It has been revealed that actor Seishiro Kato will be starring in his first terrestrial drama series, "Before You Get the Death Penalty" (Thursdays at 11:59 PM), which will be broadcast on Yomiuri TV and Nippon TV in April. Kato will play the protagonist who travels back in time to meet a serial killer on death row and pursues the truth behind the case.
Just as the death sentence of Shiori Okuma, the perpetrator of the "serial murders of teachers" that shocked the world, is being carried out, Kotaro (played by Kato) travels back in time with his two friends, Hayato and Rin, to seven years ago. There, Kotaro and his friends encounter a murderer they should never have met. Shiori, who is a wanted fugitive in this era, pleads her innocence, saying, "I didn't kill anyone," but... This is the story.
This completely original work is written by Mori Hayashi ("Snow Smoke Chase") (NHK) and Takeda Yuki ("Someday, in Zero Gravity" (NHK), and directed by Kawai Hayato ("Tokyo Salad Bowl" (NHK) and "Gannibal" (Disney+). While Kotaro and his friends are unsure whether to believe Shiori's words, Shiori herself continues to behave suspiciously while claiming her innocence. As the serial murders continue unabated, the search for the truth behind the incidents will be a highlight of the story.
Kato plays Kotaro, a part-time worker who gave up his dream of becoming a film director midway after a certain incident and now lives a lackluster life. He is kind, straightforward, and can see through liars. Suddenly, he and his club mates find themselves transported back in time seven years, where they meet Shiori Okuma, a fugitive suspected in a series of murders of teachers. Believing that she is not lying when she claims her innocence, Kotaro sets out to uncover the truth behind the incident. "There are things scattered throughout this epic suspense story that people living today surely need. I will do my best to face the case," he says.
The Thursday drama "Before You Get the Death Penalty" will start airing on April 2nd and will be broadcast every Thursday from 11:59pm.
◇Comment from Seishiro Kato
We are now living in an age where it is difficult to believe. While information is more easily brought to the surface, claims and truths are buried beneath it. No matter how trivial the matter, in order to discern the truth, it is essential to continue facing the subject and wearing yourself down physically and mentally. This is the story of Kotaro, a man traumatized by modern society who has cut off all ties with society and people, as he travels between the present and the past to face the truth about a death row inmate and a serial murder case.
The epic suspense is filled with things that people living today will surely need. I'll do my best to face it!
◇ Comment from producer Makoto Yabe (Yomiuri TV)
What kind of story comes to mind when you see this title? There are many works out there that deal with false accusations. However, this drama is not a simple "false accusation story" about proving the innocence of a relative or lover. It is a story of sin and love that unfolds in an unpredictable and spectacular way, involving time travel and serial murders.
The main character, Kotaro, is a kind, honest man who is close to people's hearts, and is played by Seishiro Kato. He lives as Kotaro, worries, and sometimes suffers, and faces each and every scene with sincerity.
What will this man, who is carrying emotional wounds, rely on and what answers will he arrive at? I would like to support him from behind the scenes on his journey.
