The Tuesday drama "Toki Sude ni Osushi!?" (TBS, Tuesdays at 10 PM), starring actress Hiromi Nagasaku, will premiere on April 7th. Nagasaku will play the oldest heroine in a Tuesday drama, a 50-year-old woman who has finished raising her children and enrolls in a sushi academy. We spoke to Yuka Matsumoto, who is in charge of programming production for this series, and producer Chiaki Masuda, about the story behind the creation of this "new frontier heroine for Tuesday dramas" and the reasons for casting Nagasaku.
◇I was drawn to Hiromi Nagasaku's "charm."
Minato Machiyama, played by Nagasaku, has lived her life solely for her only son, Nagisa (played by Motoki Nakazawa), ever since her husband died in an unfortunate accident 14 years ago. Currently, she works as a full-time employee at a supermarket, cheerfully and energetically using her natural optimism. Now that Nagisa has become an adult and left home, she has "time to herself" for the first time in decades, but now that she has her freedom, she doesn't know what to do with herself. The world that Minato takes her first step into is a "sushi academy" where she can learn "sushi" in three months...and so the story unfolds.
This is an original work with a script by Ruri Hyodo, known for works such as "My Diary" and "My Worst Friend." Kenichi Matsuyama will also appear as Oedo Kaimiya, an instructor at the "Sushi Academy."
Until a few years ago, Tuesday night dramas were strongly associated with "love" and "romance," often using the word "heart-pounding." However, Matsumoto recalls that in the past year, dramas have begun to depict "love in a broader sense (such as family love)," such as the drama "Taigan no Kaji ~Kore ga, Watashi no Ikiru Michi~" which aired last April and featured a housewife as the heroine.
"We were talking about how there haven't been any dramas on Tuesdays that focus on mothers who have finished raising their children. We thought that if there was a drama about how they choose to live their second lives, there would surely be people who could relate to it, so we started it."
According to Matsumoto, what the heroines of Tuesday night dramas have in common is "cuteness," "charm," and "approachability." "When I thought about who would fit the bright, evening atmosphere of Tuesday night dramas, Nagasaku-san immediately came to mind. I was convinced that there was no other woman in her 50s with that kind of charm," she revealed.
Minato, who enrolls in the "Sushi Academy," meets a diverse group of people from different generations and backgrounds, including Tateishi (Shiro Sano), who has come to learn sushi as a hobby after retirement; Kakigi (First Summer Uika), who is trying to change careers from a major consulting firm to a sushi chef; and Mori (Soma Santoki), a quiet young man full of enthusiasm to learn sushi.
"Among the characters of various ages, Ms. Nagasaku's ability to blend in like a friend is amazing. That charm was the most important point, which is why we offered her the role."
◇Hiromi Nagasaku is like "big sister" on set.
Before writing the script, they held a roundtable discussion with women in similar situations to Minato's to gather real insights into the feelings of mothers. They incorporated perspectives such as "What is the purpose of life?", "What is a healthy parent-child relationship?", and "What is true independence?" into the drama. As Nagasaku herself is a mother of two, she shared realistic insights into motherhood, such as "Mothers don't worry about these things" and "Mothers are much more pressed for time than you think."
Regarding Nagasaku on set, Masuda said, "She has a big sister vibe, like an older sister you'd want to follow," and added, "She looks at the whole situation with a motherly gaze, and she also has a strong side where she takes the lead. She's a really cool person."
Masuda said, "I think this film will resonate with those who think it's too late to start something now. For young people, I think it will offer encouragement, showing them that even those who are much older and more experienced in life face similar struggles. Please do watch it."
Matsumoto appealed to viewers, saying, "The story is about a woman in her 50s, but I hope you won't think, 'That's not my story.' It's a story that everyone has experienced, and I think there are many characters around her that you'll think, 'I've been in a similar situation.'"
