From the KIKU-TV message board...

Yoshitsune is based on the 12th century war hero. Very well regarded in folk legends as a virtual super hero. The scheduled cast members (courtesy of Reiko) is as follows:

Minamoto Yoshitsune -- Takizawa Hideaki
Musashibo Benkei -- Matsudaira Ken
Ise Saburo -- Nanbara Kiyotaka
Suruga Jiro -- Ujiki Tsuyoshi
Sato Tadanobu -- Kaito Ken
Kisanta -- Ito Atsushi
Chidori -- Nakashima Tomoko
Tokiwa Gozen -- Inamori Izumi
Minamoto Yoritomo -- Nakai Kiichi
Hojo Masako -- Zaizen Naomi
Hojo Tokimasa -- Kobayashi Nenji
Kame no Mae -- Matsushima Naomi
Kiso Yoshinaka -- Ozawa Yukiyoshi
Tomoe Gozen -- Koike Eiko
Shingu Juuro Yukiie -- Oosugi Ren
Minamoto Noriyori -- Ishihara Yoshizumi
Kagiwara Kagetoki -- Nakao Akira
Minamoto Yorimasa -- Tanba Tetsuro
Taira Kiyomori -- Watari Tetsuya
Tokiko -- Matsuzaka Keiko
Taira Shigemori -- Katsumura Masanobu
Tsuneko -- Moriguchi Yoko
Taira Koremori -- Kashu Toshiki
Taira Sukemori -- Koizumi Kotaro
Taira Munemori -- Tsurumi Shingo
Taira Tomomori -- Abe Hiroshi
Akiko -- Natsukawa Yui
Kenrei Mon'in Tokuko -- Nakagoshi Noriko
Taira Shigehira -- Hosokawa Shigeki
Sukeko -- Toda Naho
Yoshiko -- Goto Maki
Taira Tokitada -- Oohashi Goro
Ryoko -- Kato Kazuko
Go-Shirakawa Tenno -- Taira Mikijiro
Tango Tsubone -- Natsuki Mari
Utsubo -- Ueto Aya
Otoku -- Shiraishi Kayoko
Gosoku -- Kitamura Yukiya
Kakunichi Risshi -- Shiomi Sansei
Akane -- Manda Hisako
Fujiwara Hidehira -- Takahashi Hideki
Kinui Kichiji -- Ichikawa Sadanji
Fujiwara Yasuhira -- Watanabe Ikkei
Fujiwara Kunihira -- Nagashima Kazushige

http://www.samurai-archives.com/yoshitsune.html

--- groink

That is a pretty good cast right there. Hope it comes out soon!
_________________

Goto friggin' Maki?! In a taiga drama? I'm so friggin' there . . . but, not before I finish watching Shinsengumi.

Yoshitsune was actually recognized by "Advanced Dungeons and Dragons," even, as a notable fighter in their Deities and Demigods book.

I hope Hideaki can pull it off; relinquish that lovey-dovey persona. Folks take Yoshitsune quite uber serious and all.

I wonder what the tengu that supposedly train him to do acrobatics and martial arts and swordplay, et al., will look like? They should make 'em look like li'l Predators or something.

Thanks, Reiko (are you posting to this board?).

Sounds like a good cast! Think I'll give it a try especially since Kashu Toshiki is gonna be in it!!

Bet Eltinator will definitely watch this one since Aya-chan is in it!

The Man is a Goto Maki fan? Heh, learn something new everyday!
_________________

Rinrin wrote:

The Man is a Goto Maki fan? Heh, learn something new everyday!

Yeah. I would cook dinner for her. And we'd watch TV.

The duel and subsequent friendship between Yoshitsune, a great general and warrior, and Benkei, the terrifying warrior priest, is one of the most famous Japanese legends. The rivalry between Yoshitsune and his brother Yoritomo is also a well-known story. One fascinating myth about Yoshitsune was that he did not die in Japan but escaped to mainland Asia where he became Genghis Khan. Pretty farfetched, but interesting.

Hah! This is the one that I'm anticipating... Seeing Takizawa in action for Taiga Drama which I think he would do good..

WHOOT!? Maki Goto?..er.. ..

Thanks groink for the info !!!!
Too glad to know that Abe Hiroshi, Nakai Kiichi and Ichikawa Sadanji are in the cast !!!! That's a good reason (at least for me) to watch !!!!!
The Yoshitsune's story is really interesting. There are some Kabuki, Noh and Bunraku plays about him !!!!! Good !!!!!!
I don't know if Takey was a good choice, since Yoshitsune is not an easy role to play, but I'll give him some credit, because Mabo is a Johnny's protegee and did a fine job in Musashi.
But I'm really annoyed to see Goto Maki in the cast (sorry The Man, but I hate her !!!)...
_________________

The Man wrote:

Yeah. I would cook dinner for her. And we'd watch TV.

