A discovery shot! Yutaka Mizutani and his “golden duo” Yasufumi Terawaki were in a great mood at the location of “Partners”.

No. 1 “Autumn Drama” in Viewer Ratings

On a morning in early November, a drama was being filmed on location in a park in Tokyo.

On a quaint wooden bridge, a large number of staff members were gathered with reflectors, red lights, and cameras. At the center of the crowd was Yutaka Mizutani (72) with his hands behind his back. It appeared to be a location shooting for “Partners season 23” (TV Asahi).

The first episode aired on October 16, and the household rating was 12.6% (according to Video Research, Kanto region), ranking first among “fall dramas. This proves that the series remains as popular as ever, with the average first-run rating remaining in the double digits for all series since “season 1” in 2002.

This series also marks the 10th season of the revival of the “golden duo” of Ukyo Sugishita (Mizutani) and Kaoru Kameyama (Terawaki Yasufumi, 62). The two are well acquainted with each other in their private lives, and they are in perfect harmony. The fact that viewers can watch the series with ease is probably one of the reasons for the popularity of the series.

(TV magazine writer) This was also seen on location. On that day, Ukyo was filming a scene in which she talks to a young man, and Mizutani was in a good mood from start to finish. Mizutani was in a good mood throughout the scene. She approached the man who was watching the scene nearby, and showed a divine response by extending her hand to him and shaking his hand. She was always smiling at the staff and was always at the center of the circle. Terawaki was also among them.

Mizutani was the only one filming on the wooden bridge, but Terawaki was behind the crew, intently watching the scene. Between takes, Mr. Mizutani was making the staff laugh, but it was Mr. Terawaki who was laughing the hardest” (a man who observed the location shooting).

Mizutani talks about his “golden duo” with Terawaki…

Before the first broadcast, an interview with Mizutani and Terawaki appeared in “ORICON NEWS” (October 12, 2012). Terawaki spoke of the “golden duo.

＜It has been more than 10 years since we started working together on “Saturday Wide,” and now that you have mentioned it, I feel that 10 years has passed once again. When we revived the program, it was as if we had been working together until recently, and we are not really conscious of the time or the number of years.

Mizutani, on the other hand, stated.

＜When Terawaki came back, I had the impression that we were reunited so quickly that it didn’t seem as if we had been apart for 14 years.

It was a perfect match.

When asked about a side of each other that they did not know, Terawaki said , “I’ve known for a long time that you are directionally challenged.

＜Mizutani replied, “Whenever I leave the set to go somewhere, he always follows me (laughs).

Indeed, when moving around the set after filming at the wooden bridge, Terawaki stood a little behind Mizutani and kept an eye on his surroundings as he walked. It was as if she was his valet.

There must be quite a few fans who wish this adorable duo would continue forever.

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