Yuriko Yoshitaka, Matsushima, Ayase… NHK Taiga “Heroine Actresses” in full aura

I was too afraid to say that it was my dream to play the leading role in a historical drama, and I thought it was something that had nothing to do with me. In playing a role in a work in which a woman is front and center, I would be happy if I can express a heroine that many people can relate to.”

On May 11, a press conference was held at NHK to announce the 24th broadcast of the historical drama “Hikaru Kimi e” (To the Luminous Kimi). The main character Murasaki Shikibu is played by Yoshitaka Yuriko (33). With a smile, Yoshitaka expressed her enthusiasm for playing the heroine who wrote “The Tale of Genji,” Japan’s oldest female literature.

The film is scheduled to be cranked next summer. She says it has been her dream to play the lead role in a major TV drama. Yoshitaka said that when she heard the word “Taiga” she imagined a horse riding scene.

I thought that a Taiga drama would be about horses,” she told ……. This time there are no battles. I hope you can screw up the horse scene.”

The story centers on Murasaki Shikibu’s love-hate relationship with her partner, Fujiwara no Michinaga. Yoshitaka made the reporters laugh as she bowed her head and said, “There is a delicate love story as well as rich colors, so please watch over us from 8 p.m. for a year.

Names of the actresses starring in the Taiga and Asadora dramas

Yoshitaka is not the only actress to have been a heroine in a Taiga drama. The list of actresses who have served as heroines in the Taiga includes Nanako Matsushima (48) in “Toshiie to Matsumatsu” (2002), Aoi Miyazaki (36) in “Atsuhime” (2008), Haruka Ayase (37) in “Yae no Sakura” (2001), Mao Inoue (35) in “Hanamayu” (2003), and many other famous actresses representing the Japanese acting world.

Among them, “Atsuhime” (24.5%) and “Toshiie to Matsuri” (22.1%) have been highly rated, recording the first and second highest average viewer ratings since 2000. Atsuhime” is the story of the wife of Iesada Tokugawa, the 13th shogun of the Edo Shogunate. Ms. Miyazaki gave an excellent performance, from the turbulent period of the Edo and Meiji eras to the everyday life of the couple.

Toshiie to Matsuri” is a group drama depicting the Warring States period, centering on the life of Maeda Toshiie (Karasawa Toshiaki), who laid the foundation of Kaga’s one million koku (one million stone), and his wife Matsuri. The film attracted attention not only for Mr. Matsushima’s performance as a devoted supporter of Toshiie, but also for its unexpectedness. Takashi Sorimachi, who had just joined Mr. Matsushima’s family at the time, played the role of Nobunaga Oda. The couple was able to co-star together,” said an NHK staffer.

Yoshitaka’s role in “Hikaru Kimi he” has also become a major topic of conversation.

He is also a big name in the “Hanako to Anne” series, because he played the heroine, Hanako Muraoka, in the 14-year morning TV drama series. She is the fourth person to have played the heroine in both a morning drama and a historical drama. In the past, there were Ms. Matsushima (in the 1996 morning drama “Himawari”), Ms. Miyazaki (in the 2006 drama “Junjo Kirari”), and Ms. Inoue (in the 2011 drama “Ohisama”)” (see above).

Actresses who have served as heroines in past Taiga dramas have made great strides in their careers. Yoshitaka, who also has experience in morning dramas, has taken a further step forward.