It has been announced that actor Ishiguro Ken will be making a guest appearance in the final special episode, "Demon of the Darkness," (broadcast March 11th, 9:00 PM - 10:04 PM) of the popular detective drama "Aibou" season 24 (TV Asahi), starring Mizutani Yutaka and Terawaki Yasufumi. This will be Ishiguro's first appearance in "Aibou." He will play Iwahashi Kenya, a private detective and former partner of Sugishita Ukyo (Mizutani).
The Special Missions Unit was originally a side-line department set up by the Metropolitan Police Department to exile the uncontrollable Ukyo. It was mocked as an "island on land within the Metropolitan Police Department" and a "graveyard of talent," and before Kameyama Kaoru (Terawaki) was assigned to the unit, six subordinates were sent to Ukyo, but they all quit the Metropolitan Police Department one after another. Up until now, no details about the six former subordinates had been revealed, but this time, for the first time in the series' 25 years, Ukyo's "former partner" from before Kaoru will appear.
In the final episode, multiple burglaries occur simultaneously in an upscale residential area. They are thought to be the work of a group of young people under the orders of a criminal organization, but Ukyo is suspicious of the fact that there is only one house where the burglary was unsuccessful, and begins his own investigation with Kaoru.
Ukyo is surprised to learn that the resident of the house in question is Iwahashi, who previously worked for the Special Missions Unit for six months. What's more, not only has Iwahashi's home been burgled, but his own detective agency has also been burgled. When Ukyo goes to ask about the situation, Iwahashi denies the allegations, saying "I have no idea," but that very same day he calls Ukyo and tells him about a deep connection to a "certain humiliating incident" that occurred 27 years ago. Ukyo and Kaoru are approached by Iwahashi for advice in secret, and so they begin investigating again, but another incident occurs... and so the story unfolds. The script is written by Koshimizu Yasuhiro, the creator of "Aibou."
Regarding her role, Ishiguro commented, "I felt very honored to find out that I was one of the former members of the Special Task Force. Iwahashi is a straightforward person with a strong sense of justice, but he's not good at getting along with people, which is what leads him to quit the police force, so I want to be able to portray the balance between his tough side to the outside world and his inner sense of justice."
She expressed her joy at appearing in "Aibo" for the first time, saying, "It was my first time meeting Mizutani-san, but he was very kind and told me side stories from the dramas (of Mizutani-san) that I watched as a child, which helped ease my tension and I'm grateful for that. I've known Terawaki-san for decades, but this was the first time we acted together. It was a very casual atmosphere and I enjoyed it."
He continued, "This final episode not only portrays the thrill of finding the culprit, but also the personnel affairs and political intrigue within the police force. Another highlight is what happened to the man who was a partner with Sugishita Ukyo 26 years ago, a former member of the Special Task Force...I hope you will enjoy finding out the truth about whether Iwahashi is the culprit."
