It has been revealed that actor Kentaro Sakaguchi will star in "kiDnap GAME," a drama series airing in October and being co-produced by Fuji TV with production companies from Hong Kong and South Korea. He will play a detective whose beloved wife is kidnapped and who is forced to participate in a life-or-death game.
"kiDnap GAME" begins with a series of kidnappings occurring simultaneously in seven Asian cities. The families of the victims receive an email asking, "How far will you go to save your loved one?" To save their loved ones, they must complete the tasks given in the game before the other contestants. Seven people of different nationalities take on the challenge of a game played under extreme circumstances... This is a major project co-produced by Makerville from Hong Kong and SimStory from South Korea, and has already secured broadcasting and distribution rights in 18 countries and regions worldwide.
Sakaguchi plays Toshiro Niide, a highly capable detective with a strong sense of justice and a high arrest rate. He is a character who will not hesitate to take risks to apprehend criminals, sometimes even acting recklessly. Niide is married to a classmate from his student days, and the couple is living a busy but happy life together. However, a series of simultaneous kidnappings in seven Asian cities occurs, and Niide's beloved wife is kidnapped. Niide's assigned mission is to "apprehend the mastermind behind the incident"... This marks Sakaguchi's first appearance in a Fuji TV drama in four years, since his co-starring role with Anne in "The Watchman of Competition" (2022).
"kiDnap GAME" will start in October. Details such as broadcast times will be announced at a later date.
◇Comment from Kentaro Sakaguchi
--Please tell us your thoughts when you received the offer to appear in this film.
To be honest, at first, when I heard about the scale and the world of the drama, I wondered, "Can we really shoot this?" But as we went through the script meetings and other processes, it started to feel more real. I think that with the increase in streaming content, national barriers are becoming lower, but I still thought it was interesting that the story is set in multiple cities across Asia and that the feelings of different people in different places intersect.
--What did you think after reading the script?
The director told me that he wanted to symbolically portray the emotion of "anger" in the character of Shinde, but I don't really have much anger within myself. Raising your voice or using physical movements to express anger seems easy and straightforward, but I had to sustain a quiet anger throughout the entire drama series, and at the same time, show the sadness that Shinde carries, so I thought it would be a difficult challenge.
--When you were preparing to play the role of Shinde, were there any things you did or kept in mind?
Since there are scenes where I have to run around and fight during investigations, I prepared by gaining a little weight and training. What I kept in mind was that Shinichi rarely smiles, and there are many tense scenes, but since I was acting with foreign actors this time, there was a language barrier, so I always wanted to make sure the set was in a good state when they came on set. Even though there are many serious scenes, I tried to make the set have a relaxed atmosphere that wasn't too tense.
--Please give a message to our viewers who are looking forward to the broadcast.
I believe that creating and producing such an innovative work in Japan is a significant step, though that might sound like an exaggeration. It's a challenging project, but I'm very grateful to be involved in such an innovative work. I think you'll be able to see dynamic visuals while also witnessing the emotions people experience in extreme situations, so I hope you'll look forward to it.
◇Yusuke Kato (Producer/Director/Fuji Television)
I had always wanted to work with Mr. Sakaguchi, and when this project came to fruition, he was the first person who came to mind. This is partly because Mr. Sakaguchi is a world-class actor who is active overseas, but more than anything, it's because I wanted to create the character of Toshiro Niide together with him. Fortunately, I was able to have many discussions with Mr. Sakaguchi even before filming began. Mr. Sakaguchi's portrayal of a man who desperately tries to save the person he loves in a ruthless game, in a harsh situation where he can't let his guard down for even a second, was exactly the Toshiro Niide I had envisioned. Mr. Sakaguchi's breathtaking performance at the end is still vividly etched in my memory.
