Arashi Members Take Center Stage in July Dramas: A Possible Reunion and the Pride of Their Acting Journey

The July TV season features three dramas starring Arashi members

Arashi has announced that their activities will end on May 31 next year, coinciding with a concert tour in the spring. Along with this, it has been revealed that the members will star in three dramas during the July TV season.

Jun Matsumoto (41) will lead the Sunday drama “The 19th Chart” (TBS), marking his return to the Sunday prime-time slot for the first time in seven years since “99.9: Criminal Lawyer SEASON II” in 2018. He will be taking on his first role as a doctor in his 30th year of his career.

Sho Sakurai (43) has begun filming for “Broadcast Station Occupation” (NTV). The “Occupation Series,” following “Great Hospital Occupation” and “New Airport Occupation,” is already gaining attention, with a related drama “Undercover Siblings” also making waves. Sakurai commented on the show’s official website,

“It’s an intense story. I’m getting worn out every week”

Though still unconfirmed, Masaki Aiba (42) is expected to star in a summer drama on TV Asahi, with many entertainment news outlets reporting it. Aiba has worked extensively with TV Asahi’s drama team, starring in “My Girl” (2009), “Bartender” (2011), “Boku to Shippo to Kagurazaka” (2018), “Wada-ke no Otoko-tachi” (2021), and “Kyou kara Hitman” (2023). His past dramas have mostly aired in the Friday Night Drama slot, but it is expected that his July drama will be aired on Wednesdays at 9 PM, and reports suggest it could be a detective drama.

Though not a drama, Kazunari Ninomiya (41) is starring in the movie “Exit No. 8,” which was officially invited to the “Midnight Screening” section of the 78th Cannes Film Festival. After the official screening, the film received a standing ovation that lasted for eight minutes, earning high praise.

Ninomiya is also receiving attention for his role in the ongoing NHK morning drama “Anpan” where he plays Takahashi Yanase (portrayed by Takumi Kitamura, 27), the father who strongly influenced and was deeply respected by his son during his childhood.

In a previous appearance on the talk show “Isshuu Mawatte Shiranai Hanashi” (NTV), Matsumoto talked about the roles and division of labor within Arashi.

What solidified Arashi’s popularity among children was

Right after their debut, the roles in Arashi were clearly defined: Satoshi Ohno (44) was the group leader, Sho Sakurai was the study leader, Masaki Aiba was the idol leader because he was considered the most “idol-like” at the time, and Kazunari Ninomiya was the acting leader.

Matsumoto Jun himself was the variety leader, a role he earned by process of elimination. He took the lead in eating strange foods and playing the fool on variety shows, as he mentioned. “I thought that was interesting,” he said.

Ninomiya became the acting leader because even before Arashi made their CD debut, he had already taken on lead roles in TV dramas, with his impressive acting skills being widely recognized. His role in “Letters from Iwo Jima” (2006), directed by Hollywood actor and director Clint Eastwood, where he starred alongside Ken Watanabe (65), was a major highlight in his acting career.

Many of the dramas and movies featuring Arashi members also had the group perform the theme songs or ending themes. This is why their songs have remained in the memories of many people. The combination of the songs with the visuals made those moments even more memorable.

Following Ninomiya as the acting leader, all the members of Arashi became lead actors. However, when it comes to Ohno as an actor, some fans may have a different impression compared to the other members.

But remember this:

The turning point that made Arashi a national group was in 2010 when Ohno starred in “Kaibutsu-kun” (NTV), which caused a huge increase in child fans.

By the way, the ending theme of that show was “Monster” by Arashi. When the news of their disbandment was covered on wide shows, many fans picked this song as their favorite Arashi track. That shows how big of an impact “Kaibutsu-kun” had.

Many commentators have spoken about Arashi, but the comment that resonated the most with me was from Hidaka Ukisho (23), a member of the Junior group ACEes, who appeared on “DayDay.”

What Sho Sakurai told the author

“One of the groups that created an era”

“I think Arashi is one of the groups that showed us the style and way of being for our agency (STARTO ENTERTAINMENT).”

“Seeing the five of them in the image (released for the fan club on May 6), all smiling and talking together, made me incredibly happy.”

“Since Jun Matsumoto is overseeing it, I believe Arashi’s (final) concert will be something amazing.”

He also shared remarkable stories with each member. He consulted with Sho Sakurai about balancing school and work, had Satoshi Ohno personally teach him choreography, and received New Year’s money from Kazunari Ninomiya, who had memorized every Jr.’s face and name.

He directly asked Jun Matsumoto for advice on live performances, and referred to Masaki Aiba as the first person who comes to mind when I think of a star due to their collaboration on VS Soul.

“The style and way of being” in their agency refers to Arashi being well-mannered young men, with a strong sense of pride as idols, where all the members shine in singing, dancing, and acting.

The author has written about Arashi several times across different media, but would like to share an episode where they personally witnessed their good manners.

When working as a writer on Tensai! Shimura Dobutsuen (NTV), where Aiba was the caretaker, and later when Sho Sakurai came to promote Yankee Bokou e Kaeru~Tabidachi no Toki Furyo Shonen no Yume (TBS) and they appeared together on 2-Ji Chat (TBS), Sakurai greeted the author by saying:

“Although this is the first time I’m properly greeting you, I look forward to working with you today.”

Afterward, he bowed and added:

“I always appreciate Aiba’s help.”

Not only was he polite, but the author was also surprised that Sakurai knew about their involvement in the show where Aiba was appearing solo.

There is a follow-up to this. When the author told Aiba that they were surprised, Aiba casually smiled and said:

“Of course! I talk about you to the members like you’re my girlfriend.”

This is likely a common story shared by many staff members who have worked with Arashi.

In the July season, Matsumoto, Sakurai, and Aiba are busy with their lead roles in dramas. Behind the scenes, it’s likely that various music specials and the staff of their former variety shows are sending them passionate offers. With that in mind, it seems there are still many surprises in store, such as their concert tour next spring, where all five members may appear together.

With only one year left until their activities conclude, the author looks forward to watching their progress.