The Secret to Tomohisa Yamashita’s Comeback in ‘Blue Moment’ Lies with Those Two Actresses

Tomohisa Yamashita, known as Yamapi (39), has made a complete return to terrestrial television dramas.

Yamapi left the former Johnny & Associates agency in 2020. At that time, there was still a strong influence from television networks toward the agency, and even the hugely popular idol Yamapi was not an exception. As a result, he did not star in any terrestrial TV dramas for five years. However, this spring, he made a triumphant return to the Wednesday drama slot on Fuji TV with “Blue Moment.”

It is said that his complete comeback was greatly influenced by his starring role in the NHK drama series “Honest Real Estate.”

“NHK, which had relatively fewer commercial tie-ups, took a bold step by casting Yamashita as the lead in the ‘Honest Real Estate’ series in 2022. It was a huge success. The drama received great acclaim, and a second part was produced this year. Since it was also well-received, there is no doubt it will continue as a series.

As a result, terrestrial networks also became convinced that Yamashita indeed brings in the ratings. The reason why talents who left Johnny & Associates weren’t utilized is, of course, largely due to agency influence, but there was also skepticism about whether ‘they actually don’t bring in good ratings.’ Yamashita has dispelled that doubt.” (Entertainment magazine reporter)

However, some voices point out that the success of “Honest Real Estate” was not solely due to Yamashita’s efforts.

“The presence of co-stars Haruka Fukuhara and Rika Izumi was also significant. Although they are not flashy, they have solid acting skills. They didn’t overshadow Yamashita but rather shone with their own performances, adding depth to the drama.

Interestingly, Yamashita has been fortunate to work with talented actresses throughout his career. His notable works include ‘Code Blue – Doctor Heli Kinkyu Kyumei’ series (Fuji TV), where he acted alongside Yui Aragaki, and ‘Kurosagi’ (TBS), starring alongside Mao Inoue and Erika Toda. These actresses are not only popular but also highly praised for their acting skills.

On the other hand, the productions that didn’t garner much attention often had castings based more on name recognition. If the lineup of actresses in ‘Honest Real Estate’ were different, the results could have been significantly different.” (Entertainment writer)

When it comes to attention, the focus shifts to the actresses co-starring in the new drama. Looking at the names that have been announced, the counterpart role is filled by Honda Tsubasa (31), who once buzzed with the phrase “poor acting.” And the heroine is the relatively unknown Deguchi Natsuki (22), creating a somewhat uneasy lineup…

“Absolutely not! This Deguchi Natsuki is touted as a ‘once-in-a-century talent.’ This is because she played a maiko described as such in the Netflix series ‘Maiko-san Chi no Makanai-san.’ When I first saw her in this drama, I was amazed, thinking, ‘What is this? She truly seems like a once-in-a-century talent!’

She exudes a transparent charm and possesses high acting skills. She has gradually begun to play important roles in dramas and movies. Until Kawai Yumi (23), who gave a great performance in ‘Futekini mo Hodo ga aru!’ (’24, TBS’), gained attention, Deguchi was considered the leading talent in the industry, truly an exceptional talent.” (Television network PR representative)

However, there are also slightly sarcastic comforting opinions…

“To put it bluntly, while Honda plays Yamashita’s counterpart, she will unfortunately die early in the story. Her death mystery becomes a key point in the plot, but her screen time doesn’t seem to be extensive.

Moreover, ‘Blue Moment’ is a rescue specialist story, which is Yamashita’s forte. In addition to that, there are other skilled actors in supporting roles, so I believe this will surely become Yamashita’s new representative work.” (Previously mentioned entertainment writer and columnist)

With no blind spots for the resurrected Yamapi, that’s the gist of it. The start of the drama is eagerly awaited.

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