NHK’s “Clouds over the Hill” is well received, and Teruyuki Kagawa has been appearing on BS TV for a long time… But why is Teruyuki Kagawa’s “full-fledged return to TV” still so far away?
The NHK drama “Saka no ue no kumo” (Clouds over the Hill), which has begun to be broadcast again on NHK, has been well received.
The drama is based on Ryotaro Shiba’s novel of the same title and consists of three parts. 13 episodes were broadcast in total, but unlike regular dramas, the first five episodes were aired from November 29 to December 2009, the second four episodes were aired in December 2010, and the third four episodes were aired in December 2011. The first five episodes were broadcast from November 29 to December 2009, the second four episodes were broadcast in December 2010, and the third four episodes were broadcast in December 2011.
Each episode lasted 89 minutes. This is twice as long as a Taiga Drama. There were many scenes shot on location, and the battle scenes of the Sino-Japanese and Russo-Japanese wars were as powerful as those in a war movie.
The cast is not limited to Kagawa, but also includes Kan Abe and Toshiyuki Nishida.
The cast includes Masahiro Motoki as Masayuki Akiyama, Hiroshi Abe, Teruyuki Kagawa, Miho Kanno, Satomi Ishihara, and Takako Matsu, all of whom are popular and talented young and mid-career actors, as well as Tetsuya Watari, Hideki Takahashi, Go Kato, Toshiyuki Nishida, Koji Ishizaka, Toru Emori, Hiroshi Tachi, Shiro Ito, Akira Emoto, Keiko Takeshita, and Naoto Takenaka, all of whom are veterans representing Japan. The cast was extremely gorgeous and included veteran actors representing Japan. And the story was narrated by Ken Watanabe.
However, the average viewer rating for the 13 episodes was 14.5%, which was less than expected.
The reason for the low ratings was said to be a lack of motivation among viewers, since the program had been off the air for a year.
However, the reruns were divided into the first and second parts and broadcast every week, halving the broadcast time, making it easier for viewers to enjoy the drama.
One of the actors attracting attention is Teruyuki Kagawa, who plays the role of Masaoka Shiki.
In August 2010, Kagawa was reported to have allegedly assaulted a club hostess in Ginza, and in September of the same year, he left “THE TIME,” an information program that he had hosted, as well as all of his regular TV programs and commercials.
Although Kagawa disappeared from television, he returned to acting as a Kabuki actor in December 2010, appearing as Ichikawa Chuguruma in a performance to announce the succession of the 13th Ichikawa Danjuro Shirasaru to the title of Ichikawa Danjuro.
Then, in August of last year, he released a statement on the official website of “ARANCIONE,” of which he is the representative director, expressing his determination to focus on “Kabuki” and “insect” activities in the future.
This could be taken to mean that he does not intend to appear in dramas, movies, or television in the future. ……
On the 12th of this month, he quietly returned to TV in a documentary program “KOKOROTOTONOU” on BS Fuji.
His son, Danko Ichikawa, was present.
Although not a terrestrial program nor a drama, it may be a stepping stone to a full TV comeback, along with the rerun of “Clouds Over the Hill,” but a person involved in the movie industry said, “There is a lot of talk among people in the movie industry about Kagawa’s return to TV.
Among people in the film industry, Mr. Kagawa’s bad drinking habits have been known for a long time, so no one was surprised by the scandal in Ginza. But he changed after marrying his ex-wife. He became rounded in a different way. That’s partly why I’ve been getting more job offers. He may seem a little clingy, but his acting is good, and his unique style of acting has a certain flavor. There is no talk of a movie at this time, but I hear there are plans for one.
And a person involved in drama at a commercial TV station said, “Since last year, I’ve been thinking that it’s about time for him to start working,
A person involved in commercial TV dramas said, “There have been calls since last year that it might be time for a movie, but no concrete plans have been made. I guess we will have to wait and see. However, NHK started re-broadcasting “Saka no ue no kumo” (Clouds Over the Hill), and people thought, “If NHK did it, then we should do it too. (Drama production company)
What is worrisome, however, is the aforementioned “declaration of commitment. According to a Kabuki insider,
According to a Kabuki actor, “His son, Danko Ichikawa, has a very good reputation. I can’t say he’s a full-fledged actor yet, but to be honest, I didn’t expect him to grow that much. His father is backing him up as best he can, so I don’t think he has the extra energy to be in dramas and movies. I don’t think it’s good for his son that his father is out in the public eye and making a lot of noise. I think he knows that.”
Perhaps he intends to concentrate on Kabuki until his son becomes a full-fledged Kabuki actor. Kagawa’s “plays,” which are said to have a strong quirkiness, are addictive even to those who watch them. It seems that it will be a long time before we get to see him in action.
Interview and text by Hiroyuki Sasaki (entertainment journalist): Hiroyuki Sasaki (entertainment journalist) PHOTO: Ippei Hara