Category Archives: J-Drama

Hongo Kanata joins Mirai Nikki

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Hongo Kanata has just been cast in “Mirai Nikki – ANOTHER:WORLD-”, the upcoming Fuji TV drama based on the manga Mirai Nikki starring Okada Masaki and Goriki Ayame. The story revolves around 12 people who obtain a future diary and are forced to play a game of survival, using these diaries to kill each other.

Prior news has revealed that Okada will play the protagonist Hoshino Arata, a college slacker, and Goriki Ayame will play the heroine Yuno, who has a stalker crush on the protagonist.

Hongo will play the role of Moriguchi Rui, a child of divorced parents just like Arata. He’s Arata’s friend who suggested that he should install a diary app in his phone, but instead Arata gets a future diary. Moriguchi also becomes involved in this survival game as he also got a future diary. This character is loosely based on Akise Aru from the original manga.

“Mirai Nikki -ANOTHER:WORLD-” begins in April, in Fuji TV’s Saturday 11:10pm-11:55pm time slot.

credits to tokyograph

Yay! Okada Masaki AND Hongo Kanata in one drama? Can’t wait!

Detective Conan drama returns with a special episode

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On April 12, NTV will broadcast a special episode of the Detective Conan Season 3 drama entitled “Kudo Shinichi: Kyoto Shinsengumi Satsujin Jiken”. The story revolves around two locked room mysteries: one in an airplane and the other on a movie set.

Mizobata Junpei will reprise his role as Kudo Shinichi and Kutsuna Shiori will also return as Ran. I feel bad for not finishing recapping this one, heck, even post one but they are just sitting in my drafts, waiting for me. I hope I can give them justice. Mark your calendars for this one!

New JDrama Mirai Nikki starring Okada Masaki casts Goriki Ayame as heroine

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I’ve blogged about the casting of Okada Masaki in this drama here and now here’s news of the heroine. Mirai Nikki is an adaptation of a manga with the same name though the story will be somewhat original and just straight from the manga. The story revolves around 12 people who get a “Future Diary” and are forced to play a survival game by using the diaries to kill each other off.

Goriki Ayame plays Yuno, the heroine of the manga, a reimagined character with the same name. She plays a character who owns a future diary and one that has a stalker-like crush on Okada Masaki’s Hoshino Arata.

Mirai Nikki is set to premiere in April in Fuji TV.

Okada Masaki to star in “Mirai Nikki” Drama Adaptation

Mah boy isn’t resting! He’s still starring in TV Asahi’s Seinaru Kaibutsutachi and now he has signed on to star in another drama. I am so happy for mah boy’s success but I am also concerned about his health. Boy is just 22! His list of dramas is astounding for a 22 year-old who wasn’t a child star. Woah, just woah. So proud. Anyway, the details on his new drama.

Okada Masaki will star in “Mirai Nikki – ANOTHER:WORLD-”, the drama adaptation of Esuno Sakae’s popular manga “Mirai Nikki” (“Future Diary”). The drama is an original story that differs from the manga, revolving around 12 people who obtain a future diary, which allows them to write down predictions of the future that will come true. However, they are all part of a survival game, wherein they must use their diaries to kill off each other and be the last one remaining, earning a place on the “God’s seat”.

Okada Masaki will play Hoshino Arata, a lazy college student who doesn’t believe in working toward the future. One day, he gets a future diary on his mobile phone and he gets involved in the game of survival. Broadcast is scheduled to start in April.

So basically, it’s Hunger Games + Death Note? Hahaha! Though there still wasn’t Hunger Games back then though the timing is impeccable. But yey for Masaki playing a role appropriate for his age! Anyway, so excited for this. I hope the ensemble cast will be good and I guess there will be 12 episodes or 13, one for each person who gets the diary.

So stoked! April~

credits to tokyograph

Lucky Seven starring Matsumoto Jun and Eita releases a Trailer and a Teaser

Hang me upside down if I don’t watch this drama. It has my Eita in it! And Matsumoto Jun! Topless and kickboxing and beating the crap out of each other! And staring in each other’s eyes and getting on each other’s nerves and posturing and all. BROMANCE, COME TO ME! Hahahaha! Lucky Seven is about a detective agency with seven members who have clashing personalities and quirks. I love it already. MatsuJun is the rookie and Eita is the calm and collected type. Together, they fight evil and bond over kickboxing. Haha! Anyway, I am incoherent so let’s  end this quickly. It also stars Matsushima Nanako, Naka Riisa, and Oizumi Yo. Lucky Seven premieres on January 16 at Fuji TV. I know I’m watching this! A shorter teaser can be found below. Enjoy!

