<figure id="attachment_391055" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1480px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-391055"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="b25c95aa"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/09/74457d307f8d0f3bc659a658628a42cd.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-391055" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ito, heading to the venue, wore an all-black stylish outfit. After arriving, she chatted with her fellow cast members on the terrace, a beer in hand.</span></figcaption></figure>
<h2><b>The mega-hit ‘Tora ni Tsubasa’</b></h2>
<p><b>&#8220;Cheers!&#8221;</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The much-talked-about morning drama Tora ni Tsubasa finished filming on August 31. A week later, at a restaurant in Shirokane, where nearly 200 people involved with the production gathered, lead actress Sairi Ito (30) led the toast.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">As the lead who successfully completed nearly a year of filming, Ito spent the day chatting with her co-stars, including Ha Yeon-Soo (33) and Yuki Sakurai (37), and was moved to tears by a video message from her &#8220;mentor,&#8221; Kaoru Kobayashi (73), and the producer&#8217;s speech. The celebration lasted five hours.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tora ni Tsubasa is an original story based on the life of Japan&#8217;s first female lawyer, Yoshiko Mitsubuchi. The clever and charming heroine, Torako, faces various injustices while asking herself &#8220;What now?&#8221; and pushes her way through the male-dominated legal world, touching the hearts of many viewers. With two weeks until the final episode, as of September 10, the highest household viewership rating was 18.9% for the 100th episode, surpassing even Maiagare! and Boogie Woogie, marking a mega-hit.</span></p>
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<h2><b>The reasons for the show&#8217;s massive success</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Takahiko Kageyama, a media critic and professor at Doshisha Women&#8217;s College, explains, &#8220;There are two reasons why Tora ni Tsubasa was such a success.&#8221;</span></p>
<p><b>&#8220;First is the script by Erika Yoshida. It tackled numerous social issues such as gender inequality, racial discrimination, gender identity, and atomic bomb trials, resonating with a wide range of generations. Despite this, the drama didn’t have the usual heaviness often associated with such themes, as it compassionately addressed these issues while skillfully blending in moments of light humor that allowed viewers to relax. The second reason is lead actress Sairi Ito, who brought out the full appeal of the script. The scene where she sends off her husband, Yusaku (played by Taiga Nakano, 31), as he departs for war, with the two trying to hold back their tears while making funny faces at each other, is unforgettable. Her ability to balance both serious and comedic acting fit perfectly with the tone of the show.&#8221;</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The supporting cast also saw their popularity soar. Misato Morita (28), who played Hanae, Torako&#8217;s school friend and later sister-in-law, left a strong impression with her role as the legendary armpit hair AV actress in The Naked Director (Netflix), but Hanae was a completely different type of character. In contrast to Torako, who gained fame as Japan’s first female lawyer, Hanae was a devoted mother who remained dedicated to her family. However, in the early part of the story, she also showed her cunning side by delivering the memorable line, &#8220;Live shrewdly,&#8221; which became a talking point.</span></p>
<p><b>&#8220;Another rising star is Shiori Doi (32), who played Yone Yamada, a classmate of Torako&#8217;s who later became a lawyer in the postwar legal world. Yone, scarred by a tragic past, constantly dressed as a man. Though she was unfriendly and often clashed with Torako, Doi herself is a cheerful and friendly person. Her brilliant portrayal of this complex role garnered attention, and she has been cast as a regular in the October drama The Incompetent Hawk (TV Asahi),&#8221; says Kageyama.</b></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With the best script and the best actors, the secret to its massive success was truly &#8220;like giving wings to a tiger.&#8221;</span></p>
<figure id="attachment_391057" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1000px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-391057"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="e28e3340"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/09/91714387ef8b8ca402b14ba0a4060c05.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-391057" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">After the toast, it seemed to be free time, with people standing up and engaging in lively conversations, using gestures and movements.</span></figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_391058" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2288px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-391058"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="89504939"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/09/11472cbb930c3aa15ecaee131c72513a.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-391058" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Morita was enjoying a girls&#8217; night out with Torako&#8217;s schoolmates. In the foreground are Ito (right) and Doi. Morita and Ito had previously co-starred in The Naked Director.</span></figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_391056" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2392px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-391056"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="ba10900c"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/09/68ed254af124fe3c9adc420fc43f3e6f.