Official Website
www.nhk.or.jp/pd/juken
Broadcast
From 10.00 p.m., Sundays, 10 July 2016
Station
NHK BS Premium
Story
38-year-old Igarashi Toru, a charismatic teacher of a famous preparatory school, has been losing himself in alcohol and leading a self-destructive life recently after being given a year to live. He is kicked out of the school and loses both his pride as a teacher and passion for teaching. Endo Maki lives in poverty and attends a part-time high school while juggling multiple part-time jobs day and night. She has been trying to earn funds for her future living expenses, but she hopes to clear the makeup exam and graduate from high school so that she can hold a steady job. Her mother had warned her that if she cannot move up, she has to quit school and work. Then one night, a heavily drunk Igarashi enters an apartment that Maki is house-sitting and just sleeps there. Maki knows that he is a famous preparatory school teacher, so she appeals to him to teach her to study for the makeup exam in exchange for not handing him over to the police. This fires up Igarashi. Deciding that he will make Maki qualify for Tokyo University and get back at the world, he starts preparing her to pass the entrance exam a year later.
Characters
Koizumi Kotaro as Igarashi Toru
He started a cram school during university days to teach techniques for the Tokyo University entrance examination, created buzz with his achievements and established Higashimon Seminar. He has great confidence in himself and is a capable educator, but he does not try to get actively involved with people. He does not get along with his father.
Kawaguchi Haruna as Endo Maki
A high school student who attends a part-time high school. She is a hard worker who holds multiple part-time jobs to supports her family. However, she does not think carefully about her own future. She is appreciative of her mother who raised her single-handedly, but lately she feels weighed down by her.
Yamaguchi Sayaka as Miyama Toko
Igarashi Toru’s ex-wife. She got married to him through helping out as a teacher at Higashimon Seminar, but they divorced because of incompatible personalities. She is now a lawyer and meets Igarashi again in an unexpected way.
Matsuo Satoru as Kimura Shuichi
He virtually runs the preparatory school alone as Higashimon Seminar’s officer manager. He is no match for Igarashi Toru and his distrust and dissatisfaction have been growing.
Hakamada Yoshihiko as Komiya Junichi
A doctor. He becomes the physician in charge of Igarashi Toru, whom he meets again after a long while, and watches over the challenge between Igarashi and Endo Maki warmly but rationally.
Tomita Yasuko as Endo Chieko
Endo Maki’s mother. She has been working hard ever since she divorced her husband. Although she is an easygoing, warmhearted person, she and Maki have been at cross purposes with each other recently and they get into arguments over trivial things every day.
Yamada Yuki as Okita Yuta
A third-year student in the day-time session. He quit the baseball team for the sake of entrance examinations. However, he cannot put it out of his mind. At first, he starts out as Endo Maki’s confidant, but love blossoms before he realises it … …
Scriptwriter
Yamaoka Junpei (Tsuribaka Nisshi, Sakura)
Takei Aya (Smoking Gun, Kazoku no Urajijou)
Takeda Juri (Rikon Bengoshi, Lunch no Joou)
Original Work
Juken no Cinderella by Wada Hideki
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Tagged: Juken no Cinderella, Kawaguchi Haruna, Koizumi Kotaro