Teasers for Yamapi’s New Drama, Saikou no Jinsei no Owarikata ~Ending Planner~

I’m not even a wee bit interested in this drama. I love Yamapi, I do, and I adore Eikura Nana but it’s just not my cup of drama. Yamapi plays the head of a funeral parlor, which he reluctantly inherited from his father. He begins to mature as he learns about the lives of the deceased people brought to him by the police. As for the romance front, it involves a rookie female detective which I assume would be a bumbling Eikura Nana. Do tell me if you find this drama good. Saikou no Jinsei no Owarikata ~Ending Planner~ premieres on January 12 at TBS.

The Cast to Mukai Osamu’s New Drama, Hungry!

Mukai Osamu (Hotaru no Hikari 2, Atashinchi no Danshi) has been cast on FujiTV’s upcoming Tuesday drama, Hungry! Mukai plays Eisuke,  a former bassist of a rock band who gave up his music dreams to carry on the tradition of his family’s French restaurant.

The show has revealed the rest of its cast and it includes Kuninako Ryoko (Brother Beat) and Takimoto Miori (Ikemen Desu Ne) as the two heroines. Kuninaka has been cast as Eisuke’s older girlfriend Maria, who works at a bank. She is shocked to learn that Mukai has abandoned his music to devote himself to the restaurant, leading her to uncertainty about their relationship. Takimoto’s character is a 20-year-old college student named Chie who comes from a farming family. Although she initially had a bad impression of Eisuke, she begins to develop feelings for him after tasting his cooking.

SMAP’s Inagaki Goro (Nagareboshi, Hana Kimi) will play Tokio, the owner of a competing French restaurant. In the past, he was fond of the restaurant that Eisuke’s mother ran, but after she passed away, he deceived Eisuke’s father and bought out the restaurant’s chefs and staff. Knowing of Eisuke’s ability as a chef, Tokio views him as a rival.

Eisuke’s friends, who were part of his band ROCKHEAD, are being played by Tsukamoto Takashi who is my fave Japanese actor and is ubiquitous in Japanese dramas and movies (guitarist) and Miura Shohei of Hana Kimi 2011 and Gokusen 3 (vocalist). Both of them help Eisuke with his restaurant.

“Hungry!” will air on Fuji TV on Tuesday nights at 10:00pm. The series premieres in January.

credits to tokyograph

The Cast of Yamapi’s New Drama, Saikou no Jinsei no Owarikata ~Ending Planner~

It has been announced that Yamashita Tomohisa (Yamapi), he of Proposal Daisakusen, will be having his new drama with a very long title, Saikou no Jinsei no Owarikata ~Ending Planner~, premiere on January 12 9:00pm at TBS.

“Saikou no Jinsei no Owarikata” stars Yamashita as a young man who inherits his father’s funeral service shop. The story is a human drama about his growth as he deals with the various bodies that are brought to him. (tokyograph)

The rest of the cast has been revealed and the drama now stars Eikura Nana (Mitsu no Aji, Mei-chan no Shitsuji, Proposal Daisakusen) as the heroine/love interest and plays a rookie police detective. Sorimachi Takashi (Great Teacher Onizuka) stars as Yamapi’s older sibling. To complete the cast is AKB48′s Maeda Atsuko (Hana Kimi 2011), Ono Ito (Koukou Debut) and Hey! Say! JUMP’s Chinen Yuri (Scrap Teacher, Sensei wa Erai!) as his younger siblings.

I’m not sure if I’ll be watching this, we’ll see. I’ll read reviews first so if you guys have any feedback about this drama anytime in the future, do drop me a line! :D

Okada Masaki as a surgeon in upcoming drama, Seinaru Kaibutsutachi

Okada Masaki will star in TV Asahi’s newest Thursday offering, Seinaru Kaibutsutachi, as a rookie surgeon. And I reiterate, he is TOO YOUNG to be a doctor. And Japan surely loves casting him as a doctor (Dr. Black Jack and in GreeeeN’s PV). But aside from that little quip, I love this news! It’s surreal how he’s only 22 when his filmography’s very long. Hee, so proud of mah boy. Anyway, onto the news. Nakatani Miki was also starred as the female lead and a head nurse at the hospital he’s working at.

Seinaru Kaibutsutachi was originally a suspense novel by Kawahara Len. The drama has Okada playing Shiba Kengo, an earnest, hardworking and dedicated young surgeon. He gets transferred from a prestigious university hospital to a financially troubled one and there he meets a capable and cool-headed chief nurse Kasugai Yuka. She teaches him the reality of the medical world and Kengo must face various obstacles and challenges as he uncovers the true nature of respected professionals in the field.

Hasegawa Hiroki plays the manager of a major group that operates schools and Kato Ai plays his wife and the sister of Yuka. Rounding up the cast are Suzuki Anne, Omasa Aya, Katsumura Masanobu, Hirata Mitsuru, Kohinata Fumiyo and Watanabe Ikkei.

TV Asahi’s Seinaru Kaibutsutachi will air on Thursday nights at 9pm in January.