai Sho), was a news photographer in his fourth year with the paper. Kobe Shimbun, which had been around for 110 years, was a popular local newspaper that the people of Hyogo had to have. Furthermore, its staff was proud that the the paper had never suspended publication since its establishment. However, the paper’s functions were completely paralysed by the earthquake, which had destroyed its computers and also made the development of photographs difficult. All they had left were just two phone lines and a rotary press but they did not give up producing newspapers.
Website: http://www.fujitv.co.jp/kobe/

Sankyo no Sho
Time: From 9.00 p.m., 29 January 2010
Station: Fuji TV
Cast: Kikukawa Rei, Okada Yoshinori, Hira Takehiro, Matsuda Kenji, Nakagome Sachiko, Kikuchi Kinya, Fujita Sokyu, Hori Mayumi, Nagaike Natsuko, Hoshio Mari, Miyazaki Yoshiko, Katsumura Masanobu
Synopsis: Asakawa Masako (Kikukawa Rei) is an ordinary bank employee. Her father is a teacher and her mother is a full-time homemaker. She also has a younger sister, Reiko, whose naive and optimistic personality is in contrast to hers. Seeking a change from her ordinary life, Masako goes travelling alone and becomes acquainted with a man called Horisawa Hideo (Hira Takehiro). Horisawa, who works at the Foreign Ministry, is introduced by his university classmate and journalist, Yoshiki Nobuhiro (Okada Yoshinori), and starts dating Masako formally. He is given a three-year overseas assignment but they overcome the long-distance relationship and happily marry. However, after a month, Horisawa’s behaviour shows slight changes. Then one day, before Horisawa goes on a business trip, he tells Masako, “I wish to speak to you after I return.” Two days later, Horisawa’s boss calls to say that he has not been able to reach Horisawa. Masako also receives a phone call from the Nagano Prefectural Police … They have found the dead bodies of Horisawa and a lady. Furthermore, the lady is none other than Reiko! Overcome with grief and disbelief, Masako heads to the lake where the incident occurred. She comes upon Yoshiki there and they start to take action to identify the truth behind the deaths of her husband and sister …
Website: http://wwwz.fujitv.co.jp/b_hp/100129seityou/

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Filed under: 2010 Drama Specials (First Half), Upcoming Drama Specials   |  1 Comment

Shukumei 1969 – 2010 – Episode 1 Synopsis

02Feb10

Episode 1: The fateful day

Arikawa Takashi is the son of the distinguished Arikawa family and a super elite Finance Ministry bureaucrat. He happens to receive an offer of marriage with Shirai Naoko, the daughter of Shirai Shinichiro, a key Diet member who is also the Policy Research Council Chairman of the ruling Democratic Liberal Party. Knowing that Shinichiro is having financial difficulty, Takashi realises that Shinichiro is trying to obtain Arikawa Association’s assets through this match.

Takashi’s mother, Arikawa Mina, the Chairman of Arikawa Association, approves of the match when she hears that his marriage partner is the daughter of a key Diet member. For Mina, who had once devoted herself to the student movement in university but tasted setbacks and defeat before the power of the state, putting Takashi in the pinnacle of power, is everything to her now.

Having obtained his mother’s approval, Takashi meets Naoko. Naoko considers marriage to be different from love, and declares that this marriage is for her father’s sake. She seems a typical politician’s daughter. Told by Naoko that her father will lay the path for him to be a politician, Takashi sets his sights on a higher seat of power and decides to marry her.

So Takashi tells his girlfriend, Sasayama Nobuko, whom he has been dating for ten years, that he is breaking up with her. Nobuko, who works as a currency dealer in a foreign bank but secretly dreams of marrying Takashi, receives a rude shock.

The marriage talks proceed despite Nobuko, and all the members of the Arikawa and Shirai families are formal introduced to one another. When Shinichiro tells the Arikawas that he is planning to ask the prime minister to serve as the go-between, Mina is pleasantly surprised and unable to hide her delight. Takashi also makes a vow to Naoko, “I’ll definitely bring you to the highest place.” However, no one knows that this match is about to awaken a cursed past and open the door of “destiny” …

Meanwhile, Nobuko, who is unable to concentrate on her work because of the shock of her break up with Takashi, makes a blunder in her transactions and suffers a huge loss. Forced to leave her job as a dealer, Nobuko hires a private investigator. She learns about the match between Takashi and Naoko, and decides to seek revenge against Takashi. Nobuko pretends to coincidentally visit the culinary class that Naoko attends, and schemes to reach out to her but …

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Filed under: Shukumei 1969 - 2010, Winter 2010   |  Leave a Comment

Shukumei 1969 – 2010 – Characters

01Feb10

Characters
Arikawa Takashi (40) … Kitamura Kazuki
A brilliant, elite Finance Ministry bureaucrat and the eldest son of the distinguished Arikawa family. He possesses the intellect, looks, and wealth, but is far from being satisfied with his status. In response to his mother’s hopes that he will be “the victor of this generation”, he embarks on a career as an elite official and rises to the position of vice ministerial candidate. He schemes to use his marriage with Shirai Naoko to go into politics, he sets his sights on the pinnacle of power. However, there is a secret about his birth …

Sasayama Nobuko (33) … Koike Eiko
A currency dealer with a foreign bank. Born as the daughter of a local Fukuoka civil servant, she earned an extraordinary career in comparison to other females of the same generation through her own efforts. She has been dating Takashi for ten years. It is her father’s hope that she will “marry a man who will become a bureaucrat,” and because she is attracted to the elite, she dreams of marriage to Takashi. However, this dream is shattered, and she burns with an obsessive desire for revenge against Takashi and jealousy of Naoko.

