Tanaka Rena to star in new FujiTV Winter 2017 drama "Mahiru no Akuma"

Tanaka Rena will be starring in the new FujiTV Winter 2017 drama "Mahiru no Akuma" (The Midday Devil) which will be shown from 4 February in the Saturdays 11.40pm timeslot. The drama which is based on the same-titled novel by the late Endo Shusaku, features Tanaka as a beautiful surgeon who has an evil heart.

In the original novel, the medical mystery describes how a series of weird incidents happen in a hospital and the search for the criminal. In the drama version though, the focus will be on delving into the dark side of the lead character and why she does the things she did. Tanaka plays the role of Okouchi Yoko who is a sociable and cheerful surgeon but actually has the urge to do evil when she sees a vulnerable target due to an emotional trauma she suffered as a child. One day, a young man named Masato is sent to the hospital where Yoko works at due to acute abdominal pain and falls for her in no time. However, this marks the beginning of his misery and destruction as various incidents happen at the hospital e.g. a medical mishap involving an elderly woman suffering from dementia, a young girl who is on the verge of death due to a mysterious allergy and a fake karte causing a patient's condition to worsen.

According to the producer Toyama Keisuke, he revealed that Tanaka was chosen because she has always had the pure and innocent image so he would like to see her become a baddie in this drama and show expressions which would make the viewers fearful of her. Meanwhile, Tanaka who is taking on her first leading role in a FujiTV drama, commented that the original novel is very interesting and thrilling to read at one go so she is eagerly anticipating to play this character who attracts her for being scary and attractive at the same time.

Filming will begin in the middle of January 2017.

Source: Sanspo