Sho Sakurai plays the role of a politician for the first time!Drama “Laughing Matryoshka” starring Asami Mizukawa will be broadcast

■“Recently, whenever I see politicians on the news, I find myself observing them, wondering if they have any hints.” (Sho Sakurai)

“Laughing Matryoshka” will be broadcast on TBS’ Friday drama slot (every Friday from 10pm) in July.

The original work is a novel of the same name published in 2021 by Kazuma Hayami, who has won numerous awards including the Japan Mystery Writers Association Award and the Shugoro Yamamoto Award. The film features a gorgeous cast including Asami Mizukawa in the lead role, Tetsuji Tamayama, and Sho Sakurai.

■The “strange relationship” between a young popular politician and his talented secretary. A newspaper reporter approaches the darkness surrounding them!
This work is a human political suspense that approaches the greed and ambition that everyone has.

Seike is a young politician who has gained popularity for his impressive smile and liberal speech and behavior, and has been hailed as a future prime minister candidate. And Suzuki, a talented secretary who supports him. Both look impeccable and perfect.

“But these two… something is wrong.”

In order to uncover the strange relationship between these two, Michigami, a newspaper reporter, investigates their hidden past. He then learns that a number of suspicious deaths occurred during Seie’s rise to the top of politics.

These accidents seemed to be the work of someone related to the Seike family, but new facts and people come to light one after another. This also connects Michigami with his father, who suddenly died in an accident.

A strange relationship between a young politician and a talented secretary, and a number of suspicious deaths that occurred behind the scenes of glory… And the strong tenacity of a newspaper reporter to pursue it. “Laughing Matryoshka” is a thrilling entertainment work that depicts the “labyrinth called humankind.”

■It has been 8 years since she appeared on a TBS drama series!Starring Asami Mizukawa plays the role of a newspaper reporter who pursues mysteries with strong tenacity.
Asami Mizukawa plays the lead role in this work. This will be her first appearance in a TBS drama series in eight years since her Friday drama “Never Let Me Go” in 2016.

Mizukawa plays the main character, Kanae Michigami, a newspaper reporter. Due to her unusual inquisitiveness, she was originally a talented reporter for the social affairs department, but after a certain scoop, she was removed from the social affairs department and transferred to the literature department.

One day, I interviewed Ichiro Seike, a young and popular politician who is said to be a future prime minister candidate. However, Michigami feels uncomfortable with the relationship between Seie and his secretary. Meanwhile, his father, who was also a newspaper reporter, suddenly dies in an accident while covering an incident he had been following for many years.

A person who emerged behind the suspicious death and the “certain incident” that my father was reporting on until just before his death. It was Seie’s secretary. Eventually, Michigami becomes caught up in a whirlpool of desire surrounding “politician Ichiro Seike.”

■Tetsuji Tamayama will play the mysterious secretary who has been supporting Seike for many years.
The role of Toshiya Suzuki, the political secretary of the politician Seike, will be played by Tetsuji Tamayama, who is remembered for his excellent performance as a timid and gentle bassoon player in Sunday Theater “Sayonara Maestro” in January of this year.

Suzuki is a talented secretary who has supported Seike’s political activities for many years. He had actually known Seike since high school, and even then he saw in him the qualities of a politician. And now, as a political secretary, he is devoting everything to guiding Seike to the position of prime minister.

However, strangely, the name of Suzuki, who was supposed to be the person closest to Seike, does not appear at all in the autobiography published by Seike. This had something to do with Suzuki’s “past” that no one knew about.

■Sho Sakurai takes on the role of a politician for the first time as Ichiro Seike, who controls the story!
Sho Sakurai has been chosen to play the role of Ichiro Seike, the young politician who controls the story. This will be Sakurai’s first regular appearance in a TBS drama series in 14 years since the 2010 Sunday theater drama “Tokujo Kabachi!!”, and his first role as a politician.

Seie, who first entered the cabinet as Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare at the young age of 43, is a future prime minister candidate who is extremely popular with the public for his striking smile and liberal behavior, which is unusual among many conservative politicians.

Seike has a perfect and clean public image, but behind that glory, a number of suspicious fatal accidents have occurred. Is that perfect smile a “false mask”?

A heart-wrenching development where mysteries lead to more mysteries… Suspicious characters appear one after another… What is the shocking truth that awaits us at the end?

Pay attention to the July Friday drama “Laughing Matryoshka,” starring Asami Mizukawa, Tetsuji Tamayama, and Sho Sakurai, a gorgeous cast.

