Yutaka Mizutani: Why the Revival of “Partners” with Yasufumi Terawaki is Countdown to Its End
It was announced that Yasufumi Terawaki, the first partner of the popular drama “Partners” starring Yutaka Mizutani, will return to the series. It will be the first time in 14 years that Terawaki and Kaoru Kameyama, the detective who plays Terawaki, will team up together.
Takashi Sorimachi, the “partner” who had been with the series for seven years, graduated from the previous season. There was a lot of talk about who would be Mizutani’s next partner. The fact that it would be the first Terawaki was a surprise not only to fans but also to the entertainment industry.
It seems that the revival of Terawaki’s career was a top-secret project at the station, and a reporter for a women’s magazine also commented, “I was told about two weeks ago that a new ‘new’ partner was coming on board.
A reporter for a women’s magazine also said, “About two weeks ago, word came in that a new “partner” had been chosen. However, I asked the production side of TV Asahi and Toei, as well as entertainment production companies, but nothing was leaked about who it was. When I opened the door, I found it was Mr. Terawaki, so it was a surprise.
I opened the door and found it was Mr. Terawaki, so it was truly a surprise.
The “Return of Detective Kameyama” was received with joy by fans, but there is also a significant meaning behind his selection as a partner, he says.
It will be the finale of “Partners,”” he said.
A source at the TV station said.
“TV Asahi wants to continue ‘Partners,’ but Mr. Mizutani is showing some reluctance,” said a source at a TV station. In the past, he has said that he would like to reach the end of his career at the age of 70, and this year he will reach that age.
That is not all. Toei, the production contractor, is also said to be reluctant to continue the series.
Although ‘Partners’ boasts great popularity, the wave of production cost reductions is still coming in. Naturally, Toei, which is in charge of the production site, is also affected.
They are trying to cut down on costs by reducing the number of location shoots and filming as much as possible at the studio in Oizumi, but they are reaching their limits. The next season will be “Season 21,” and they must be feeling strongly that it is time to move on.
That is why Mizutani, who has a great deal of casting authority, has brought back Terawaki, who was the first “sidekick” of the series, with full confidence.
Mizutani, who has a great deal of real authority over casting, seems to have had his fill and brought back Terawaki, who was his first “partner” in the series. The “Partners” series was originally started because Mr. Terawaki had asked the producers for a drama in which he and Mizutani, whom he had admired, would be buddies.
The drama continued after Terawaki’s retirement, for which Mizutani must have been very grateful. And above all, it must be a way of saying thank you to the fans who have supported the drama for such a long time.
“Partners” has been loved by many fans for a long time. With the return of Terawaki, there is no doubt that this will be a divine season for the series.
Photo: Kyodo