Ren Nagase of King and Prince Deems First Starring Role in Adulterous Drama is a Waste of Time

King & Prince Ren Nagase will star in the April season of Osidora Saturday’s “Tokyo Tower” (TV Asahi, Saturdays at 11 p.m.).

Nagase will play the main character, Kojima Toru, who is in love with Asano Shifumi (actress Itaya Yuka), a married woman over 20 years his junior. There was a film version of the story in 2005, in which Junichi Okada, then a member of V6, enthusiastically played the main character. Since the movie version had some intense love scenes, Nagase fans on SNS are already screaming.

The drama is based on a novel of the same title by Kaori Ekuni, published in ’01.’ In the 2005 movie “Tokyo Tower,” actress Hitomi Kuroki played Okada’s partner, and the love story of an older couple played by Jun Matsumoto and Shinobu Terajima of Arashi fame was also depicted.

On February 29, Nagase’s first starring role in a romantic drama drew a lot of attention when a photo was released showing her embracing Itaya with her breasts exposed.

In an interview posted on the drama’s official website, Nagase said, “As you can see from the stills that have been released, there are many exciting scenes, so I am sure that I will be able to show my fans something they have never seen before, and I also think that it will be a work that will improve me personally. I am sure that I will be able to show my fans something they have never seen before, and I am confident that this will be a film in which I will be able to improve myself as well.

He also said that he checked out the movie version in which his senpai played the role, and commented, “Okada-san’s buttocks were beautiful, and the expression of Koji, played by Matsumoto Jun-san, eating peaches in the bath, which is not part of the main story, left a strong impression on me (laughs).

Meanwhile, Okada, who once played Toru, updated his X (formerly Twitter) account under the name “Junichi Okada / AISTON. He used hashtags such as “#Tokyo Tower,” and wrote, “Don’t look at my butt! I hear that Ren-kun is a hard worker and a wonderful person. I’m sure he will play the role of Ren-kun Toru. I’ m rooting for you,” he added with humor.

In response to this, Nagase wrote on the group’s official X page, “It was a wonderful Ootatsuji. I can’t forget that of Mr. Okada since I was allowed to see the Tokyo Tower,'” he said, showing a relaxed response to his senior partner. The official side of the drama stated that it would be “Reiwa’s version of Tokyo Tower,” as it is the first time in 19 years that the drama has been filmed in Japan. Fans are anxious to see if Nagase will try her hand at similar scenes.

This is definitely a “new frontier” for Nagase, but what are the reactions of fans on the Internet?

I wonder why her first starring role in a romantic drama is an adulterous one. I wonder if there weren’t any other good roles for him.
I wonder if Ren is going to show his butt in this one too. …… I’m a little nervous about how far he’ll go in a terrestrial drama.
I might not be able to watch …… this drama with mixed feelings. My friend’s a Nagase fan and she’s going to fall asleep.
Congrats on the lead role, but I probably won’t be able to watch the drama. I’m sorry, Ren!
I want to watch Ren-kun, but I don’t like the adulterous stuff, so I’m afraid I’ll have to retire halfway through.

Many people are already suffering from the damage.

Speaking of Nagase, since last year, he has appeared in the dramas “Yugureni ni, Te wo Tsunagu” and “Last Man: The Blind Investigator” (both on TBS) and the movie “Courtroom Drama” (released on November 10, 2011), and in late January this year, he appeared in the movie “Yomei” on the video distribution service Netflix. In late January this year, he appeared in a movie on Netflix, “The Story of How I, with One Year to Live, Met You, with Six Months to Live” (to be released in 2012). (to be released in 2012) on Netflix. She is also the second lead in the drama “Kitchen Arisu” (NTV) starring Mugi Kadowaki, which is currently airing,

Has “Arisu in the Kitchen” been cranked up?　I’m worried about his health and whether he’s getting enough sleep.
I’m happy to see you in a series of plays, but I think you’ve been too busy.　I hope you’re taking the time to sleep.

Some people are concerned about his physical condition. How far will Nagase push the limits in “Tokyo Tower,” which starts in April?