MBS turns weird reality into "Arienai!" drama series

"Arienai!" is adapted from a stage production of the same name, written and directed by screenwriter Michiru Egashira ("Gokusen," "1 Litre of Tears").

The stage version of "Arienai!" was performed earlier this year by Croque Girls, the troupe led by Egashira. On the drama's website, it is described as a "surreal situation comedy," based on unbelievable events that actually happened in real life.

According to the Croque Girls blog, the drama series consists of 11 half-hour episodes. Each episode is a different story with a separate cast. The lead actors of the episodes include Shiro Sano, Kazuki Kato, Koki Mizuta, Kenta Kamakari, Yasuhisa Furuhara, Hidenori Tokuyama, Takashi Nagayama, Jiro Sato, Hiroki Nakadoi (of Lead), and Dori Sakurada. Talento YOU will serve as the show's storyteller.

"Arienai!" will air on MBS late at night on Wednesdays (1:25am). The first episode is scheduled for January 13.

Five actresses star in BeeTV mobile drama
Sun, December 13, 2009

Next year, mobile broadcast service BeeTV is delivering an omnibus drama series called "Onnatachi wa Nido Asobu." The drama is a large-scale project featuring five popular actresses, with director Isao Yukisada and screenwriter Chihiro Ito on staff (both worked on the hit "Sekai no Chuushin de, Ai wo Sakebu"). In addition, Namie Amuro is providing the theme song.

The series consists of five realistic love stories, each with a different lead actress: Saki Aibu (24), Asami Mizukawa (26), Koyuki (32), Yuka (29), and Kyoko Hasegawa (32). Actor Yusuke Santamaria (38) will play a role in all five stories.

The drama is based on a novel by award-winning author Shuichi Yoshida, which collects 11 stories that were serialized in the publication Yasei Jidai in 2004. The overall theme for the drama is "unforgettable women." Aibu's story, titled "Doshaburi Onna," is planned to go first, while Hasegawa's "Tsumaranai Onna" will air last.

Broadcast begins on March 1. Each story spans six 5-minute episodes (Koyuki's will last only five episodes), for a total of 29 episodes. BeeTV plans to release them three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Amuro's theme song, "The Meaning of Us," is available on her new album "PAST < FUTURE" (on sale December 16).

Terawaki stars as detective in "853" series

Now that Yasufumi Terawaki (47) has left the popular "Aibou" drama franchise, he will finally be a solo star in a television series of his own. It was confirmed that he will play the lead in TV Asahi's "853: Keiji Kamo Shinnosuke," scheduled to air Thursday nights at 8:00pm.

Set in Kyoto, Terawaki plays an old-fashioned but passionate police detective named Shinnosuke Kamo, who not only solves crimes but also attempts to fight the internal police bureaucracy. Other than his mobile phone, his character is said to use no digital items.

"853" will premiere on January 14.

Tu_triky wrote:

Five actresses star in BeeTV mobile drama Sun, December 13, 2009 Next year, mobile broadcast service BeeTV is delivering an omnibus drama series called "Onnatachi wa Nido Asobu." The drama is a large-scale project featuring five popular actresses, with director Isao Yukisada and screenwriter Chihiro Ito on staff (both worked on the hit "Sekai no Chuushin de, Ai wo Sakebu"). In addition, Namie Amuro is providing the theme song. The series consists of five realistic love stories, each with a different lead actress: Saki Aibu (24), Asami Mizukawa (26), Koyuki (32), Yuka (29), and Kyoko Hasegawa (32). Actor Yusuke Santamaria (38) will play a role in all five stories. The drama is based on a novel by award-winning author Shuichi Yoshida, which collects 11 stories that were serialized in the publication Yasei Jidai in 2004. The overall theme for the drama is "unforgettable women." Aibu's story, titled "Doshaburi Onna," is planned to go first, while Hasegawa's "Tsumaranai Onna" will air last. Broadcast begins on March 1. Each story spans six 5-minute episodes (Koyuki's will last only five episodes), for a total of 29 episodes. BeeTV plans to release them three times a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Amuro's theme song, "The Meaning of Us," is available on her new album "PAST < FUTURE" (on sale December 16).

Glad to see Kyoko Hasegawa is coming back, don't think she's done anything since her child was born, has dropped to #42 in the top 50.
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hitomi #1 wrote:

Glad to see Kyoko Hasegawa is coming back, don't think she's done anything since her child was born, has dropped to #42 in the top 50.

havent seen her in ageeeees!
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hitomi #1 wrote:

dropped to #42 in the top 50.

LOL.

