The sixth episode, "Brotherly Bonds," of the historical drama "Toyotomi Brothers!" (NHK General TV, Sundays at 8 p.m. and other times), starring actor Nakano Taiga, will be broadcast on February 15th. This will be the first episode in two weeks, following a hiatus due to the House of Representatives election. Chief Producer Matsukawa Hirotaka, who oversees production, described the episode as "a very important episode," and spoke about his thoughts on it.
◇Episode 6: "Brotherly Bonds" Synopsis
"Toyotomi Brothers!" is the 65th taiga drama. It depicts the miracle of the Toyotomi brothers, Hidenaga (Koichiro) and his older brother Hideyoshi (Tōkichirō), who achieve the great feat of unifying the country through their strong bond. It is also available on NHK ONE, and the four episodes aired in January have been viewed a total of 4,059,000 times (based on the number of views within the seven days of each episode's broadcast).
In the sixth episode, Osawa (played by Matsuo Satoru) is suspected of plotting to assassinate Nobunaga (played by Oguri Shun).
Thanks to Koichiro's (Nakano) quick thinking, they avoid an immediate standoff, but if things continue as they are, the life of Tōkichirō (Ikematsu Sosuke), who remains at Unuma Castle, is in danger. Koichiro, who must prove Osawa's innocence by the next day, rushes about with his investigation while asking Ichi (Miyazaki Aoi) to put in a good word for him to Nobunaga.
However, Ichi refuses and tells him a story from Nobunaga's past. The next day, Koichiro, who is at a loss as to what to do, makes a surprising move in front of Nobunaga...
◇Will we be able to see the true essence of Nakano Taiga?
The very direct theme of "Brotherly Bonds" is used as the subtitle, conveying the message from the production team that this is a very important episode. Matsukawa said, "I think it's no exaggeration to say that the drama 'Toyotomi Brothers!' was born to have people watch this sixth episode. I want as many people as possible to watch it."
Furthermore, while this episode is based on historical facts, it has been given a "fairly bold twist" and is styled as a mystery, with "a mystery-solving element that brings us closer to the truth and reveals who the real culprit is." Matsukawa declared, "It's a huge challenge for us," and one of the highlights is that compared to the stories up to the fifth episode, "we've gone even further in the twists." He is looking forward to seeing what kind of reaction it will get from viewers, and candidly revealed his true feelings, saying, "I'm excited."
Another highlight of the series is the performance of Nakano, who plays Koichiro. In episode 6, Koichiro risks his life to save Osawa.
Matsukawa revealed, "It was Nakano Taiga's true forte, the scene where he was most passionate, and even watching it on set, it gave me goosebumps." He added, "As for the sixth episode, I think it's really an episode that says, 'Watch the acting.' I really felt that it was only possible because of Nakano Taiga as the lead actor."
