Official Website
www.nhk.or.jp/jidaigeki/chu-koi
Broadcast
From 6.10 p.m., Saturdays, 24 September 2016
Station
NHK
Story
Kiyo is a lady-in-waiting who serves Aguri, the wife of the young lord Asano Naganori of the Ako domain, at the Asano family’s Edo mansion in the Genroku Period. The first time she displays her koto skills before the lord, she is pitted against the drums of Isogai Jurozaiemon, who is Naganori’s favourite vassal. This is actually a reunion of two childhood friends, but Kiyo does not realise it yet. Kiyo and Jurozaiemon are soon attracted to each other, but forbidden to meet alone because of the difference in their social status. Even so, Kiyo cannot give up on this secret first love. Jurozaiemon feels the same way too. They secretly pledge to overcome obstacles and become husband and wife. One day, Naganori is appointed by the Shogunate to entertain envoys from the imperial court. He has differences of opinion with the master of ceremonies Kira Yoshinaka on everything. Then on the third day, bloodshed occurs when Naganori slashes Kira with his sword inside Edo Castle after enduring Kira’s constant sarcasm. Naganori has to commit ritual suicide on the same day as a result of this, but the injured Kira is allowed to go home without any censure. The vassals of the Asano clan vow to retaliate to avenge their lord. Prepared to sacrifice his life, Jurozaiemon bids farewell to Kiyo. This incident sets Kiyo’s destiny in motion as the 48th “loyal vassal” unable to participate in the raid with Jurozaiemon and the rest of the 47 lordless Ako samurai. After they pull off the raid on Kira’s residence, Kiyo’s second life begins. She gets close to a family positioned to accede to the shogunate and eventually enters the inner palace of Edo Castle with the aim of restoring the Asano family. She goes through a tumultuous life, gives birth to the seventh shogun Ietsugu and later becomes Gekkoin after.
Characters
Takei Emi as Kiyo
A lady-in-waiting at the mansion that the Ako Asano clan established in Edo. She serves Asano Naganori’s legal wife Aguri. The daughter of the head of an Asakusa temple. Her mother died when she was young. She received the help of her mother’s elder sister Senkeini and a cousin who is a wealthy merchant, and grew up innocent. She is good at playing the koto. Her service as a lady-in-waiting was intended to be temporary until she gets a good offer of marriage. Then she meets Isogai Jurozaiemon.
Fukushi Seiji as Isogai Jurozaiemon
A retainer of the Asano clan. He is a military commander. He serves Asano Naganori as a trusted attendant. In his childhood, he was also close to Kiyo but went to Kyoto to train at a temple. After that, he serves the Asano clan. That is how he is reunited with Kiyo after ten years. Although he is an expert in hand drums, he is supposed to serve his lord. He suppresses and suppresses but … …
Imai Tsubasa as Asano Naganori
The third generation head of the Asano clan. Because his father died young, he succeeded him at the mere age of 9. A serious, single-minded and hot-blooded man. He suffers from a chronic illness. In order to uphold the family’s simple, austere traditions … …
Tanaka Rena as Aguri
Asano Naganori’s legal wife. The daughter of a distant relation of the Ako Asano clan, she became his wife at the age of 10. Although they grew up like siblings and a close couple, they did not have children. She is worried about Naganori’s illness and temperament, but … …
Sato Ryuta as Horibe Yasubei
A retainer of the Asano clan. A mounted guard at the Edo mansion. A messenger. He is entreated by Horibe Yahei to become his son-in-law and takes over the reigns of the Horibe clan.
Ishimaru Kanji as Oishi Kuranosuke
The chief retainer of the Asano clan who is entrusted with taking care of the Ako domain when his lord has to be in Edo as a result of the shogunate’s rule that requires feudal lords to alternate residence.
Mita Yoshiko as Senkeini
Kiyo’s aunt. She served the wife of the previous head of the clan and later became an ordained nun. She chants sutras to pray for the dead at Muryoin in Koishikawa. She is lenient and strict with Kiyo.
Scriptwriter
Yoshida Noriko (Manmakoto, Henshin)
Original Work
48-ninme no Chuushin by Morota Reiko
All text copyright © jdramas.wordpress.com.
Tagged: Chuushingura no Koi ~ 48-ninme no Chuushin, Fukushi Seiji, Takei Emi, Tanaka Rena
