Fuji TV’s Struggles and Kenji Sakaguchi’s Complete Revival in Hon-kowa Amid Family Matters

Since July 18, the drama series “Team Medical Dragon” (Fuji TV) starring Kenji Sakaguchi (48) has been back on the air. Many fans are happy to see the revival of the drama series that gained popularity in the Heisei era. This summer, Sakaguchi is likely to make a full-fledged re-start as an actor.

In the July 18 edition of “Pinzuba NEWS,” it was reported that Sakaguchi will play the lead role in “A Scary Story That Really Happened” (Fuji TV series, hereafter “Honsaku”), which will air on August 17 this year. She is expected to make an official announcement soon.

In 2006, Sakaguchi shocked the public by announcing that she would take an indefinite hiatus from performing in order to focus on treatment for idiopathic osteonecrosis of the femoral head, an intractable disease designated by the Japanese government. After that, as reported in the June 11, 2009 issue of “FRIDAY,” she worked as a coffee roaster. He had been away from the public eye. However, the hands of the clock have begun to move.

In 1923, he made his first drama appearance in nine years in the drama “Kazama Kochin-Kyobo 0-” (Fuji TV), starring Takuya Kimura (51). He later also established a private agency for his acting activities. Some media reports have mentioned the possibility of him appearing in the “Kingdom” movie series starring Kento Yamazaki (29) and in the sequel to the drama “The Second Love from the End” (Fuji TV) starring Kyoko Koizumi (58), which was broadcast in 2012. It is likely that we will have more opportunities to see Ms. Sakaguchi in “Honsaku”.

On May 29 this year, Ms. Sakaguchi will appear on the variety show “Naoko Iijima’s Tonight, Ippai Ippai? (BS Fuji) on May 29 this year, Sakaguchi is gradually showing signs of a comeback. Why is he now trying to resume his acting career after being away from the stage for so long?

A source in the entertainment industry says, “I think it has something to do with his family situation.

When he announced his hiatus in ’18, Mr. Sakaguchi’s wife was pregnant with their third child. Mr. Sakaguchi got married in ’14 and has two children, but at the time, his two older children were still too old to handle. She wanted to prioritize treatment for her illness and spending time with her family over performing. However, when she appeared on “Naoko Iijima’s Tonari Ippai Ippai? she revealed that her three children were now 10, 8, and 6 years old. The fact that her child-rearing activities have settled down a bit may have encouraged her to resume her activities.

All of the dramas in which Sakaguchi has appeared, including “Kyobo 0,” which was her “comeback,” are Fuji Television productions. Sakaguchi’s relationship with the station seems to be deep.

Sakaguchi appeared in a number of Fuji TV dramas in the 2000s, including the “Iryu” series, which is one of his best-known works. He has a strong sense of gratitude to Fuji Television for having brought him up. He is said to be open to offers from Fuji Television,” said a source close to the TV station.

In the currently rerun “Iryu” (Medical Dragon), the main character, a genius surgeon played by Sakaguchi, forms “Team Dragon” to tackle various problems in the medical field. The story was first broadcast in 2006 as a serial drama, and then became a series in 2007, 2010, and 2014. There are high expectations for the “continuation” of this story in the future.

The “Iryu” series is a popular series with average viewer ratings all exceeding 12%, and many are still waiting for a sequel. In recent years, Fuji TV dramas have been struggling in terms of viewer ratings, so a sequel to “Iryu” would be something they would like to produce at any cost. The offer for “Honsaku” could also be seen as an attempt to revive “Iryu”.

The day is near when “Team Dragon” will be reunited in Reiwa.