Yuji Oda, an “actor who speaks his mind,” has accepted a role other than “leading actor” in a July drama series because of the wave of emphasis on “core viewer ratings.

The big-name actor Yuji Oda will appear in TV Asahi’s “July Drama”.

This in itself is the usual production news, but the lead role will be played by Sairi Ito, an actress who is rapidly gaining popularity. Oda is not expected to play the lead role, but rather a “tome” in the drama.

Tome” is the lowest position on the cast list, and is usually considered to be the most promising position after the lead actor.

The drama will be a legal drama centering on a magistrate in the 9 p.m. Tuesday slot that TV Asahi is putting a lot of effort into,” said a sports newspaper reporter.

Oda is a man who rose to the top as an actor with Fuji Television’s legendary trendy drama “Tokyo Love Story” (’91) and “Odoru Daisousasen” (’97-) in the 1990s. The industry’s standard rule was that he would not accept offers for roles other than leading roles.

It is surprising that Oda would accept a role other than the lead.

The COVID-19 crisis has had a major impact on the industry, and all the TV networks are cutting their production budgets. Even big-name actors like Mr. Oda are not an exception to this rule.

To be honest, Mr. Oda has not been blessed with any recent hits, and he has also been shunned because of his strong image as a leading actor. I think that by accepting work other than leading roles this time, he has broadened his job opportunities. Her acting ability is second to none,” said a source at a TV station.

The era of TV monopoly is over. Young actors are emerging one after another. At the same time, TV stations have shifted their emphasis from household viewer ratings to “core viewer ratings,” which are targeted at the 13-49 year olds, the age group that sponsors place the highest priority on.

By placing more emphasis on young people, the leading actors are getting younger and younger. This is also advantageous for the TV stations, as they can pay less than they would have to pay for big-name actors.

Veteran actor S, who had starred in many films with his austere appearance and overwhelming presence, had his fee drastically reduced for the COVID-19 crisis. Even so, he did not see a surge in offers.

For Oda, this may be a tactic to survive in the “new era,” but there are some concerns among industry insiders.

Oda is famous for being an “outspoken actor. In almost all of his films, he has made suggestions to the producers and directors, saying, ‘This is what I think should be done. He is not arrogant. It is not that he is arrogant, but rather that he has deeply read the work and is giving his opinion.

However, some of the co-stars were surprised to see him suddenly change the lines and scenes on the day of the performance. This may have been acceptable when he played the leading role, but I wondered if he would do the same thing in the role of “Tome”.

Oda is very particular about his work, and once spent an hour just on the scene of opening and closing a door.

In the past, he once spent an hour just on the scene of opening and closing a door. It is quite possible that Ms. Oda will “eclipse” the leading role. I am sure that Ms. Oda will be determined to give her performance.

On the other hand, there are those who believe that Oda’s “tome” appearance in the TV Asahi drama is a stepping stone toward a starring role in a drama at Fuji Television, his “favorite” channel. As mentioned above, Oda has a strong Fuji image when it comes to dramas. Last June, the top management of Fuji was replaced by Koichi Minato, a member of the “Oda generation.

In the drama field, the influence of Mr. Ryo Ota, who was a contemporary of Mr. Minato, has grown stronger, and the trendy dramas that have come out of the trendy era have become like “That Day Again. If that is the case, Mr. Oda will naturally have a place in the series.

Is Yuji Oda a man who shines only in “leading roles”?