■ “Appearing in a TV drama series was one of my dreams, so I’m grateful for the opportunity to be involved with ‘Qros no Onna’.” (IMP. Takuya Kageyama)
Additional cast members have been announced for Drama Premiere 23 “Qros no Onna: Madness Called Scoop,” which will begin airing on TV Tokyo and other channels from October 7th.
The original work is a full-length novel, “Qros no Onna,” set in the entertainment world and weekly magazines, written by Tetsuya Honda, who won the Special Prize at the 4th Horror Suspense Awards for his novel “Access.” This story, which is a mix of mystery and suspense, involving not only the entertainment world and the weekly magazine industry, but also ordinary people, surrounding the identity of a popular beauty in a commercial, is now being made into a TV series.
The main character, Koji Kuriyama, a talented reporter who produces one scoop after another, is played by Kenta Kiritani, who is starring in a TV Tokyo drama for the first time.
Keita Yaguchi, a junior of Kuriyama who has been transferred from the political team to the entertainment team, is a young reporter, and Takuya Kageyama, a rising star who was a member of IMP. and gained experience in various stage productions, and played his first lead role in the play “Let’s Go on the Star Train” in July and August. He is skeptical of the job of an entertainment reporter and tends to complain, but he changes as he works with Kuriyama.
Takashi Okabe plays Shogo Hayashida, the editor-in-chief of Weekly Kindai, who highly values Kuriyama’s abilities as a reporter. He is a colleague who knows about Kuriyama’s traumatic past, and he encourages his subordinates with the motto of “story that the public wants, story that hits home.”
Sho Aikawa plays Yoshimi Sonoda, a black journalist who has a connection to Kuriyama from a past incident. She makes a living by selling false stories to weekly magazines and extorting money from talent agencies using gossip, and eventually comes face to face with Kuriyama again.
Kuriyama’s younger sister Shiho is played by Tamura Hono, who is a member of Sakurazaka46 and is expected to continue to be active in the future through live performances, TV appearances, and modeling. She quit her job and lives at Kuriyama’s house, but she also shows her true ability and comes to Kuriyama’s rescue when he is in the biggest pinch!
As new faces seek to get the scoop on the entertainment world, who will have the last laugh? And how will he interact with the popular commercial beauty “Qros Woman”? Gossip articles appear one after another, and the desires of the masses run wild… Is exposing the truth really a good thing? After meeting the “Qros Woman,” Kuriyama will have to confront the dark side of the entertainment world and the truth of gossip! Be sure to tune in to watch the broadcast.
■Introduction
Famous celebrities’ affairs, artists’ drug use, harassment issues at agencies… Weekly magazine stories are being mass-produced. The astute reporter Kuriyama Koji (Kiritani Kenta) and his junior colleague Yaguchi Keita (Kageyama Takuya), who has doubts about entertainment scoops themselves, along with the editor-in-chief Hayashida Shogo (Okabe Takashi), whose motto is “story that the public wants” and “story that hits the spot,” spend their days running around chasing scandalous and shocking scoops and exposing the truth. Meanwhile, the streets are talking about an unidentified woman appearing in a commercial for the fast fashion brand “Qros.” And so, a scoop battle begins among entertainment reporters trying to expose her identity as soon as possible! The more the public’s interest escalates, the more the life of the “Qros woman” falls apart… However, it was all a setup! In order to track down the mastermind who was even manipulating the reporters, and to help the “Qros woman,” Kuriyama will have to confront the dark side of the entertainment world.
■ Comment from Takuya Kageyama (IMP.) / Keita Yaguchi
Nice to meet you everyone, I’m Takuya Kageyama, the leader of IMP.
When I heard about the offer, I was so happy I couldn’t stop thinking, “Yay!” It was one of my dreams to appear in a TV drama series, so I’m grateful for the opportunity to be associated with “Qros no Onna.” The character I’ll be playing, Yaguchi Keita, is a bright, hardworking, intelligent character with a lot of personality. I hope you’ll also pay attention to the process of Yaguchi’s growth as he moves from the political team to the entertainment team. I also hope you’ll enjoy the exchanges between him and “Kuriyama-san,” played by Kiritani Kenta. Please be sure to check out “Qros no Onna.”Comments from Takashi Okabe and Shogo Hayashida
I’m going to get a scoop! I’ve played that kind of role a few times, but I think that as times change, the way I act will naturally change subtly. I want to feel that change for myself! Can I feel it? Feel it! I’m fired up.
Hayashida is a bit harsh in his words, and is the kind of editor-in-chief who should take respect training, but what he says certainly hits home, and some of his words resonate with modern people. But where does his true heart lie? I think he is an interesting person, including the mystery.
A stimulating and thrilling story unfolds in every episode. I also like the coolness and lameness of the characters. Do I want to know the truth, or do I want to know something like the truth, or am I actually not interested in that? When I read the script, I felt like I was being questioned about my usual enthusiasm. I think it might be a good idea to stop and think about what my enthusiasm is. You can go ahead, or you can find the source of discomfort and step back. I hope watching the drama will be an interesting time to look at yourself again.Comments from Sho Aikawa and Yoshimi Sonoda
When I was asked to appear in “Qros no Onna,” I was a little worried about how I should play the role of a black journalist, a role that was a first for me.
Sonoda sniffs out material in his own way while erasing himself. I thought first and foremost about how to play a special character. In the midst of the greed of living, the way of being as a person sometimes appears and disappears, and where am I heading?
Through playing the role of Sonoda, I hope to enjoy acting in a drama that takes me on a journey to a new world.■ Comment from Hono Tamura (Sakurazaka46) as Shiho Kuriyama
This is my first time acting in a serial drama, so when I heard about the role, I was surprised, but at the same time, I was really looking forward to being involved in the production of the drama. The character I’m playing this time, Shiho, is a caring girl who is both cheerful and kind, so I hope to add some color to the work by making use of her personality and atmosphere.
As the younger sister of the main character, Kuriyama Koji, it is impressive to see her support her brother from behind the scenes, but I will do my best to ensure that the story also conveys Shiho’s own growth and her growth as Tamura Hono.
Program Information
Drama Premiere 23 “Qros’s Woman: Madness Called Scoop”
Starts 10/07 (Mon)
Every Monday from 23:06 to 23:55
Broadcasting stations: TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TV Setouchi, TV Hokkaido, TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting
*After each episode is broadcast, the first to the latest episodes will be available for unlimited viewing on the video streaming services “U-NEXT” and “Lemino” (planned)
* Real-time streaming on “TVer” from anywhere in the country
*Catch up on the free ad-supported streaming service “Net TV Tokyo”
Original work: Tetsuya Honda “Qros no Onna” (Kobunsha Bunko)
Starring: Kenta Kiritani
Cast: Takuya Kageyama (IMP.), Hono Tamura (Sakurazaka46), Takashi Okabe, Sho Aikawa
Screenplay: Takashi Hattori
Director: Kentaro Moriya, Jin Ueda, Yura Koroyasu
Drama “Qros no Onna: Scoop-named Madness” program site
https://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp/qros/
