Kame, tegoshi and uchi to star in new drama!

The live-action drama adaptation of Tomoko Hayakawa's manga "Yamato Nadeshiko Shichihenge" was confirmed on Sunday. KAT-TUN's Kazuya Kamenashi (23) will play the lead role and will be joined by Hiroki Uchi (23) and NEWS member Yuya Tegoshi (22).

The comedic story revolves a group of handsome young men who are offered free lodging if they can turn the owner's niece into a proper lady. Kamenashi plays the short-tempered Kyohei Takano, while Uchi and Tegoshi play two of his housemates. Aya Omasa (18) has been cast as the niece Sunako, a solitary girl with low self-esteem. As the men work together to change Sunako, she and Kyohei begin to form a romantic relationship.

The cast also includes ballet dancer Shuntaro Miyao (25). TBS will premiere the series on January 15, airing every Friday at 10:00pm.

Sakurai Sho and Horikita Maki to star in new drama

Arashi's Sho Sakurai (27) and actress Maki Horikita (21) will play the leads in the TBS drama series "Tokujo Kabachi!!" next season. The drama is based on the sequel to the manga "Kabachitare!," which was turned into a drama series in 2001.

Sakurai plays Katsuhiro Tamura, a young man with a strong sense of justice. Although he believes that the law isn't always right, he becomes an administrative scrivener with the goal of manipulating the law in order to protect the weak.

On the other hand, Horikita plays Misuzu Sumiyoshi, a former delinquent who hates to lose and who is now a capable scrivener. Katsuhiro and Misuzu are always at odds, but they gradually come to understand each other.

The supporting cast includes Masatoshi Nakamura, Kenichi Endo, Katsumi Takahashi, and Yuko Asano. TBS will air the drama on Sundays at 9:00pm, starting on January 17.

It is also reported that the drama plans to try out a new incentive for viewers: a quiz question will be asked during the show, and a winner chosen from the viewers who submit the correct answer will receive a phone call from Sakurai himself.

Arashi to star in drama special: "Saigo no yakusoku"

Fuji TV announced earlier this month that all five members of the popular boy band Arashi will co-star in a drama special titled "Saigo no Yakusoku." This will be the first time they have acted together in a television drama since "V no Arashi" in 1999.

"Saigo no Yakusoku" is a human suspense story with a theme of "bonds." One day, a major building gets taken over in an unprecedented incident. Five young men who happen to be inside (played by Arashi) must try to escape the dangerous situation.

Fuji TV will air the drama at the start of 2010, though the exact date and time have not yet been decided.

They also announced that Kuroki Meisa will be the heroine of this drama and will co-star with the 5 Arashi members.

Actress Meisa Kuroki (21) has been chosen to play the heroine role in the Fuji TV drama special "Saigo no Yakusoku." It was recently announced that the drama will star all five members of Arashi.

"Saigo no Yakusoku" is described as a human suspense story involving the hijack of a major building. The members of Arashi play five young men who happen to be inside, and the story depicts their attempt to escape and their interactions with the other people caught up in the incident.

Kuroki plays the daughter of the building's company president. One scene features an argument between her character and Jun Matsumoto (26), who plays a motorcycle courier.

Fuji TV plans to broadcast the drama near the start of 2010.

Code blue gets 2nd season!!

Fuji TV recently confirmed that last year's popular "Code Blue" drama series is getting a second full season. The show's first season averaged 15.9% ratings, and a special episode that aired this past January achieved 23.1% ratings.

Although the drama originally aired in the network's Thursday 10:00pm time slot, it has now been moved to the Monday 9:00pm slot. Lead actor Tomohisa Yamashita (24) was also the star of "Buzzer Beat" this past summer, making him the first person ever to star in two "Getsu 9" dramas separated by only a season.

In addition to Yamashita, the main cast of Yui Aragaki (21), Erika Toda (21), Manami Higa (23), and Yosuke Asari (22) is returning. Other familiar faces include Masanobu Katsumura (46), Susumu Terajima (46), Tetta Sugimoto (44), and Ryo (36), while Kippei Shiina (45) is a new addition.

Johnny's idols take turns in mini-drama project

Several Johnny's Jimusho idols will participate in a television mini-drama project on Fuji TV. Titled "0 Goushitsu no Kyaku," the show will consist of six stories, each lasting for a month. The weekly episodes will be 15 minutes long.

The drama is set in a city hotel called Point, where there is a strange "Room 0" that can reveal one's "grade" as a human being. Various guests with different circumstances visit the room, hoping to determine their own worth.

The first story stars Arashi's Satoshi Ohno as a salaryman who visits the room with a kyabakura hostess, only to discover that she gets a higher grade than he does.

In the second story, Kanjani8's Ryuhei Maruyama and Shota Yasuda play a comedy duo. Although they get along well, they can't find success together, so they visit the room to measure themselves.

