■ “I’m also insensitive when it comes to love, so I think we’re similar.” (Snow Man’s Watanabe Shota)
It has been decided that the super popular comic “Aoshima-kun is mean” (written by Yu Yoshii) will be adapted for the first time in the Oshidora Saturday slot (TV Asahi) in July 2024. The long-awaited serial drama will be made into a TV series starring Snow Man’s Watanabe Shota and Nakamura Anne.
Watanabe Shota is a member of Snow Man, a supergroup that continues to charm audiences with their sharp performances and playful side that they show on variety shows, and whose single releases sell over a million copies, and whose concert tickets are said to be the hardest to get in Japan.
Watanabe, whose acclaim as an actor has been soaring, has overwhelmed viewers with his delicate acting ability to play two different age groups, a high school boy and a teacher, in the lead role in the drama “Sayonara Sensei” (2024). In this, which marks his first appearance in a TV Asahi drama, he will play Aoshima Mizuki, a “younger, fasting boy” who is handsome and popular with the ladies, but has no interest in romance or marriage.
Meanwhile, Nakamura Anne, who has been in high demand for popular dramas such as the lead drama “Promise: The Truth of 16 Years” (2024), “NICE FLIGHT! ” (2022), and “Grand Maison Tokyo” (2019), will play the role of Katsuragi Yukino, a “dried fish type girl” who is about to turn 35. This summer, Watanabe and Nakamura, who will be co-starring in a drama for the first time, will start an age-gap “contract love” that begins with a small lie.
■A super classic romantic comedy that hasn’t been seen recently is returning in the Reiwa era!
The protagonists, Aoshima and Yukino, whose “contract love” begins with a small lie, are just ordinary office workers. Aoshima is a young employee who was hired mid-career and immediately stood out for his excellence, while Yukino is a mid-career employee who takes each and every job seriously and is trusted by those around her for her careful work.
In particular, Yukino, an adult woman, lives a down-to-earth life as a working professional, but before she knew it, she had drifted away from romance and had become accustomed to spending time alone, just before her 35th birthday. However, sometimes worries about her age, marriage, and the future cross her mind… she is a familiar presence, and you can’t help but empathize with her, thinking that she could be you or the person sitting next to you.
Furthermore, the story is full of relatable things, such as Aoshima, who believes that love is unnecessary, Yukino, who is enjoying being alone, and a number of events that could happen to you one day, all of which are depicted in a thoroughly realistic way.
And in the love story between the two, there are a lot of heart-pounding scenes that will make you say, “This is what I wanted to see!” From the first episode to the last, every episode features a situation that all women long for, making this a “super” classic romantic comedy.
■True love that begins with “pretending”…?! This summer, a classic romantic comedy that is sure to make your heart flutter begins!
Although Aoshima and Yukino work at the same company, they have never spoken to each other. One day, they happen to bump into each other at a bar that Yukino frequents, and they end up sitting next to each other! When she receives a call from a friend, Yukino remembers that she had made a promise to attend a wedding “with her boyfriend,” and panics, saying, “Oh no, we broke up six months ago…!” The wedding is next week, and Yukino is worried about what to do. She goes ahead and asks Aoshima to pretend to be her boyfriend for just one day and attend her friend’s wedding. To her surprise, he readily agrees. Yukino is relieved, but Aoshima actually has a plan.
As they pretend to be dating, Aoshima somehow starts to become interested in Yukino, who he had no interest in at all, and Yukino ends up being pushed around by the mean, younger tsundere boy. What will become of their “contract love”?
■The theme song has been decided to be Snow Man’s new song “You Are Boku no Mono”!
Furthermore, the theme song for “Aoshima-kun is Mean” has been decided to be Snow Man’s new song “You Are Boku no Mono”. A sweet “classic love song” with a sound that brings to mind the sparkling scenery of summer, singing about the feelings of realizing one’s love. The song beautifully expresses the worldview of this work, such as the excitement and thrill of the beginning of love, the overflowing feelings of “love”, etc. The lyrics that are close to Aoshima’s feelings, “The closer I get to you, the more I fall for you” and “I’m no longer satisfied being alone”, are also noteworthy.
“Of all the demo songs I listened to, this one stuck in my mind the most. The other members said, ‘That’s great! Let’s all give it our all!’ It’s my favorite song,” Watanabe said confidently. Listening to this song during the hot summer is sure to make you feel refreshed.
■ Comment from Shota Watanabe
Q. How did you feel when you were chosen to appear in this film?
I was happy because I haven’t really tried the romantic comedy genre. The members of Snow Man were also happy, saying, “You’re going to be in a drama again!” I knew that the original work was very popular, so I felt some pressure, but I was determined to deliver a “fun summer.”Q. Please tell us your impressions of Nakamura Anne, with whom you are co-starring in a drama for the first time.
He was a guest on our variety show, but that was the only time we worked together. I didn’t know much about him personally, and I had the impression that he was a really cool guy. So this time, I was thinking, “How should I talk to him?” and came up with a strategy to prepare for the day we met, but he was the complete opposite of my first impression: he was really laid back and frank, and I felt like we could have a really fun shoot together, so I was relieved.Q. Is there anything about the character that you can relate to?
