It was revealed on February 10th that actress Kasumi Arimura will be appearing in the April TBS Sunday Theatre drama "GIFT" (Sundays at 9pm), starring Shinichi Tsutsumi. Actor Yuki Yamada will also be appearing. This will be the first time that both of them will be appearing in a "Sunday Theatre" drama.
The story is entirely original, with the screenplay written by Kanazawa Tomoki, who has worked on Netflix's drama "Sanctuary" and the network's serial drama "Who Saw the Peacock Dance?" Set in the parasport of wheelchair rugby, the film tells the story of bonds and rebirth, as a weak team comes to understand the importance of teamwork and family through serious physical and mental challenges, while figuring out the answers to difficult problems facing them.
Tsutsumi plays Gotetsu Fumito, an astrophysicist with a genius mind and knowledge who is an associate professor at a university researching black holes. His genius often leads him to say what he thinks without any ill intent, hurting his colleagues and isolating himself from those around him. He is a lonely man who has never clashed with or confronted anyone, and whose only purpose in life is to find answers to difficult problems that interest him.
Arimura has appeared in a number of popular works, and on TBS, she played her first lead role in a commercial TV drama series, the Tuesday drama "Middle School Teacher Diary" (2018), and also starred in the Friday drama "Ishiko and Hane-o: Will You Sue Me for Something Like That?" (2022).
Arimura plays Kiriyama Hitoka, a reporter working in the editorial department of a lifestyle magazine at a publishing company. Everyone around her sees her as a cheerful, headstrong person, but she's desperately trying to act cheerful in order to escape a past trauma. One day, she's assigned to cover a new serial project, "Para-Athletes and the People Who Support Them," where she encounters wheelchair rugby, the Bulls, and Godetsu. While hesitant to tackle the story despite it not being her forte and not quite understanding the rules, she finds herself confronted with the complex circumstances the teams and players face. Furthermore, for Hitoka, her encounters with Godetsu, Ryo, and wheelchair rugby are unexpectedly connected to her own past... and so the story unfolds.
Yamada will play Miyashita Ryo, the ace player of the weak wheelchair rugby team "Braze Bulls," who has lost his luster.
Comments from Arimura and others are as follows:
◇Comment from Kasumi Arimura (role of Hitoka Kiriyama)
"Seeing people with all sorts of emotions and circumstances focus their thoughts on the single goal of wheelchair rugby and work hard to move forward really made me feel the power that only sports can have and the passion that moves people's hearts. I'm really happy to be able to take part in such a production, and as an actor, I want to make sure I can convey that "passion" to everyone."
Hitoka is a woman who works in the editorial department of a lifestyle magazine and is assigned to cover wheelchair rugby. She herself is a person with many different circumstances. We hope you will pay attention to how Hitoka changes and grows as she encounters wheelchair rugby, the players, and Godet.
As the title "GIFT" suggests, this drama is about how someone's words and actions can make them realize feelings they were not even aware of, leading to change and growth. I hope that this drama will inspire viewers to value the words and actions they receive from those close to them more than ever before. And above all, I hope that more people will learn about the appeal of wheelchair rugby as a sport.
◇ Comment from producer Masako Miyazaki
"Miyashita Ryo" is the ace of a small team who desperately tries to move forward despite having a leg disability from an accident, a player who puts his life on the line in wheelchair rugby, and a young man who struggles and tries to live life to the fullest even when his dreams are shattered. When I thought about it, I thought that only Yamada Yuki could play this role. He literally throws himself into the role, putting his whole being into it. "Kiriyama Hitoka" is a bright and positive woman who works hard at her job as a magazine journalist, but in reality she has family issues and tries to hide them. At first glance, she appears delicate, but underneath she harbors a passionate desire, and Arimura Kasumi plays this role with such care and beauty.
This will be the first time that both of them will be appearing in a Sunday Theatre production. I believe that the passion that will be born from the soulful acting of these two and Tsutsumi-san will surely be conveyed to everyone watching on TV, and we will be able to deliver a heart-touching moment. Please look forward to Sunday Theatre "GIFT"!