Shirai Naoko (29) … Uehara Misa
The eldest daughter of the Shirai family. Raised and educated to be the wife of a Diet member since young, she is an old-fashioned girl who believes that marriage joins one family together with another. She accepts the match with Takashi to save her father from his money woes. She also possesses the strong spirit to tell him that “this marriage is for my father’s sake.”

Shirai Shinichiro (61) … Okuda Eiji
The Policy Research Council Chairman of the ruling Democratic Liberal Party, who is eyeing a regime change. He grew up in a poor village, worked his way through school and entered Tokyo University. After working as a bureaucrat at the Finance Ministry, he married into the Shirai family and became a politician. He has risen through the ranks to hold a key position in his party. However, he does not realise that he has been corrupted by his lust for power. He is facing money woes because Shirai Construction, which is his source of funds, has run into financial difficulty. And so, he proceeds to make his daughter, Naoko, marry Takashi for the Arikawas rich wealth.

Shirai Itsuko (58) … Matsuzaka Keiko
Shirai Shinichiro’s wife. Born the eldest daughter of the president of Shirai Construction, one of Japan’s major construction companies, her upbringing is characteristic of the upper class. After her marriage to Shinichiro, whom her father had his eye on, she supported him as he advanced in his career as a Diet member. As his wife, she leads a happy, satisfied life without doubts about life. Hoping to give Naoko a similar life, she makes her learn to cultivate herself. She is positively disposed towards the match between Takashi and her daughter, thinking that it will help her husband to overcome his financial difficulties.

Shirai Akiko … Fujii Mina
The second daughter of the Shirai family. Her personality is the complete opposite of her older sister who is too serious, and also cynically teases her for marrying to protect the family. On the other hand, she is realistic and mature in some aspects, clearly understanding her position in being born into the family of a Diet member.

Arikawa Mina (59) … Maya Kyoko
The Chairman of Arikawa Association which operates more than 50 hospitals across the country. She once devoted herself to the student movement in university and participated in the Tokyo University Yasuda Auditorium incident in 1969 but tasted setbacks and defeat before the power of the state. In revenge for this past, she is consumed by a desire to make her son, Takashi, reach the pinnacle of power. She will spare no effort and money to achieve this. She is pleased with Takashi’s impending marriage to Naoko as a first step in entering politics but …

Arikawa Kazuhiro (61) … Tanaka Ken
Arikawa Mina’s husband. He married into the Arikawa family after Takashi’s father died. The hospital director of Arikawa Association and Mina’s work partner. Also, because he shared a past fighting the student movement together with Mina, he understands her public and private life. However, he tends to treats both Mina and Takashi with restraint due to his reserved personality and position as the adopted son-in-law.

Arikawa Toru … Hosokawa Yoshihiko
Arikawa Mina’s second son. The child conceived between Arikawa Kazuhiro and Mina after she remarried. Takashi’s stepbrother. He works hard in his studies with an eye on being a doctor in order to become the successor of Arikawa Association. He looks up to his versatile older brother but cannot understand the magnitude of Takashi’s ambition. Because he is unaware of the hidden motives for the marriage talks between Takashi and Naoko, he is genuinely pleased by the match.

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Filed under: Shukumei 1969 - 2010, Winter 2010   |  Leave a Comment

Jin NOT in theatres 2011?

31Jan10

According to Japanese media, filming starts this summer with screening planned for 2011. Osawa Takao, Uchino Masaaki, Nakatani Miki, Ayase Haruka will reprise their roles in the movie. The closing moments of the last episode, which aired on 20 December 2009, seemed to end with Jin almost falling again. This presentiment of another time slip is believed to set the stage for a film adaptation.

However, TBS denies it, “No decision has been made on a film adaptation yet.” The television network issued an official statement to all agencies that the article was false information. On the other hand, the drama’s producer, Ishimaru Akihiko, left a comment on the website that they are “now at the stage of deliberation” and did not completely deny the possibility of a film adaptation.

I didn’t like how the finale of Jin was set up. TBS got a barrage of complaints from unhappy Japanese viewers who felt they were being set up to tune in to a sequel. Too many questions were left unresolved. I’m leary of a movie for Jin. At times, it seemed that the drama episodes were being stretched and played out on very little. And given that there doesn’t seem to be enough material since the manga is still in progress, I hope TBS makes the right choice. Besides, as much as I love Uchino Masaaki as Sakamoto Ryoma in Jin, I want him in another drama this year!

Filed under: Jin, Movies   |  1 Comment