The rest of the stories will be led by Shigeaki Kato (NEWS), Shingo Murakami (Kanjani8), Keiichiro Koyama (NEWS), and Shigeru Joshima (TOKIO), in that order. Yu Yokoyama (Kanjani8) will appear throughout the entire series as the storyteller.

The project will start with Ohno's story on October 23. Fuji TV will air the show late on Friday nights, at 1:05am.

Yamapi new drama BUZZER BEAT

NEWS member Tomohisa Yamashita has the lead role in Fuji TV's upcoming Monday night drama series, tentatively titled "Buzzer Beat ~Gakeppuchi no Hero~." His female lead this time is actress Keiko Kitagawa, who graduated from Meiji University's School of Commerce one year after he did.

The love story has Yamashita playing a salaryman who belongs to his company's basketball team. Despite his appearance, he is completely weak under pressure when it comes to work and romance. Although he has a girlfriend (Saki Aibu), he falls in love with a spirited and cheerful woman who is unable to be straightforward (Kitagawa).

Shihori Kanjiya plays Kitagawa's friend, while Hideaki Ito serves as Yamashita's rival in love. Junpei Mizobata, Nobuaki Kaneko, Miki Maya, and Masaru Nagai are also part of the supporting cast.

Yamashita's only experience with basketball so far is in classes at school, so he is undergoing special training for two weeks. "Buzzer Beat" premieres in July.

Yamashita Tomohisa to star in new drama confirmed~

Title of drama: Buzzer Beat
Time: Fuji TV Monday 9pm
Drama cast: Yamashita Tomohisa, Kitagawa Keiko, Aibu Saki, Kanjiya Shihori, Ito Hideaki, Mizobata Junpei
Plot Summary: This is a youthful lovestory depicting how a man, working for a company sponsored basketball team, who's not very self-confident but straight-forward and a woman who is cheerful but strong-willed　with an attitude grow up through the trials and tribulations of love and friendship. Main role Yamashita Tomohisa. The female role of the woman the man falls in love with has been given to Kitagawa Keiko


credits: XQ

Tokio's Nagase Tomoya stars in new drama

TOKIO's Tomoya Nagase is starring in a new drama on NTV next season. The show, currently untitled, is described as a comedy revolving around a superspy character.

Nagase plays Kyosuke Yoroi, a swindler serving a 30-year sentence after being caught for more than a dozen cases of fraud. However, the government sees that Kyosuke's skills can be put to use, so it arranges for his release under the condition that he becomes a spy to help fight against terrorists. His character is a bit clumsy and gets easily carried away, but he also possesses athleticism and sex appeal.

Each episode will tell one story, with different guests appearing each week. As part of his spy work, Nagase will be dressing up in various disguises, such as a pilot, a doctor, and a Korean actor resembling Bae Yong Joon. He will also be equipped with an array of gadgets, such as a ring that turns into a pistol and a shoe that doubles as a cell phone.

With Nagase filling in the "James Bond" role, his spy team will also have a beautiful "Bond girl"-type character named Dorothy.

Ryoichi Kimizuka is in charge of the screenplay. NTV will start airing the series in July, putting it in the network's Saturday 9:00pm time slot.

Tegoshi starring in new drama as host!

More cast details have been revealed for Fuji TV's drama special "Dareka ga Uso wo Tsuiteiru." Lead actor Yutaka Mizutani is being joined by Yuya Tegoshi (NEWS), Mitsuki Tanimura, and Yoshiko Miyazaki.

First announced last month, the drama has Mizutani playing a salaryman falsely accused of groping on a train. One of the key themes is the resulting impact on him and his family. Miyazaki is playing his wife, while Tegoshi and Tanimura have been cast as their children. Tegoshi's character is a student who finds a job as a bar host.

Other cast members include comedians such as Cunning Takeyama and Zabungle's Ayumu Kato.

Fuji TV has not yet set a specific date for the drama to air, but the network plans to broadcast the episode in its "Kinyo Prestige" block (Friday 9:00pm) before the end of this year.

Kat-tun's Kazuya Kamenashi geusting in new drama/ Takuya Kimura starring in new drama

It was made known on Tuesday that Kazuya Kamenashi (23) will appear in a guest role in the new TBS drama series "MR.BRAIN" that stars SMAP's Takuya Kimura (36). It will be the first time the two act together in a project.

Kamenashi expressed his happiness about the opportunity. "I'm really happy to be called upon for my senpai's drama. On the set, I'm quite nervous but having fun. I'm grateful towards Kimura-kun." He also explained, "I couldn't have imagined acting together with Kimura-kun. I have to work hard and do my best."

Kimura was also positive. "I was really happy to hear that Kamenashi was coming in. I hope that he enjoys this view of the world." He then added in a compliment, "And above all, Kamenashi looks good in whatever he wears."

The series, which premieres on May 23, features Kimura as a neuroscientist who helps solve cases for the National Police Agency. Kamenashi will appear in the third episode (June 6), playing the role of a young elite doctor of a university hospital where a murder takes place.

