Misato Morita and Ha Yeon-Soo: Rising Stars of “Tora ni Tsubasa” Making Waves

NHK’s “Tora ni Tsubasa,” or “Morning Drama,” which had been the talk of the town even before it began airing, has reached its final episode.

Although the theme of the drama remained the same, the fact that the main character was a judge, an occupation with a high degree of difficulty not seen in previous morning dramas, attracted attention, and Sairi Ito, who played the main character Torako Sada, gave an excellent performance. It can be said that this was a drama that attracted many viewers.

Speaking of morning dramas, people began to pay attention to who would play the main character, i.e., who would be the leading actor, even before the announcement of the drama and even made predictions.

Sairi Ito, the heroine, appeared in Hiyokko

In the past, unknown newcomers or actors who had not yet appeared in many productions were often chosen for the lead roles, and there was not much excitement when the names of the leading actors were announced, but recently, well-known actors have been chosen more often, and the level of interest in morning dramas has increased compared to the past.

Ito appeared in the 96th series “Hiyokko” broadcast in the first half of fiscal year ’17, and was the center of attention from that time.

Her acting ability has been recognized and her performance in the morning drama has been remarkable, and her starring role in this drama is a role that she has been waiting for.

Drama producers and people in the movie industry are unanimous in their opinions.

Starring in a “morning drama” is like a medal for an actor. In the past, however, morning dramas were a gateway to success for unknown newcomers. Once an actor starred in a morning drama, he or she was guaranteed to appear in a series of subsequent productions, and it was as if his or her future was assured. In fact, many actors have made great breakthroughs from the morning dramas. Starring in a morning drama is a springboard.

And the “morning drama effect” is not limited to leading actresses.

According to an employee of a production company in charge of casting for movies and TV dramas,

In addition to the lead actresses, morning dramas always feature actors in supporting or minor roles that make the viewer wonder, “Who is this girl? If this is the first time for an actor to appear in a drama, he or she will become a topic of conversation. Some actors make their first appearance in a drama series, while others have appeared in several dramas before, but in many cases, the drama is the catalyst for their subsequent success.

In recent years, more and more actors such as Kaya Kiyohara, Kasumi Arimura, and Yuna Kuroshima have appeared in supporting roles before landing leading roles in dramas.

This year’s drama had many “golden eggs.

For this reason, many actors have their sights set on appearing in morning dramas.

When casting for a movie or drama, we explain the cast to the director, producer, or TV station, but if we say that the actor has appeared in a “morning drama,” there is no need to explain in detail. However, there are people in the industry who do not watch TV dramas, let alone morning dramas, so when they see a picture of a new actor in a supporting role, they do not have a clue. However, if you simply say, “I was in a morning drama,” they will make an immediate decision. Even today, ‘morning drama’ is a brand, and a very ‘high brand’ at that,” said an employee of a production company.

For new actors, “starring in a morning drama” is a powerful weapon.

And in “Tora ni Tsubasa,” there were many such “golden eggs,” unlike usual.

There are always two or three or at most five people who get attention for their brilliant performances in morning dramas,” he said. This time, however, all the supporting actors and those who played minor roles had their own episodes to tell, and their memorable performances attracted a lot of attention. If you say, “Who played that role in “Tora ni Tsubasa,” a face immediately comes to mind even if you don’t know the name. It is not often that all the supporting and minor roles are spotlighted in a single drama,” said a TV drama producer.

(A TV drama production producer) “Of course, Mochi Morita as Hwae and Ha Young Soo as Choi Hyang Sook, Ryoki Miyama as Jaoaki, Iori Wada as Michio, and Nagi Hasegawa as Tamama are all in the “Niigata version. There are still others, such as Sakai Koharu (daughter of Masaaki Sakai), a court official who appeared in “Niigata Arc”, Okabe Hiroki (son of Okabe Takashi, who played Torako’s father) as a judge, and Kataoka Buto as Moriguchi Misae (Miyuki in the final Tokyo Arc), but the casting of the new drama is exciting, as unique actors are born at once.

What will the rookies who spread their wings from “Tora ni Tsubasa” do for us? One of the ways to enjoy morning dramas is to wonder which of them will return as the lead actor.