Behind the Scenes of Futehodo SP Yumi Kawai Stuns in Adorable Showa Era College Girl Outfit

The controversial work written by Kudokan is coming back
Sadao Abe and Koji Yamamoto Were Also There!

In March of the 7th year of Reiwa, the Showa era suddenly made a time slip into the Kanto area.

Shoulder-padded jackets, chemical wash denim, pastel-colored one-pieces with curled bangs — and perhaps a Hunting World bag hanging from the shoulder.

In one corner, about 50 men and women, dressed in “Showa-style” university student outfits, including paper-pack juice items, gathered.

Among them stood out a retro beauty in a white T-shirt (perhaps Hanes?), a striped knit, beige shorts, brown loafers, and white socks — an outfit seemingly pulled straight from the magazine “Olive.”

FRIDAY, wondering “I’ve seen this person somewhere,” quickly made the connection with the keyword “Showa.” It was none other than Yumi Kawai (24), who played Junko, the delinquent girl from the hit drama series last year, “Inappropriate to the Extreme!” (TBS).

In the drama, Junko, the only daughter of the protagonist Shirou Ogawa (played by Sadao Abe), was a rebellious girl who smoked, drank, and did anything she wanted. However, after intense studying, she entered university as a top student. While her harassment father, Shirou, navigated between Showa and Reiwa, gaining a sense of compliance, Junko too grew into a refined university student. But on this day, she was in fact, the “Showa-era university student” version of Junko.

Beside her was a friend in a green dress and white jumpsuit, looking like another university student. The three of them walked side by side, chatting and laughing.

Then, a boy with smooth hair sneaks up to Kawai. After hugging her, the boy’s face briefly appeared — it seemed to be Aito Sakamoto (16), who played Kiyoshi Mukaoka.

Kiyoshi, a Reiwa-era junior high school boy who time-traveled back to the Showa era, falls in love with Junko when he sees her by chance in the street and says, “I don’t want to return to the present.” But does he continue to follow her even after she becomes a university student? What exactly are they doing here?

“This is likely a location shoot for the ‘Inappropriate to the Extreme!’ special drama. Before the show aired, some skeptics viewed it with disdain, thinking ‘It’s just a mix of the Showa boom and time leaps.’ But as expected from a script by Kankuro Kudo, the drama subtly pokes fun at the overly strict compliance of Reiwa, resulting in a thought-provoking work with both empathy and lessons. It has garnered high ratings within the industry, and special episodes or even a movie adaptation were being considered very early on,” said a TV director.

The final episode of the series ended with Shirou being invited into a time tunnel with the words, “Let’s go to the era we like,” sparking discussions about a potential sequel. However, according to a recent announcement by TBS, the special episode is scheduled for next spring. It seems the filming started quite early.

“Abe and Kawai, the lead cast, are balancing it with NHK’s morning drama ‘Anpan,’ so they’ve been filming with a very relaxed schedule,” added the director.

It seems that FRIDAY accidentally found itself at a precious filming location.

 

“Soyia, Soyia!”

After a while, a nostalgic shout echoed. Turning towards the direction of the sound, I saw men in suits shaking their shoulders and shouting.

The background music was “Zenyaku, Michi no Ue Yori” – the representative song of the all-male street performance unit “Issei Fūbi Sepia,” which featured actors like Toshirō Yanagiba (64) and Shō Aikawa (63).

The men, giving an energetic performance on the street, were surrounded by passersby, who formed a circle and sent them warm, enthusiastic glances.

This energy and excitement where had I seen this before? “Hoko-ten” (Pedestrian Paradise)?!

“‘Futehodo SP’ is also being handled by the golden team of Akira Isoyama, the former TBS producer who signed a five-year contract with Netflix, and Kudo Kan (of ‘Ikebukuro West Gate Park’ fame). The drama version of ‘Futehodo’ was streamed on Netflix and ranked high in the charts. Since it showed promising revenue, a sequel has been given the green light. It might turn into a New Year’s special, like ‘Gibo to Musume no Blues.’ On the other hand, some sources say Season 2 is already in the works,” said a producer from a key network.

At the police station shoot, Sadao Abe and Koji Yamamoto were also spotted

Amid the excitement of the TV crew, FRIDAY encountered Shiro, played by Sadao Abe, as he emerged from the police station.

Will Shiro’s inappropriate remarks improve? Which era will he travel to through the time tunnel, and what will he do there? What will happen to the love story surrounding university student Junko? Could there be a guest appearance by Giba-chan following Kyoko Koizumi (59)?

Anticipation and fantasies continue to grow, but the broadcast is set for next spring. Too much suspense!

From the April 18, 2025 issue of “FRIDAY”