Ashida Mana to star in her first leading role in NTV Winter 2014 drama "Ashita, Mama ga inai"

Ashida Mana will be taking on her first leading role alone in the NTV Winter 2014 drama "Ashita, Mama ga inai" (Mother is not around tomorrow) which begins its run in January 2014 in the Wednesdays 10pm timeslot. Co-stars include Miura Shohei, Kimura Fumino, Shirota Yu and Suzuki Sawa.

The story features Ashida as one of the children raised in the welfare home "Kogamo no Ie" because they had to leave their parents for one reason or another and shows how these children struggle to cope with the situation. Ashida plays the role of Post who has been in the welfare home for some time and is looked upon as a leader by the other children. Miura plays the role of an employee in the welfare home who doesn't speak a single word and is nicknamed Locker by the kids who trust him enough to share their secrets and thoughts with him. Kimura plays the role of Mizusawa Kanai, an employee in the welfare home who tries her best to find foster parents for the children and is not afraid of breaking rules to do so. However, her insistence in doing so has a lot to do with her mysterious background. Shirota plays Tojo Yuki, a man admired by the children for his good looks and kind mannerisms and they look to him as the perfect foster parent. However, the brooding sadness in his eyes suggest that there is more than meets the eye. As for Suzuki, she will play the role of a woman who works at the bento shop frequented by Sasaki, the principal of the welfare home. Her name will be kept a secret at least in the beginning of the story before her connection to the welfare home and why she knows what is going on inside there are revealed. The role of Sasaki has yet to be filled.

Source: Sponichi