Production press conference of TV Asahi Winter 2018 drama "Asu no kimi ga motto suki"

The production press conference of TV Asahi Winter 2018 drama "Asu no kimi ga motto suki" was held on 18 January which was attended by cast members Ichihara Hayato, Ito Ayumi, Yanagiba Toshiro, Morikawa Aoi, Shirasu Jin, Watanabe Dai, Shida Mirai and Mita Yoshiko. The drama begins its run from 20 January in the Saturdays 11.05pm timeslot.

The story written by Izawa Mann describes the love story involving 5 men and women with special circumstances and regard being in love as a troublesome thing. Ichihara plays the lead character Matsuo Ryo who is a landscape designer and has no interest in love and women. He was born in a prestigious Taishu Engeki family but ran away from home after graduating from junior high. Ryo was then taken in by the president of a landscaping company (Yanagiba) in Tokyo and spends his free time taking photos of insects, plants and flowers with his camera. On his way to finish a planting project for an office building, he meets Kuroda Akane (Ito) who works as the president's secretary for a top company and keeps getting involved in relationships with bad men so she has more or less given up on love. Shirosaki Haruhi (Shirasu) is a fresh graduate who looks amiable on the surface but has a hidden side while Tanno Haruka (Morikawa) is a woman troubled over her sexual identity and works at a construction site in the day and a girls bar at night. Akane's younger sister Azusa (Shida) gets involved in the messy state of affairs with these men and women who get together and separate repeatedly as they seem unable to stay in a relationship.

Ichihara said that there is a line in this drama "I'm poor with words" which is exactly how he is in real life. In addition, his character loves bikes and photography which also happen to be his interests. As such, he brought his own bike Kawasaki Z1 to be used in the drama and was really happy to be doing his favourite things in this drama.

Ichihara who worked with Ito in his debut movie "Lily Chou-Chou" in 2001 and the 2006 movie "Chekeraccho!!", said that she has always been so principled and delicate and that he felt both nervous and calm in front of her because he wanted to show how much he has progressed over the years. Ito then commented that she felt that Ichihara was like an angel who was very sincere about his work and someone who she could rely on which was echoed by Yanagiba who praised Ichihara for being a guy who other men would also be impressed with and like. Upon hearing this, Ichihara said that he was very happy to hear this from a senior like Yanagiba.

Sources: Modelpress / Nikkansports / Oricon / Sanspo