Official Website
www.wowow.co.jp/dramaw/bansosha
Broadcast
Saturdays, 10.00 – 11.00 p.m. from 11 April 2015
Station
WOWOW
Story
On the first death anniversary of the master of manga, Ajima Fumiya, 50 pages of unreleased sketches are discovered. It is the drawings of Ashima, but the mysterious contents are remarkably similar to a series of female disappearances 35 years ago. Ajima’s wife, Yoshiko, instructs Ozawa Yukihide, the manager of Ajima Pro, to check if the sketches were really drawn by Ajima. Ozawa asks Mizuno Yuki, a former police officer who has been sent from an investigation firm, to examine its authenticity. She seeks the assistance of Daigo Shinji, a freelance manga editor with a wealth of knowledge. Daigo starts to identify the period in which it was drawn and the artist from a variety of things such as the way of drawing the background and shadows, the pen as well as the screentone. If the artist is Ajima, does it mean he is the real criminal of the unsolved cases. If the criminal is another person, what was Ajima’s objective in drawing it? Before long, Yuki and Daigo notice a clue to a witness of the crimes of the serial killer who is the protagonist of the manga. They put their lives on the line to solve the mystery of these cases.
Characters
Matsushita Nao as Mizuno Yuki
A contract employee of EK Research, the main investigation firm of publishing companies. A former police officer. Her father had been the director of the First Investigative Division. She seeks Daigo Shinji’s assistance because she is ignorant about manga. She is diligent and has a strong sense of justice, but keeps getting hurt because she often stumbles and bumps into objects. When she is working, she uses her maiden name. She is currently in the midst of a divorce settlement.
Furuta Arata as Daigo Shinji
An eccentric but genius freelance manga editor. He had been a manga editor at the big publishing company, Eijinsha. However, he could not agree with the company’s policies and resigned. No one has as extensive a knowledge of manga as he does. He believes that his life was saved by manga. He respects food and constantly has an appetite for food. He also has a passion for shopping streets.
Tanaka Tetsushi as Kazumine Kaoru
The deputy chief editor of the publishing company, Eijinsha. Daigo Shinji’s former junior. The last editor of Ajima Fumiya’s ‘After School Waltz’. Although he respects the genius Daigo, he is critical of his way of working.
Kaname Jun as Ozawa Yukihide
The manager of Ajima Pro. A fan of Ajima Fumiya, he rose to become the president of his fan club. He wanted to be a manga editor at a publishing company, but faced setbacks and got a job at Ajima Pro.
Bengal as Ajima Fumiya
The master of manga. An unpublished manuscript is discovered on the first anniversary of his death. His genres spanned period, love comedy, mystery and politics. He reigned supreme until his last breath.
Ikeda Tetsuhiro as Tomura Kazuya
A popular manga artist. Ajima Fumiya’s former assistant. He is now working independently. He has produced successive hits with his physical style of manga.
Fujii Mina as Muroya Shoko/Sonoda Kimiko
Muroya Shoko: A graphic designer. She disappeared but suddenly came back home several days later. She has been living in fear of something.
Sonoda Kimiko: A woman who went missing 35 years ago.
Maya Kyoko as Ajima Yoshiko
Ajima Fumiya’s wife. The current president of Ajima Pro. Because an unpublished manuscript suggests that her husband may have been a criminal, she does everything she can to determine the truth.
Hirata Mitsuru as Mysterious Manga Artist
A former assistant at Ajima Pro. He won Shukan Shounen Road’s merit award. He possesses the philosophical air of a hermit and is gifted at drawing.
Morimoto Leo as Yajima Tomoyuki
A former detective who was a colleague of Mizuno Yuki’s father. He is now retired and is a director as well as security chief at the supermarket which his elder brother runs.
Scriptwriters
Aso Kumiko (Kazoku no Urajijou, Kagi no Nai Yume o Miru)
Sato Dai
Original Work
Yami no Bansosha by Nagasaki Takashi
Episodes
#1: Overcome Fear
#2: Constantly Sharpen Senses to Get an Impression
#3: Don’t Fear Betrayal. Because Ordinary People will Always Betray
#4: Don’t be Moved by Compliments and Praise. Praise will Destroy a Person more than Bullying and Malice
#5: A Person will Die Someday. So Don’t Fear Death
Click here for photos from the press conference.
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