The first episode of the TBS Friday drama "Takusari Brothers," starring actor Masaki Okada and also featuring Shota Sometani, aired on April 17th. The episode began with a shocking scene in which the parents of the "Takusari Brothers"—Detective Makoto Takusari (Okada) and Medical Examiner Minoru Takusari (Sometani)—are murdered by an unknown assailant. We spoke with producer Junko Arai about the reasons behind creating this drama and what the cast was like on set.
The drama follows the Tagusari Brothers as they investigate a whirlwind of heinous crimes, while simultaneously pursuing the real culprit behind a 31-year-old case of their parents' murder, which expired just two days before the statute of limitations was abolished.
Producer Arai, who has worked on hit crime suspense films such as "Last Mile" and dramas such as "Unnatural," "MIU404," and "Saiai," said, "It all started with the thought, 'I wonder if I could do another police drama,'" and explained the intention behind the project, saying, "I thought that if we incorporated the theme of the statute of limitations, it would be compelling and meaningful in this modern age."
In the world of TBS dramas, the Sunday Theater drama "Reboot," which aired in January, generated a lot of discussion and became a hot topic on social media, and it seems that this drama also has many elements that invite analysis.
"I wanted to create a film where viewers could see things differently once they realized who the culprit was, even if they didn't understand it at first. Since it's made with the assumption that viewers will watch it a second time, I talked with the scriptwriter and director to avoid any excessive dramatization, as that would just end up deceiving the audience or making it difficult to connect with their emotions."
◇Already suspicious? The reason why Jun's Iio was cast as the mysterious man.
In the first episode, a mysterious non-fiction writer, Yuji Tsuda, visits the Tagasari family just before the parents of the Tagasari brothers are murdered. Why was this role, which seems to hold the key to the story, entrusted to Kazuki Iio of the comedy duo "Zun"?
"We wanted someone familiar, who is usually cheerful but can create a different atmosphere than usual. The theme of the work is heavy, so we asked Iio-san, who has a bright image, to take on the role."
Only Okada and Someya, who play the Tagusari Brothers, and the actor playing the culprit were told the ending of the story, while the other cast members were not told the ending or even who the culprit was.
Okada and Someya, upon learning the ending, reacted with "That's tough," and he revealed, "There are a lot of tough scenes, not just in the final episode. The second half is full of crying."
"Even on set, there were exchanges like, 'You're not the culprit, are you?' My brothers (Okada and Someya) told me, 'It's hard not to talk,' and 'It takes a lot of concentration' (laughs)."