■Asami Mizukawa comment
When I read the original work, I was interested in how it depicts the “karma” of people and the “mysterious” aspects of people that they don’t want to show to others. Michigami, the character I play, is a woman who has a lot of energy and is straight to the point of being clumsy. She has a strong curiosity and can’t help but find out what interests her. I thought she was interesting as a person. I want to play her by focusing deeply on her humanity, without being too focused on her role as a newspaper reporter. I also hope to create a good harmony with Tamayama-san and Sakurai-san, who I know well from my experience working with them. As various mysteries intertwine, Michigami moves forward from the same perspective as the viewers. I hope that the vividness of Michigami, who immerses himself in each mystery while identifying them one by one, can be conveyed to the viewers.
■Tetsuji Tamayama comment
I think this is an innovative piece of work that vividly depicts human desires and harshness. In the movie, Suzuki, the character I play, is a man who would sacrifice everything he has to make Seie, played by Sakurai, the prime minister. Is that relationship really that pure? I hope you enjoy speculating about the complex relationship between Suzuki and Seie, who are not sure if he is using her or being used by her. This will be my first collaboration with Mizukawa in about 20 years. Although our environments have changed and we have both become adults, I was relieved to see that nothing had changed at all when we met. I feel like Mr. Sakurai fits perfectly into the role of Seike, to the point where I think, “Have you never run for office before?” It’s my first time co-starring, but I hope that by taking the plunge and putting myself out there, it will be seen as “suspicion” and create a “good sense of discomfort.” I would be happy if you could feel refreshed by watching Michigami’s actions in pursuit of this.
■Sakurai Sho comment
I had interviewed politicians on news programs, but this time I was going to play a fictional politician, and I was both surprised and happy that I had reached that age.
Lately, every time I see a politician on the news, I find myself observing them to see if they have any hints.
I am also happy to be able to work towards the same goal as Mr. Mizukawa and Mr. Tamayama, who are of the same generation.
I’ve worked with Mr. Mizukawa about 10 years ago, playing the role of a quite comical couple, so I’m really looking forward to working with him in this serious work.
I would like to spend time with Mr. Tamayama, who will be co-starring with me for the first time, on set as well as in the work. The story develops in a way that reveals various things one after another, like removing the shell of a matryoshka, and how will the story unfold while fooling the viewers?
I want to create a work that allows people to enjoy a sense of discomfort that they have never felt before.
■Producer Fumi Hashimoto comment
What kind of people are you always dealing with, and what kind of people are you?
I started thinking about this after reading Kazuma Hayami’s original novel “Laughing Matryoshka”.
This Friday drama approaches “human nature” and packs in the fragility, fun, and sadness of “human beings” to the fullest.
Although the setting is politics, it is by no means rigid or dark; it is an entertainment work that contains suspense elements that involve many mysteries and desires, as well as strong human elements such as family history, parent-child connections, and friendship.
To put it in words, it’s “a human political suspense that everyone can enjoy.”
Based on Professor Hayami’s masterpiece novel that approaches the depths of human beings, the script, which was created in consultation with Professor Hayami, is as thrilling as ever, and the charming characters are portrayed by Asami Mizukawa and Tamayama. I’m really looking forward to seeing Tetsuji-san and Sakurai Sho-san, the most exciting and wonderful cast members, playing the roles!
As you open each matryoshka one by one, find out who is laughing at the end! ?
I would be happy if you could enjoy every Friday night as if you were riding a roller coaster.
All the staff and cast members will do their best to keep up with the hot summer weather, so we appreciate your continued support!
■Original work: Kazuma Hayami comment
What does “interesting” mean to me?
What kind of works have you found “interesting” and which have left you feeling overwhelmed?
“Laughing Matryoshka” is a story that was written by analyzing, breaking down, and counting backwards for the first time.
Even if I was asked to write the same thing, I feel like I would never be able to write it again.
Even similar nuances can be difficult.
I wouldn’t say it was haphazard, but it felt like I was walking a tightrope all the time.
For me, the most interesting thing is “human beings,” and there is nothing other than “human work.”
So, what is this “karma”?
This is a work in which I poured all my attention to making it “interesting” until the very end.
I’m looking forward to the broadcast to see how this will be expressed in the video.

Program information

TBS Friday drama “Laughing Matryoshka”
Every Friday 22:00-22:54 for the period ending July 2024

Production: Kyodo TV TBS
Original work: Kazuma Hayami “Laughing Matryoshka” (Bungei Shunju)
Screenplay: Yoshihiro Izumi, Yu Kanda
Producer: Fumi Hashimoto
Direction: Kazuyuki Iwata
Orchestration: Ayaka Sugita

Performer:
Kanae Michigami: Asami Mizukawa
Toshiya Suzuki: Tetsuji Tamayama

Ichiro Seike: Sho Sakurai

“Laughing Matryoshka” program site
https://www.tbs.co.jp/waraumatryoshka_tbs/