Ueki Hitoshi to Nobosemon

Official Website
www.nhk.or.jp/dodra/nobosemon

Broadcast
From 8.15 p.m., Saturdays, 2 September 2017

Station
NHK

Story
It is 1962. Ueki Hitoshi is incredulous. Sudara Bushi which he had sung has become an unprecedented big hit. Ueki and the Crazy Cats are in great demand on TV and in films and he suddenly becomes a star of the era. However, his schedule is too hectic and he ends collapsing. His wife Tomiko and the leader of the Crazy Cats Hana Hajime are concerned and employ an assistant who can be his driver and assistant. And along came an extraordinarily energetic young man called Matsuzaki Masaomi who had just moved to Tokyo from Hakata. Matsuzaki accompanies Ueki on the set and is overwhelmed by the performances of Ueki and the Crazy Cats. Their skits are thoroughly slapstick and their music totally slick. In real life, Ueki is a serious man and has doubts about the usefulness of such performances. Before they realise it, Matsuzaki who had lost his own father when he was a boy, starts calling Ueki “father”. Ueki, his wife Tomiko and even his father Tetsujo accept Matsuzaki like family. Matsuzaki aspires to be an entertainer like Ueki, and gets absorbed in work and love. The two of them make the best teacher-student pair.

Characters
Yamamoto Koji as Ueki Hitoshi
The frontman of the Crazy Cats. He is a serious man deep down and although he becomes a star, he questions himself whether he should be doing such performances. He cares about his family and warmly welcomes Matsuzaki Masaomi who becomes his assistant.

Shison Jun as Matsuzaki Masaomi (Komatsu Masao)
A native of Hakata and the type of person who becomes passionate about things. He had been a salesman but applies to be Ueki Hitoshi’s driver and assistant and get hired. After that, he sees Ueki’s private and public life up close and aspires to be a comedian just life him.

Yuka as Ueki Tomiko
Ueki Hitoshi’s wife and the mother of four children. A cheerful woman who constantly supports her very busy husband. She helps to take care of Matsuzaki Masaomi who becomes Ueki’s assistant, and is like a surrogate mother to him.

Yamauchi Takaya as Hana Hajime
The passionate leader of the Crazy Cats. He has a short temper, but pokes his nose in the matters of his members in one way or another. He has a habit of saying, “I’m the leader”.

Ito Shiro as Ueki Tetsujo
Ueki Hitoshi’s father. He was originally a monk. When Matsuzaki Masaomi and his son are worrying, he will give them hints through his philosophical outlook and when they see his point, he will feign ignorance and befuddle them.

Scriptwriter
Mukai Kosuke (Shinya Shokudo Series)

Original Work
Nobosemonyaken by Komatsu Masao

Click here for photos from the press conference.

All text copyright © jdramas.wordpress.com.