(Actor Mizushima Hiro is also taking part in this drama)

Nishikido Ryo/Takkizawa Hideaki starring in New Summer Drama~

Hideaki Takizawa (27) has picked up his first starring role in a serial drama since 2005. He will share the screen with Ryo Nishikido (24) in a TBS series tentatively titled "Orthros no Inu," named after the two-headed dog from Greek mythology.

The thrilling human drama has Takizawa playing the role of a mysterious and ambitious man with a wicked heart, who possesses the power to heal pain and illness with the touch of his hand. Nishikido, on the other hand, plays a high school teacher with a gentle heart, but who has the ability to kill with his touch. The two happen to meet, resulting in a battle of good and evil.


Takizawa's last starring role in a series was in the 2005 NHK taiga drama "Yoshitsune." Before that, he played the lead in Fuji TV's "Boku Dake no Madonna."

TBS will broadcast "Orthros no Inu" on Friday nights at 10:00pm, starting in July.

Ikuta Toma New Drama~

Popular young actor Toma Ikuta has a solo starring role in a drama series for the first time. The show, titled "Majo Saiban," will be the first drama to tackle the issue of Japan's new "saiban-in" (lay judge) system.



This May, Japan is reintroducing the jury system, which was previously abolished in 1943. Since then, only judges have decide the outcome of criminal cases, but under the new system, cases will be decided by a combination of judges and lottery-selected citizens.

In "Majo Saiban," Ikuta plays a typical part-timer with little interest in social issues. However, he is unexpectedly chosen as a juror in the trial of a suspected female murderer. While the mystery surrounding the case unfolds, an unknown group is secretly attempting to bribe the jury.

Actress Ai Kato plays a housewife who is also selected as a juror, while Manami Higa plays Ikuta's girlfriend, a newspaper reporter. Yuriko Ishida takes on the role of the accused.

Fuji TV will air "Majo Saiban" on Saturday nights at 11:10pm. The series starts on April 25, about a month before the actual jury system goes into effect.

Banner credits go to ourhour @ Lj

Sakurai Sho---> The Quiz Show II

Arashi's Sho Sakurai has been chosen to star in the NTV drama series "The Quiz Show." The show is a prime time version of last summer's late night drama "The Quiz Show," which starred Jin Katagiri and Shigeyuki Totsugi.



In the new version, Sakurai plays the host of a live TV quiz program. On the show, contestants who achieve 7 correct answers win 10 million yen, and those who get 8 correct answers will have one of their wishes granted by the TV network. But while the questions start off innocently enough, as the game progresses, the questions gradually delve into the contestants' past crimes or indiscretions, presenting them with the dilemma of having to confess their guilt in order to win.

Sakurai's character also has a mysterious past. Before becoming the show's host, an accident had left him in a vegetative state for six years, which also resulted in him losing most of his memories.

The supporting cast includes Kanjani8's Yu Yokoyama as the show's director, Aya Matsuura as a rookie assistant director, and Miki Maya as the producer. Broadcast begins on April 18 in NTV's Saturday 9pm time slot.

MatsuJun & Gakki Starring In New Drama

SMILE!

Jun Matsumoto and Yui Aragaki will co-star in a new TBS drama series titled "Smile." Takayuki Takuma ("Hana Yori Dango") is handling the script, though he is using his real name rather than his usual pen name of Mikio Satake.



Matsumoto plays a half-Filipino whose father has died and mother has disappeared. Despite his misfortune and the issues he deals with, such as race, he lives his life positively with a constant smile.

Similarly, Aragaki plays a young woman living cheerfully despite losing her ability to speak due to an accident. Her character is said to be modeled after a real actress in the theatrical troupe that Takuma runs.

The supporting cast includes Kiichi Nakai as a lawyer who watches over Matsumoto and Aragaki.

"Smile" will air on Friday nights at 10:00pm, starting in April.

Matsumoto Jun and Gakki on Osama no Brunch "SMILE"

Shigeaki Kato Starring In New Drama~!

Acting veterans Toshiyuki Nishida and Pinko Izumi will be co-starring in a TBS drama special this fall. This is said to be their first performance together since the 1982 drama "Samishii no wa Omae Dake Janai."



The drama, tentatively titled "Chichi yo, Anata wa Erakatta ~1969 Nen no Oyaji to Boku," is scripted by writer Taeko Asano ("Love Generation," "Last Friends"). Nishida and Izumi played a married couple, and Nishida's possible forced early retirement raises questions of divorce. Their son, an unemployed but aspiring manga artist (played by NEWS member Shigeaki Kato), gets in a fight with his father and leaves the house, but a "time slip" takes him back to the 1960s when his father was a university student. Using this plot device, the drama explores the differences between the lives of the baby boomers and today's youths.

Comedian Atsushi Tsutsumishita (of Impulse) and actress Saki Aibu take on the roles of Nishida and Izumi in their youth. Masaki Kanda and Shugo Oshinari have also been cast. Filming started in early February.

TBS plans to air the drama this fall.