Aoshima’s insensitivity towards the opposite sex and romance is a bit real to me. I also like being alone and having pointless conversations with my male friends every day, so I felt a sense of affinity with him in that respect. In terms of appearance as a “handsome character,” I don’t need to prepare for the role. I want to play the role with a strong feeling and confidence, to the point of saying, “I’m already handsome!” (laughs).Q. What do you think is the most interesting thing about this work?
The process of falling in love is properly depicted, with feelings changing from a pseudo-romance of “lover roles”. When I read the script and the original work, I felt that love really does start from something unexpected. So I hope you can see that there’s really no need to rush, and that the time will come suddenly… I hope that even for those who feel like “I’m done with love”, it will give them a push to fall in love, telling them that you never know when that time will come. And since it’s already summer, I hope that it will be a refreshing work that will make you feel refreshed when you watch it.Q. If you had to describe yourself as a certain type of guy or a certain type of girl?
I’m a guy who likes to laugh. I feel like I get told “Stop laughing” a lot from the members of Snow Man (laughs). During a meeting, when someone is talking seriously, I’ll make a funny face behind the person listening to try to make them laugh… I feel like I’m often told that I’m “always laughing and smirking” because I like to mess around.Q. What do you look forward to on set and what is your own “instruction manual”?
I’m quite shy, but I’m the type who wants to communicate and try out different scenes through conversation, so I’d like to become friends with the actors and staff. But I’m not good at talking to people myself, so I’d be happy if you talked to me.Q. Finally, please give a message to the viewers who are looking forward to the broadcast.
It’s a story about a real romance that begins by chance, so I hope it will be a drama that encourages everyone who really wants to fall in love. I also hope it will be a drama that is filled with a variety of emotions, such as fun, heart-pounding, and cute, that you will want to watch over and over again, so please look forward to it!■ Comment from Anne Nakamura
Q. How did you feel when you were chosen to appear in this film?
I don’t have much experience in appearing in love stories. This time, the character I’m playing is closer to my actual age, and the romance with a younger man sounds fun, so I definitely want to take on the challenge.Q. Please tell us your impression of Watanabe Shota, with whom you are co-starring in a drama for the first time.
I saw Watanabe-kun on TV and thought he was a lively and straightforward person, so I had the impression that he was very easy to talk to. Even when I actually met him, he had an atmosphere that made it easy to ask questions, and he told me a lot of things honestly, so I’m looking forward to filming from now on.Q. Is there anything about the character that you can relate to?
There are so many! I’m turning 37 this year, and if you work hard at your job, you’ll be approaching a pretty good age… Yukino has always prioritized her work over romance, and I really sympathized with the timing when she suddenly stops.Q. What do you think is the most interesting thing about this work?
I think it’s about “falling in love.” It would be easy if you could just work without being swayed by love, but it’s also about the feelings of loving someone, growing through that person, and it can be an opportunity to think about life. Will you be able to find true love after being treated badly? I hope you’ll pay attention to that.Q. If you had to describe yourself as a certain type of guy or a certain type of girl?
I think I’m quite a dried fish type. I can do my best at work, but when I get home, it doesn’t matter what I wear. If you have a crush on someone, you might want to look cute, but… At home, I often think, “Taking a bath is such a pain,” or “Should I use the towel one more time?” But actually, I wasn’t really aware that this was me being a dried fish type, so when I read the original work and the script, I realized, “Oh, so this is what’s keeping me from finding love!” (laughs).Q. What do you look forward to on set and what is your own “instruction manual”?
I’m not aware of it, but when I get tired, my soul sometimes disappears. But it’s not that I’m angry or in a bad mood, it’s just that sometimes I disappear, so don’t worry about it, just talk to me normally (laughs). But everyone has their own way of spending time on set. There are times when I’m concentrating, and when it would be better to talk together while we’re working, I want to talk a lot… There are a lot of difficult scenes this time, so let’s cooperate with each other and do our best together without worrying about each other!Q. Finally, please give a message to the viewers who are looking forward to the broadcast.
After all, the original work is very popular and beloved, so I hope that both those who have read the manga and those who are learning about the work through the drama will be able to watch it thinking, “This is what happens!” and that it will strike a chord in their hearts. I hope you enjoy watching it.■ Comment from Yu Yoshii (original author)
About three years have passed since the serialization ended… and now, to everyone’s surprise, it’s being made into a TV drama!
When I first started serializing this, I never dreamed it would turn out like this.
I’m so happy and surprised and still can’t believe it.
I had this wonderful opportunity,
To all the readers who supported us,
This is all thanks to everyone who was involved in “Aoshima-kun is Mean.”
thank you very much!The characters I was drawing on my desk,
I’m really looking forward to seeing you every Saturday at 11pm.
Drama “Aoshima-kun is mean”
I would be very happy if many people could watch it ^^
Program Information
TV AsahiOshidora Saturday “Aoshima-kun is mean”
Starts July 6th
Every Saturday 23:00-23:30
Original work: “Aoshima-kun is mean” by Yu Yoshii
Screenplay: Erika Seki
Cast: Watanabe Shota (Snow Man), Nakamura Anne and others
Theme song: Snow Man “You Are Mine”
Program site
https://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/aoshima_ijiwaru/
Snow Man OFFICIAL SITE
https://mentrecording.jp/snowman/
