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)