Two years after her divorce… Why Ryoko Shinohara was able to star in a drama series for the first time in three years despite “reports of alleged infidelity

Actress Ryoko Shinohara (50) is set to double star with Ikusaburo Yamazaki (37) in the October season drama series “Hyena” (TV Tokyo).

This will be Shinohara’s first starring role in a drama series in about three years, since the second installment of “Haken no Hinkaku” (NTV), which aired from June to August 2008. It is also the first time since her divorce from actor Masachika Ichimura (74), with whom she had her first and second sons in July 2009, that she has returned to the face of drama after a long absence. In August 2009, the month after her divorce, Shinohara was reported in the “Shukan Bunshun” magazine for allegedly having an affair with Guan-su of the Korean dance and vocal group “SUPERNOVA.

Although Shinohara denied having an affair in direct response to the Bunshun report at the time, the allegations against Guan-su were made at a time before her divorce from Ichimura. The magazine specifically reported that they were wearing matching anklets and living in the same apartment, so it remained suspicious. In fact, Shinohara’s subsequent lack of main-level roles in serial dramas may have been due to these allegations. Except for the morning drama “Ochoyan” (NHK), which aired prior to the allegations, the only drama series in which Shinohara appeared after “Haken no Hinkaku” was “silent” (Fuji TV), which aired in October of last year. Under such circumstances, Shinohara is attracting a lot of attention since it has been a long time since she starred in a serial drama,” said a reporter from a sports newspaper.

After her divorce, Shinohara also started to pursue a sexy line, as if to take advantage of her own scandals. She played the role of an “adulterous wife” in the Netflix drama “Goldfish Wife,” which was released in February of last year, and seemed to have turned her attention to online productions.

However, the tide began to turn on New Year’s Eve last year when she participated in the NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen for the first time in 28 years and sang a self-covered version of her hit song “Koishisato, Sasenashisato, Kokorokyoshi to” (Love, Sadness, and Strength). In June of this year, she appeared in a special music program “TV TOKYO Music Festival 2023 Summer” (TV TOKYO), and on August 13, her 50th birthday, she began a concert tour, the first since 1997, and has made a comeback as a singer. These activities have helped to diminish the negative image of her alleged infidelity,” said an employee of a professional entertainment company.

It is also said that there is “a reason” behind the timing of her return to star in a series of dramas. It is said that she has a mysterious relationship with her ex-husband, Ichimura.

The “unusual” relationship between Shinohara and her ex-husband is still going strong, despite the fact that Shinohara gave custody of their two children to Ichimura and the allegations made during their marriage were even written about during their divorce. The unique relationship seems to have continued. In July of this year, “Josei Seven” reported that Shinohara made a surprise appearance at Ichimura’s live concert to perform a duet, and their “good relationship” became well known to the public. Since Ichimura has forgiven Shinohara for her male problems, there is no way to blame her. I have heard that this situation was one of the reasons why all parties concerned gave the go-ahead for Shinohara to be cast as the lead in the drama series.

Hyena” is a Japanese version of the hit drama series that was broadcast in Korea in 2008, and is scheduled to begin on October 20 in the Friday 8:00 PM slot. The story is about a lawyer, played by Shinohara, who is a “weedy soul who will not choose any means to win,” and an elite lawyer, played by Yamazaki, who compete for survival in the legal profession, while mixing in an adult love story.

Shinohara once made headlines for the impactful scene in which she showcased a nude shower at the beginning of “Unfair the end,” the final film in the “Unfair” series that was released in 2003. This scene was proposed by Shinohara herself, and there are high expectations for another offensive scene in this “Hyena.

She plays a lawyer with a strong hyena-like character and a love story, so it would not be surprising if she had a sexy scene comparable to a “nude shower. And since this is TV TOKYO’s production that will not go off without a hitch, it is safe to assume that Shinohara will be in the mood for the role. When announcing her starring role, Shinohara commented, “I hope people will pay attention to my unique fashion,” and we can expect to see her wearing a dress that emphasizes her sex appeal and beautiful body, which is also known as the “strongest pheromone” among actresses in their late 50s.

On the first day of her concert tour, Shinohara was asked about her love life in a media interview and declared, “I don’t want to fall in love. It remains to be seen whether Shinohara, back in serious acting mode, will be able to create “famous scenes” again.