Yuko Araki and Shotaro Mamiya Film Intense Action Scene Under Scorching Heat for Upcoming October Drama

At 10 a.m. in early September, a large crowd had gathered in front of JR Matsudo Station in Chiba Prefecture. When the call “Ready, start!” was shouted, everyone turned their eyes toward a large monitor facing the plaza. Suddenly, a woman in the crowd looked shocked and began pushing through the people, running off. Moments later, a young man dashed after her—

In fact, this was a filming scene for the upcoming October NTV Saturday drama Good Things, Bad Things. The two were the dual leads: Shotaro Mamiya (32) and Yuko Araki (31).

“The drama is based on an original script. Mamiya plays Masaru Takagi, nicknamed ‘King,’ a painting company president. Araki plays Sonoko Saruhashi, nicknamed ‘Donoko,’ a weekly magazine reporter. The two were classmates in sixth grade. During a class reunion, a mysterious death of one of their old classmates occurs, and the two team up to uncover the truth behind it.

Other classmates are played by SixTONES member Shintaro Morimoto (28), comedy duo Kuukikaitai’s Katamari Mizukawa (35), and Ayame Gouriki (33), among other distinctive cast members. Since it’s a mystery drama, most plot details are being kept under wraps,” explains a TV magazine writer.

Returning to the scene: the shoot was large-scale, with multiple handheld cameras following Araki and Mamiya’s movements in addition to fixed ones. Despite the intense heat, everyone—including extras—wore long sleeves. Between takes, Mamiya, who had been running full speed, immediately headed for the shade where the staff were waiting, quickly wiping off sweat and fanning himself.

For Araki, this marks her first lead role in a network TV drama in six years. She shared her thoughts:

“When I received the offer, I was drawn to the story’s mix of nostalgia and mystery—it really pulls you in. It’s rare to work with so many actors of my generation, so I’m looking forward to taking inspiration from everyone while living as Sonoko in this story.”

All eyes are now on the powerful partnership between Araki and Mamiya.