Like that bogus Top 50 means anything... It's a fangirl/fanboy popularity contest.

bmwracer wrote:

LOL. Like that bogus Top 50 means anything... It's a fangirl/fanboy popularity contest.

You mean I check it 5 times a day and it's...bogus? He's curious where his ranking is.

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bmwracer wrote:

LOL. Like that bogus Top 50 means anything... It's a fangirl/fanboy popularity contest.

I kinda agree with that one! it is a popularity contest but hey i dont really care, i just like who i like
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KAZdoramma wrote:

i just like who i like

Right on.

KAZdoramma wrote:

I kinda agree with that one! it is a popularity contest but hey i dont really care, i just like who i like

I like everyone you have listed, strange then we only have one, Takuya, that match. No Erika?

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hitomi #1 wrote:

I like everyone you have listed, strange then we only have one, Takuya, that match. No Erika?

I only have two more spaces left so i gotta think it thru well but yes most likely I`ll put Erika in there soon after I finish watching LG2
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"SOIL" manga gets drama adaptation
Sun, January 10, 2010 (2:38am EST)
Atsushi Kaneko's ongoing mystery manga "SOIL" is being adapted as a live-action television drama. WOWOW will broadcast the series in its "Midnight Drama" time slot (Saturday night, 12:00am), starting on March 6.

"SOIL" is set in a suburban neighborhood, where strange phenomena are taking place. A rookie detective named Onoda (Mari Hoshino) is dispatched to the area, and along with police sergeant Yokoi (Ryosei Tayama), she attempts to unravel the mystery behind the incidents.

Directors Takashi Shimizu ("Ju-on") and Yudai Yamaguchi ("Cromartie High School") are in charge of the drama. Besides Hoshino and Tayama, the cast features Issei Takahashi, Hirofumi Arai, Keiko Horiuchi, Kitaro, Pierre Taki, Magy, Yuto Kobayashi, Nako Mizusawa, Mickey Curtis, Yasuhi Nakamura, Manami Honjo, and Takashi Sasano.

The series is planned to run for 8 episodes.
Source: WOWOW

Kinda interested in Massugu na Otoko and Nakanai to Kimeta Hi.

Yosuke Eguchi gives "chase" as tax investigator
Thu, January 14, 2010 (12:59am EST)
Yosuke Eguchi (42) has been chosen to star in the NHK drama series "Chase ~Kokuzei Sasatsukan~," airing this spring. The show will pair him up again with screenwriter Yuji Sakamoto, who helped launch Eguchi's career in 1991 with the popular drama "Tokyo Love Story."

In "Chase," Eguchi plays the part of Haruma, an investigator for the national tax bureau. Constantly chasing down tax evaders, he finds himself in a battle against a brilliant tax consultant (played by ARATA). Kumiko Aso, Tae Kimura, Eiji Okuda]], Takumi Saito, Kei Tanaka, Erina Mizuno, and Toru Masuoka are part of the supporting cast.

NHK will broadcast the series in its Saturday 9:00pm time slot. It will run for six episodes, starting on April 17 and ending on May 22. Filming, which begins this week, will include overseas locations.
Source: Sports Hochi

http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-5680

Sounds like "A Taxing Woman" with a gender change.

gaijinmark wrote:

Sounds like "A Taxing Woman" with a gender change.

I was thinking the same.

xploring, if you haven't already, check out the Itami Juzo film.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Taxing_Woman

Thanks for the link. The plot doesn't sound funny at all. They must have done something pretty original to make that a comedy.

This new drama actually reminded me of Marusa!!, the only other drama I know to be about a tax investigator.
http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Marusa!!

I think Marusa is a bit more episodic? Chase actually sounds like it's going to focus on a battle of 2 minds, or something like that.
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xploring wrote:

Thanks for the link. The plot doesn't sound funny at all. They must have done something pretty original to make that a comedy.

You should check the movie out... It's quite good.

Ebizo Ichikawa, Saki Aibu star in "Kiri no Hata"
Tue, January 19, 2010 (12:09am EST)
NTV has announced a pair of drama specials in honor of the 100th anniversary of suspense author Seicho Matsumoto's birth. One of them is another adaptation of "Kiri no Hata," which will star kabuki actor Ebizo Ichikawa (32).

Originally published in 1961, "Kiri no Hata" has already been turned into two films and more than half a dozen television dramas. The story revolves around a brilliant young lawyer named Otsuka (played by Ichikawa), who turns down a request to defend a man falsely accused of murder. After the man commits suicide, his sister Kiriko (Saki Aibu) seeks revenge against the lawyer.

NTV will begin filming for the drama at the end of this month. It will air this spring, but the exact date has not yet been announced.
Source: Sports Hochi