Wednesday, November 04, 2015

Ninomiya Kazunari to star in FujiTV's New Year drama SP "Botchan"

Arashi's Ninomiya Kazunari will be starring in FujiTV's New Year drama SP "Botchan" to be shown on 3 January at 9pm. The drama SP which is based on famous writer Natsume Soseki's signature novel, is made to coincide with Natsume's 100th death anniversary next year. This will also be the first time in 20 years since the last remake of "Botchan" which featured Go Hiromi in 1996.

"Botchan" was a mid-length novel released by Natsume in 1906 featuring a newbie Mathematics teacher nicknamed "Botchan" who graduated with a physics degree in Tokyo and goes to a junior high school in Shikoku to take up teaching. While at the school, he creates various issues with his colleagues and students.

Ninomiya plays the lead character Botchan who becomes a newbie Mathematics teacher. Co-stars include Furuta Arata who plays Yama Arashi and Oikawa Mitsuhiro who plays the head teacher that always wears a red shirt. Nodaiko who teaches art will be played by Yashima Norito while Yamamoto Koji will play the weak and pale-faced English teacher Uranari. Kishibe Ittoku will play the principal nicknamed Tanuki.

Filming started in October and includes location shooting at Jinjo Junior High School where Natsume used to teach at and was said to be the background of "Botchan" and other places connected to him such as the Dogo Onsen.

Source: Yomiuri Hochi / Sanspo / Sponichi

2 comments:

chan said...

Fuji TV may be choose Natsume's 100th death anniversary and Ninomiya for selling point simultaneously.

Chiaki said...

I believe so too. It's good timing to boost awareness for both sides since book sales are said to climb every time when an adaptation is made. Then again, Botchan is such a classic in the Japanese literary world so it will be worth seeing how Ninomiya's new version will be different from those in the past.