The trailer and additional cuts for the drama "Stove League," starring Kamenashi Kazuya and set to be broadcast and streamed on Lemino and WOWOW from March 28th, were released on the 6th.
"Stove League" is a remake of the drama of the same name that aired on South Korea's SBS in 2019 and recorded a peak audience rating of 20.8%. The story follows the efforts of a general manager (GM) with no baseball experience and other members of the team's front office as they attempt to rebuild a professional baseball team that has always been at the bottom of the league.
The Japanese version is a joint Japan-Korea project between Studio S, a drama studio under the Korean SBS Media Group, and NTT Docomo Studio & Live. Kamenashi plays Sakurazaki Jun, a player with no baseball experience who becomes the new general manager of the Dreams, a professional baseball team that has always finished last in the league. Neru Nagahama plays Makita Risa, the head of the organization department who supports Sakurazaki, Nomura Mansai plays Negishi So, the team president who stands in Sakurazaki's way, and Itao Itsuji plays Nishida Katsumi, the manager who leads the Dreams.
Other cast members include Hayama Shono, Kajiwara Zen, Kimura Masaya from "INI", Katsuji Ryo, Ayame Goriki, and Kotaro Yoshida. The director is Ruto Toichiro, who worked on the TV series and movie version of "Ossan's Love".
The trailer, released on the official YouTube channel, opens with the team's GM, Jun Sakurazaki (Kamenashi), declaring his determination: "From now on, we will be fighting a life-or-death battle." Draft fraud, allegations of illicit funds, cuts to the team, salary negotiations, the dark side of star players... Captions appear, predicting the many obstacles that stand in the way of Sakurazaki's reforms. Meanwhile, team president Takeshi Negishi (Nomura) declares, "We are disbanding the Dreams." Will a bright future await the team that has been perennially at the bottom of the league and constantly in the red?
Additional cuts include a scene of new GM Sakurazaki and team president Negishi facing off against each other with the stadium in the background. Sakurazaki is pushing for the team's reconstruction, while Negishi is trying to use him to disband the team. What awaits these two men with differing views? The visuals hint at the fierce team reforms that are about to begin, and the battles that will unfold in the process.
"Stove League" will start on Lemino/WOWOW at 1pm on March 28th. It will consist of 8 episodes.
◇Synopsis
The professional baseball team "Dreams" has always been at the bottom of the league. With factional disputes within the team and players making constant defensive mistakes, the team is on the brink of collapse. The man entrusted with rebuilding the Dreams is Jun Sakurazaki, a general manager with no baseball experience. Although he has no playing experience, he is known as a "championship contractor" who has led multiple sports teams to victory.
Sakurazaki aims to get to the root of the problem, but he clashes with the players and front office, and launches one unconventional reform after another. The first decision he makes is to trade the team's symbolic star player. What does it mean to win? What does it mean to be a team? He tackles these questions, involving not only the players but also the team staff.