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-391056" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Doi, tall and eye-catching, had mostly played feminine roles up until now, but she changed her look to a short haircut for the role of Yone.</span></figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_391059" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1736px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-391059"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="66e00b16"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/09/a5e938c48fb0ca99d2baa07d48aa2dc7.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-391059" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sakurai, who played Ryoko, a noblewoman and classmate of Torako, reunited with Torako in Niigata in the middle of the drama, which thrilled viewers!</span></figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_391054" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 2084px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-391054"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="dfa16280"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/09/49d61daea52e2f75b6f08269ba186499.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-391054" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ha Yeon-Soo, who portrayed a Korean exchange student, made her acting debut in South Korea in 2013 and has been in Japan since 2022. She taught herself fluent Japanese.</span></figcaption></figure>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead="The cast of &quot;Wings to the Tiger&quot; at the exciting launch."></div>
<figure id="attachment_391060" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1540px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-391060"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="4b23bcf5"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/09/3deef337455420a891de75999097588b.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-391060" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Exclusive Unpublished Photos: Morning Drama ‘Tora ni Tsubasa’ Wrap Party in Full Swing! Cast Popularity Soars with Mega-Hit Success!!</span></figcaption></figure>
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<figure id="attachment_391061" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1774px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-391061"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="6fa95610"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/09/f777c481fb51a0fd74911a4c1cbc7bd7.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-391061" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Exclusive Unpublished Photos: Morning Drama ‘Tora ni Tsubasa’ Wrap Party in Full Swing! Cast Popularity Soars with Mega-Hit Success!!</span></figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_391062" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1960px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-391062"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="bc6b1e5a"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/09/0cd30a8bed91f625c1cfa893037b1c7a.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-391062" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Exclusive Unpublished Photos: Morning Drama ‘Tora ni Tsubasa’ Wrap Party in Full Swing! Cast Popularity Soars with Mega-Hit Success!!</span></figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_391063" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1932px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-391063"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="468476f9"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/09/e1c75960cde3c052c34320c6041d09d9.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-391063" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Exclusive Unpublished Photos: Morning Drama ‘Tora ni Tsubasa’ Wrap Party in Full Swing! Cast Popularity Soars with Mega-Hit Success!!</span></figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_391064" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1431px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-391064"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="e9d3e99b"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/09/af7e0f9ab1f7277f7fd347ce1392286b.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-391064" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Exclusive Unpublished Photos: Morning Drama ‘Tora ni Tsubasa’ Wrap Party in Full Swing! Cast Popularity Soars with Mega-Hit Success!!</span></figcaption></figure>
<figure id="attachment_391065" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 894px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-391065"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="a9896a4b"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/09/2068e5cc03559a3c3b963a7795d3d293.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-391065" class="wp-caption-text"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Exclusive Unpublished Photos: Morning Drama ‘Tora ni Tsubasa’ Wrap Party in Full Swing! Cast Popularity Soars with Mega-Hit Success!!</span></figcaption></figure>
<p>From the September 27/October 4, 2024 issue of FRIDAY</p>
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 Ippei Hara

 FRIDAY caught up with the cast of the much talked-about morning drama "Tora ni Tsubasa," which will soon reach its final episode, at the post-clamp-up launch! The drama was a mega-hit, and the launch party was a big hit. Here are some rare photos of the cast and crew...

Morning Drama ‘Tora ni Tsubasa’ Wraps Up with Huge Success as Cast Popularity Soars

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