You cook? You cook cook or you microwave cook?


Also wanna see how Kaito Ken & Zaizen Naomi do!
_________________

Betsy Hayashi wrote:

But I'm really annoyed to see Goto Maki in the cast (sorry The Man, but I hate her !!!)...

Same here..I hate momusu and yeah she's one of them...

Akakage wrote:

Hah! This is the one that I'm anticipating... Seeing Takizawa in action for Taiga Drama which I think he would do good.. WHOOT!? Maki Goto?..er.. ..

i have the feeling most johnny's fans dislike her a lot.. me included!!! >_< but takki? and koizumi koutaro? and abe hiroshi? wow.. this is really cool..

arashinokoto wrote:

i have the feeling most johnny's fans dislike her a lot.. me included!!! >_<

Oh yeah..you can check them in V6 thread..they all hate her..Basically, we all hate Momusu..

arashinokoto wrote:

but takki? and koizumi koutaro? and abe hiroshi? wow.. this is really cool..

Yeah..that's the one that I'm so looking forward too. They meet again after Boku Dake No Madonna.. Abe Hiroshi..I like him as well.

Akakage wrote:

Oh yeah..you can check them in V6 thread..they all hate her..Basically, we all hate Momusu..

That's the truth! (Sorry, The Man. Momusu just irritates me for some reason! )
_________________

This cast sounds...not good. More and more not so great actresses (Goto Maki, Koike Eiko) and actors (Takizawa). Well, they do have Nakai and Abe to bring some acting chops to the roles. But this sounds like another drama meant to appeal to the fanboys/fangirls (heck, even Ueto Aya is in).
_________________

It's got Tanba Tetsuro? A/K/A "Tiger" Tanaka from "You only live twice"? Dang. He's pretty old now ... is there more than one?

Rinrin wrote:

You cook? You cook cook or you microwave cook?

I cook cook. Local. U.S. Italiano. Seafood. I stay away from red meat, though, as I do not eat that. I cook some other stuff. You like oven-baked desserts? I make that, too.

i think this is a major obstacle that takki has... that people are unable to look BEYOND his "idol bishounen" persona to see that he actually is not just another pretty face. i feel sorry for him sometimes...

i think that NHK chose takki to play yoshitsune for a reason. perhaps maybe to fit the fact that yoshitsune is indeed a very beautiful person in real life (so i was told by my japanese friend?) and the fact that he is pure in his love for his family, his mother, his friends, his brother, and uncorrupted. I think one of the not many faces who are able to pull off the word "PURE" is perhaps takki.

i don't know why they picked ueto, ishihara and MAKI GOTO though...... =_= am curious about ishihara, since she's gonna be shizuka gozen, one of the most important woman in yoshitsune's life... i haven't seen her act much... but truthfully am not too impressed with ueto....... hmmm...

and takki is working his ASS off for yoshitsune going in and out of mountains and forests and only going home once a week =_= i feel so sorry for him.... so i hope people just don't label this taiga as something shallow just because he's in it.... please just give him a chance. i'm sure he was picked for a reason. yoshitsune is after all, a very important character in japanese history my friend said that yoshitsune is one of the most loved heroes because he's such a pure person.

i had my doubts too at first... but after seeing some yoshitsune shoot clips... photos, interviews... no doubt, no one else fits the role as perfectly as he does... he's born to play minamoto yoshitsune (ok ok i'm biased LOL)

i can't wait for january 9, 2005!!!!!!!!

say hello to mr.yoshitsune...... xDDDDDDD

...and his ponytail *LOL*

matsuzaka keiko, takki & ueto

all photos from the esashi, iwate prefecture shooting on september 11-18

DANG!! TAKKY...he looks so gorgeous!

I bet he can perfectlly play the role. I've seen his acting many times and he is a good actor. If he succeeded to play Minamoto Yoshitsune that would make another marking of his career in acting!!
Of course I'm so looking forward to see this one..Yay!!

he does look GORGEOUS doesn't he????!!!!!! xDDDDDDDDD
i was sooo worried he was gonna turn out a baldy like those shinsengumi fellas LOLLLLLL....... when the first visual of yoshitsune finally came out... i'm like... KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA... NOT BALDY... BUT PONYTAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! KYAAAAAAAAA....
he just looks so gorgeous......... xDDDDD (in a non-idol kind of gorgeous i mean--seriously, he looks like ROYALTY...... a shogun's firstborn or something... a prince.... a hero... LOL... u name it)

he's been bonding with his horse too HAHAHAHH... i'm jealous of his goddamn horse

shanaou

shanaou & utsubo

shanaou in action

takki and ueto... supposed to be playing 13-yr-old kids in these scenes...... thats a LOOOOOT of discount on their ages ne.... despite that they look extremely young... but they DO NOT look 13 yrs old yo...