Aoi Morikawa Turns Heads in All-Black Thief Look During Stingers Filming in Nihonbashi

Looking forward to the exploits of “Wild Speed Morikawa”!

In late June, in a corner of Nihonbashi, Tokyo, three men and women in all-black costumes were cautiously looking around. At the center was a woman with a resolute expression staring at the camera—actor Aoi Morikawa (30).

Actually, this was a location shoot for the drama Stingers: Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Undercover Investigation Verification Unit, which will start airing from July 22 in Fuji TV’s Tuesday 9 p.m. time slot. The two men were actors Kanata Hongo (34) and Tetta Sugimoto (59).

“This is a completely original drama that boldly challenges the still unclear system of undercover investigation in Japan, depicting the activities of an unconventional team within the Metropolitan Police Department, nicknamed the ‘Stingers.’ Morikawa plays the sharp and skilled team leader, Detective Tamiko Nikaido, who has just returned from the U.S. Hongo plays Ryosuke Mizukami, a game enthusiast transferred from the Public Security Bureau, and Sugimoto plays Kinjiro Sekiguchi, transferred from the Riot Police. The story follows these elite members gathered from various divisions in an exciting entertainment piece,” said a TV magazine writer.

During filming, Morikawa held a knife, and Hongo and Sugimoto were holding crowbars. Later, the three wore balaclavas and shot a scene where they break into a building.

For Morikawa, this drama marks her first lead role in a golden prime-time serial drama. When asked about her thoughts on being cast, she said:

“This is my first role as a detective, and I’m really looking forward to it. Although it’s a detective drama, Stingers isn’t a serious or rigid one—it’s about the team having fun while planning operations and tackling investigations together. I thought that if everyone in the team gets along well, we can create a fun and wonderful drama.” (From ORICON NEWS, June 3)

Morikawa is known for her variety show appearances up to March 2024 on Sorette!? Jissai Dōnano-ka (Nippon TV), where she apprenticed under numerous masters and quickly learned professional-level skills in kendama and archery, earning the title “Wild Speed Morikawa” as a genius. In 2023, she set a Japanese record in sports stacking, a sport where plastic cups are stacked and unstacked in specified patterns timed down to the thousandth of a second.

Fans are already looking forward to what kind of incredible feats the sharp undercover agent played by this genius Morikawa will showcase.

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