■“If I had to make Kawaguchi-san into a character, I would have an image of him as an anaconda (lol)” (Hokuto Matsumura), “That would definitely be written about in the article! (lol)” (Haruna Kawaguchi)
Nippon Television’s new Dorama 10, which will start in January 2025, has been decided to be an “ensemble” with a completely original story.
The leading role will be played by Haruna Kawaguchi, who has appeared in many dramas, variety shows, commercials, etc., and has gained a lot of support, especially among her generation, for her wide range of expressiveness. This work marks his first lead role in a Japanese TV drama.
In addition, the members of SixTONES play the role of a new lawyer who is partnered with the female lawyer played by Haruna Kawaguchi. Hokuto Matsumura is also active as an actor. This will be the first time for the two to co-star.
“Ensemble” is about a “realistic” female lawyer played by Kawaguchi and an “idealistic” new lawyer played by Matsumura, who take on various love trouble trials and share the “love lessons” they learned there with their own love lives. A legal love story that will be put to good use.
The main character, Sena Koyama (Haruna Kawaguchi), is a female lawyer who handles many cases related to love troubles. He is a “realist” who believes that “love is not cost-effective,” due to his own past trauma and the fact that he only sees problems between men and women every day.
Suddenly, the person who appears in front of Sena is Yu Madohara (Hokuto Matsumura), a new lawyer who is an “idealist” who believes in love and sincerity.
These two complete opposites become buddies and decide to take on a love trouble trial. “Don’t bring dream-like ideals into real love,” the two men say, involving the whole court and constantly arguing over their opinions.
Then, for some reason, the love troubles are resolved in the best possible way. Through the trial, the two understand each other and gradually grow closer. However, Sena’s trauma, her ex-lover, and their respective families get in the way of their love…
“Ensemble”, a bright and slightly sad legal love story, will be broadcast on Nippon Television from January 2025.
■Haruna Kawaguchi × Hokuto Matsumura interview
Q: Please tell us the highlights of the January Saturday Drama 10 “Ensemble”.
Kawaguchi:I think this drama is filled with various connections between people, including love, a story about a lawyer who solves problems, and a story about family. I thought it was a story that goes beyond the framework of “legal” and allows each character, including the main character, to reexamine themselves and grow.
Matsumura:I play the role of a lawyer, and I think the main focus is on warmth and love in a very broad sense, which is a little different from what you imagine when you hear the word “lawyer”. When I read the proposal and script, I felt that it was a warm and gentle story. However, it also has some funny parts, and I thought it was a work that was very appropriate for the 10pm Saturday time, when people of all ages are at home and the TV is on. I am very happy to be able to appear in such a drama as Yu Madohara.Q: Mr. Kawaguchi will be playing the role of a “realistic” female lawyer, and Mr. Matsumura will be playing the role of an “idealistic” new lawyer. Please tell us about the appeal of each role.
Kawaguchi:I think the character Sena, who I play, definitely has some “realism” in her, but I think she’s a really cool woman who works hard. On the other hand, I thought he was a rather cautious character, with a gap between his attitude toward work and his own views on love, and in some ways he seemed to be wearing armor. She herself has some worries about love and her relationship with her mother, and also has questions about whether it’s okay to stay the way she is, so it will be interesting to see how things turn out as the series progresses. I think so.
Matsumura:Madohara, the character I play, is a character who places great importance on love in a broad sense, and is also “idealistic.” Many people say, “I want to be a person who thinks like that,” and “I think like that.” I want to be a person who can do things.” I think this is the kind of person I aspire to be. I myself had a certain admiration for his character. First of all, I think that’s what makes him so appealing as a character that you want to watch him every week. The character is the complete opposite of Sena, played by Mr. Kawaguchi, but the charm of both my role and Mr. Kawaguchi’s is that we don’t blame each other for being opposites, but that we have a lot of time to get close to each other. I think so.Q: I think this will be your first time working together. Please tell us your impressions of each other.
Matsumura:I’m Kawaguchi-san’s junior in high school. At that time, even though we were in different grades, we had the same homeroom class at the same place, so I was with Mr. Kawaguchi at that time, and well, we talked (lol). I get the impression that the teachers have already given up (lol). So when we met for the first time today, I thought, “That’s scary” (lol). I thought it was going to get swallowed up (laughs).
Kawaguchi:Certainly (laughs).
Matsumura:If I had to make a character out of Mr. Kawaguchi, I would think of him as an anaconda (lol), not in terms of his appearance or anything like that, but in terms of his strength of energy.
Kawaguchi:That will definitely be written in the article! (lol)
Matsumura:When we met and talked, it was actually scary how easy it was to talk (lol)
Kawaguchi:I thought it was really nice to meet you, but when you told me this morning that we were in the same classroom, I was really shocked (lol). I thought he was erasing his aura. However, he is usually a very colorful person, both as an actor and when he works in a group, so I was surprised by the gap there. Personally, I have seen the various works in which Mr. Matsumura has appeared, and there are many works that I love, and he is also my favorite actor, so I was genuinely happy to be able to work with him this time. I have the impression that he has completely different expressions depending on his work, so I was really looking forward to working with him again this time.
Matsumura:I was also really looking forward to what I said earlier (lol)
Kawaguchi:(lol).Q: Once again, please give a message to the viewers who are excited and looking forward to the broadcast.
Kawaguchi:A drama that features various characters from law firms, families, and people who are having troubles, and where you can face them and solve their problems, while also facing yourself and growing. I think so. I would like to see what will happen with Mr. Madohara, who is played by Mr. Matsumura, who has a completely different charm, and there will be some love elements as well… I hope you will watch it without thinking too much about it. I want to make a drama that will make you feel relieved, refreshed, and laugh. The filming has just started, but I will do my best so that you can enjoy an hour of Saturday night.
Matsumura: I think it’s a drama that you can enjoy in each episode, as the story unfolds in several episodes and the theme changes little by little. For those who watch it as a “legal” or “lawyer story,” you will find scenes that are difficult to see in other “lawyer stories,” such as defenses, courtroom scenes, and preparation scenes for the first time. I think the charm of this drama is that it can deliver that message. I think it’s a work that’s very appropriate for Saturday at 10pm, when people of all ages are there, so if you start watching it with a very casual mindset, I think you’ll be able to enjoy the charm of the work. Masu.■Comment from Producer Yosuke Goto (Nippon Television Content Production Department)
This drama is a love story about two people who believe that “someday the rain will turn to snow” and take the plunge into a love that they had almost given up on.
Family, friends, and ex-lovers become dramatically involved in the adult love between Sena Koyama, played by Haruna Kawaguchi, and Yu Madohara, played by Hokuto Matsumura. Sometimes it’s support, sometimes it’s a hindrance…I’d be happy if you could watch the emotional progress of the two people’s love.
The word “ensemble” has the meaning of not only chorus or ensemble, but also harmony. Love, work, and life shine when you are in harmony with someone…I want to create a drama like that.
Program information
Nippon Television Sat drama 10 “Ensemble”
Broadcast from January 2025 every Saturday 22:00-22:54
Cast: Haruna Kawaguchi, Hokuto Matsumura
Screenplay: Saki Kuniyoshi, Hayato Morohashi, Neil Nishioka
Music: Kaori Sawada
Chief producer: Kyoko Matsumoto
Producer: Yosuke Goto, Hiroko Okura, Maki Kanazawa
Director: Hayato Kawai and others
Production cooperation: NTV Axon
Production work: Nippon Television
“Ensemble” program site
http://www.ntv.co.jp/ensemble
