The Impact of Fuji TV Drama Starring Travis Japan’s Genta Matsuda

He is admired as the leader by his co-stars

The popular group “Travis Japan” member Genta Matsuda’s first terrestrial drama lead role, Jinji no Hitomi (Fuji TV), is set to premiere on April 8.

This drama is an exhilarating office entertainment focusing on the HR department. Set in a major corporation with a lingering athletic club mentality, it follows the cheerful and pure-hearted protagonist, Ren Hitomi (played by Genta Matsuda), and the ambitious heroine, Naoki Mano (played by Atsuko Maeda), as they, along with the HR team, tackle one challenge after another.

The show airs in the prime “Tuesday 9 PM” slot, marking Matsuda’s first solo lead role in a terrestrial drama.

According to a production insider:

“Filming began in late February, and Matsuda has been warmly interacting with the staff, earning admiration as the leader on set. His lovable nature makes co-stars eager to support him and ensure the drama’s success.”

Recently, Matsuda has been a frequent guest on variety shows, and the announcement of his lead role was even made during the climax of Fuji TV’s Geinoujin ga Honki de Kangaeta! Dokkiri GP. An entertainment industry insider who knows Matsuda shared:

“Among Travis Japan members, his popularity stands out. He has a natural, easy going personality, but he is also fluent in English and quite knowledgeable. Fuji TV hopes to develop this drama into a series, similar to Shomuni, which depicted office ladies’ struggles, but with a male lead.”

However, securing a filming location proved to be a challenge. While Fuji TV’s dramas are typically shot at the well-known Wangan Studio adjacent to its Odaiba headquarters.

Wangan Studio had already been prioritized for the production of Kyoushitsu (Kyoubou), making it unavailable

“It turns out that Wangan Studio had no available slots, so Matsuda-san is filming at a different studio.”

This was revealed by a drama production insider. Wangan Studio was fully booked, primarily for the upcoming Kyoushitsu movie, which begins filming in April.

The lead actor of Kyoushitsu is none other than Matsuda’s senior, Takuya Kimura. Initially planned as a drama series last spring, the project was later restructured by Fuji TV into a two-part theatrical film.

“With Masahiro Nakai’s scandal causing fallout, Fuji TV is facing a crisis. The network’s fate essentially hinges on Kimura-san’s film. Wangan Studio adopted a ‘Kyoushitsu shift,’ securing all available filming slots in advance. Matsuda-san, unfortunately, got caught in the ripple effect. No one is to blame, but the team had to scramble to find an alternative studio,” said an entertainment journalist from a sports newspaper.

Amidst this challenge, a helping hand came from Sky PerfecTV!, a subscription-based broadcasting platform. Although not affiliated with the Fuji TV Group, the company generously offered one of its Tokyo studios, saying:

“If you’d like, please feel free to use it.”

The production team was deeply grateful for this act of goodwill from their fellow media colleagues. “The studio is a bit farther from Odaiba, but securing a filming location was a huge relief. Matsuda-san must have felt a weight lifted off his shoulders as well,” said the same production insider.

Interestingly, Sky PerfecTV!’s shareholder structure reveals that the joint venture company Itochu-Fuji Partners Co., Ltd., owned by Fuji Media Holdings and Itochu Corporation, holds over 27% of its shares (as of September 30, 2024). This connection may have played a role in the decision.

To repay Sky PerfecTV!’s kindness, Matsuda is determined to deliver strong results.