■ “If you just devote yourself to this story, I think you’ll enjoy the final episode until the very end.” (Kazuya Kamenashi)
The final episode (episode 4) of the drama series W Higashino Keigo’s “The Game is Kidnapping,” starring Kamenashi Kazuya (KAT-TUN), will be broadcast on WOWOW from 10pm on June 30th, and will be available on WOWOW On Demand.
The film is based on Higashino Keigo’s novel “The Game’s Name is Kidnapping,” published in 2002. The mystery begins when the protagonist, a talented planner at an advertising agency, Sakuma Shunsuke (Kazuya Kamenashi), is suddenly forced to step down from a major project he was working on, and plots a fake kidnapping with Katsuragi Katsutoshi (Atsuro Watanabe), the vice president of a large company who had dragged him down, in order to get revenge on his daughter, Juri (Ai Mikami). It was made into a live-action film in 2003, and a drama based on the novel was produced in China in 2020. It is a popular work that has captivated fans around the world for many years.
Highlights include the back-and-forth battle between Sakuma and Katsuragi, the twisted and dangerous love affair that develops between the kidnapper Sakuma and his accomplice Juri, and the shocking ending that turns everything upside down in Sakuma’s kidnapping game that was supposed to be perfect.
The final episode, which will be broadcast and streamed on June 30th, will depict the “ultimate move to turn things around” made by Sakuma (Kamenashi), who witnesses a shocking truth about Juri (Migami), who has been his accomplice in the fake kidnappings, and realizes that he has been played by Juri and Katsuragi (Watanabe).
The climax of the series is the scene where the new car launch event of Nissei Motors, where Katsuragi serves as vice president, takes place. This important scene, in which the three main cast members Kamenashi, Mikami, and Watanabe gather for the first and last time throughout the four episodes, was filmed in November 2023 in a large hall with many extras, taking an entire day to film.
After a thorough discussion with the director, Kamenashi carefully conveys Sakuma’s feelings in the long lines that are the highlight of the film. Meanwhile, Watanabe, as Katsuragi, sometimes raises his voice as he takes on Sakuma head-on in the final confrontation scene.
In the midst of all this, Kamenashi took the initiative to explain the situation to the extras playing reporters, saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, this is a press conference with the people involved in a case that is attracting the world’s attention,” and the atmosphere in the room instantly became heated. With Migami watching, the most important scene of the final episode, filled with the actors’ thoughts, was completed.
What will be the “end of the game” that Sakuma will choose to protect after discovering what he wants to protect through the kidnapping game? Look forward to the development of the final episode, which will be depicted in an original drama.
The final episode of the W drama series Higashino Keigo’s “The Game is Kidnapping” will be broadcast on WOWOW from 10pm on June 30th, and will be streamed simultaneously on WOWOW On Demand.
■ Final episode (episode 4) synopsis
Katsuragi Juri’s body was discovered. However, the photo of Juri shown on the TV news was not the Juri Sakuma knew, but a completely different person. Was it all orchestrated by someone calling himself “Juri”? Sakuma reunites with her and learns an unexpected truth. Sakuma makes his final move against Katsuragi’s ultimate promotion, which even deceives the public eye… Who will be the winner of this “kidnapping game” with everything at stake?
■ Comment from Kazuya Kamenashi
I am very happy that so many people have watched “The Game’s Name is Kidnapping.” I also feel that the time I spent working on the W Drama Series was a wonderful time, as people also enjoyed the previous series “True Identity.”
The final episode is the climax of the story, when Sakuma, Juri, and Katsuragi meet together for the first time. During filming, each cast member had a different role to play, so I don’t remember chatting much, but we had to exchange subtle nuances, so I remember keeping a clear on/off switch and feeling tense even during off-duty moments.
When I read the original novel and the script, I felt that the ending was a major part of the story’s appeal, so if you can just devote yourself to this story, I think it will be a final episode that you will enjoy right until the very end, so please enjoy watching it.
Program Information
WOWOW Serial Drama W Keigo Higashino “The Game is Kidnapping”
06/30 (Sun) 22:00~ ※Final episode (episode 4)
Cast: Kazuya Kamenashi, Ai Mikami
Kohei Takeda, Yusuke Hirayama, Yuki Izumizawa, Mariko Akama, Sayuri Matsumura, and Junnosuke Yamazaki
Motosuke Iida Takashi Kobayashi
Atsuro Watanabe
Original work: Keigo Higashino’s “The Game’s Name is Kidnapping” (published by Kobunsha Bunko)
Director: Kosuke Suzuki
Screenplay: Hiroyuki Komine
“The Game is Kidnapping” program site
https://www.wowow.co.jp/drama/original/yukai/
