Tsuyoshi Kusanagi to star in winter romance drama

SMAP’s Tsuyoshi Kusanagi (36) and Miki Imai (47) will play characters who have an affair by accident in their upcoming TV drama “冬のサクラ (Fuyu no Sakura, Winter Sakura)”, starting in January 2011, it was announced today, reports Mainichi Shinbum Digital and Sponichi Annex.

 

The drama’s story will follow a kind-natured glassworker (Kusanagi) who has never been in love.  One day he meets a woman (Imai) visiting his hometown in Yamagata prefecture to see the winter sakura, but she loses her memory following an accident.  The two begin to fall in love with one another, but the situation becomes complicated because Imai’s character has forgotten she has a husband and children back home in Tokyo.  Kusanagi’s character’s younger brother (Sato) and his girlfriend (Kato) show their support for the couple, but Imai’s character’s husband back in Tokyo soon finds out what has happened.  The story will focus on what happens when love is only around for a short time, or…

 

Kusanagi said he felt well-prepared to take on his new drama.

“I want to act to my best so I can deliver this winter’s best love story to everyone.  I’d been wanting to work with Miki Imai-san for a while so I’m really looking forward to working with her on this project.

“I had the opportunity to show people the meaning of family and the Yamato-damashii (Japanese spirit, patriotism) in last week’s drama “99年の愛 (99-nen no Ai)～JAPANESE AMERICANS～”, and I was able to learn a lot from that project.  I’ll do my best to use these things I’ve learnt into playing my character,” he said.

 

Imai, who has been concentrating on her singing career for the past few years, has been reported to have said she would do her best to not cause too much trouble for the other actors while she brushes up on her own skills.

“Kusanagi-san is a truly exceptional actor, I hope I can follow his example as an actor,” she said.

 

The drama’s producer Masanao Takahashi has said he had wanted to make a drama where Kusanagi would fall in love with an older woman, but it would be an affair.  While thinking about which actress suited snow the best, Takahashi had said he instinctively thought of Imai.

 

This will be the first time Imai has starred in a drama since 2000.  Other cast members in the drama include Takeru Sato (21), Rosa Kato (25), and Masanabu Takashima (44).

 

Filming for the drama will begin in early December.

Miki Imai, female lead in Tsuyoshi Kusanagi's upcoming drama (photo thanks to Mainichi Shinbum Digital)

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Source: http://mantan-web.jp/2010/11/11/20101110dog00m200056000c.html

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/entertainment/news/2010/11/11/02.html

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