Uchiyama Rina to be the guest star in Ep 3 of TV Asahi Summer 2017 drama "Aino Kekkon Soudanjo"

Uchiyama Rina will be the guest star in the third episode of TV Asahi Summer 2017 drama "Aino Kekkon Soudanjo" which will be shown on 11 August. She plays the role of a former idol Ozu Shoko who is an actress now and doesn't mince her words. She had divorced her husband a few years ago and was sued by him for moral harassment which led to her being hounded by the media. When she tried to attend the funeral of her mother who had abandoned her when she was a child, she couldn't do it privately as the media caught wind of it. At this time when Shoko is not doing well in life, she gets an unexpected offer from Aino (Yamazaki Ikusaburo) who offers to find a marriage partner for her. According to Sister Elisabeth (Takanashi Rin), Aino even waives the 2 million yen membership fee for Shoko because he is her fan. Even though Shoko initially has no interest in getting remarried and rejects Aino's offer, she decides to give it a go since he's so confident of making this work. However, Shoko sets two conditions for her potential marriage partner i.e. he must not know that she used to be an idol and should dislike kids.

Uchiyama commented that when she first got the script, she was impressed by how interesting it was and couldn't wait for the filming to start. According to the director, Shoko is someone who thinks too highly of herself and causes trouble for the people around her. Nonetheless, Uchiyama said that she had fun playing Shoko even though she admitted that it will be troublesome to have someone like Shoko around. Especially since Shoko had a turbulent life from being a top idol to an actress who gets into petty battles with current idols and divorcee who parted with her husband under less than desirable circumstances, Uchiyama hopes to be able to show how Shoko speaks what she thinks and convey the latter's emotions accurately.

Source: Oricon

Nakamura An to play her first baddie role in TV Asahi Summer 2017 drama "Aino Kekkon Soudanjo"

Nakamura An will be taking on her first baddie role in the TV Asahi Summer 2017 drama "Aino Kekkon Soudanjo" which will be the 6th season in a row that she has appeared in regular drama series. She will be playing the role of Remi who works at a break-up company that breaks up couples and always appears in a body-hugging cheongsam with high slits that shows off her legs as she seduces the men. This pits her against Aino (Yamazaki) whose company does the exact opposite of bringing couples together. The two of them seem to have a longstanding grudge as he doesn't budge even when faced with her seductive actions.

Nakamura commented that she usually played nice people roles so she hopes that this character will help her break free of this image and mark a new stage in her career. However, as she has never severed ties with anyone before, she found it difficult to imagine how a break-up specialist might behave so this is going to be a very extreme role and a great challenge for her.

Sources: Sanspo / Oricon

Production press conference of TV Asahi Summer 2017 drama "Aino Kekkon Soudanjo"

The production press conference of TV Asahi Summer 2017 drama "Aino Kekkon Soudanjo" was held at Roppongi Hills Arena on 24 July which was attended by cast members Yamazaki Ikusaburo, Takanashi Rin, Kaga Takeshi, Maeda Bibari, Nakao Masaki and Yamaga Kotoko. The drama begins its run from 28 July in the Fridays 11.15pm timeslot. The drama which is based on the same-titled manga by Katou Yagi and Yagi Jun which was serialised between 2010 and 2016, is set in a legendary matchmaking agency where you have to pay 2 million yen to become a member but will be guaranteed a 100% success rate in finding your ideal marriage partner.

Yamazaki plays the role of the agency's manager Aino Shingo who is cold, pretentious and speaks harshly to his clients at times. Being a former assistant professor specialising in ethology, Aino is very well-versed in the behaviour of animals and insects and has a hobby of collecting such figures. He will stop at nothing to ensure that his clients find their perfect match by using his knowledge in his counselling sessions. On the other hand, Takanashi plays his assistant named Sister Elisabeth who wears a nun's outfit and has the tendency of falling in love with handsome clients. She is constantly mocked by Aino for having the brains of an insect but she always manages to help him cover up for his blunders at work.

At the beginning of the event, Yamazaki appeared on stage while singing the drama's theme song "Congratulations" and joined his co-stars in throwing balls signed by the cast to the audience. Yamazaki who is referred to as the prince of the musical world, commented on his character as someone who is very charming and thinks that he is really cool but actually gets laughed at by the people around him. As he has never played a character of this type before even in musicals, he is looking forward to creating a new world with his character with the songs, dance, piano playing and flashy costumes in this drama.

Takanashi who is working with Yamazaki for the first time, revealed that when she first met him, she was struck by how much he looks like a prince in pictures especially since he was holding a rose stalk with his mouth during the photoshoot. In response, Yamazaki said that he doesn't do such things normally and was only doing it because he was instructed to. Takanashi also commented that during a scene at the amusement park, he looked very suitable while riding a white horse. During the filming, he is the one who makes the atmosphere very lively which has also allowed her to be free to show her true self.

Sources: Eiga.com / Oricon

Preview of "Aino Kekkon Soudanjo" - Summer 2017

Title: Aino Kekkon Soudanjo あいの結婚相談所 (Aino's matchmaking agency)
Official website: here
Official Instagram: here
Official Twitter: here
O.A. Start Date: 28 July 2017
Timeslot: Fridays 11.15pm
Broadcast by: TV Asahi
Original manga by: Kato Yagi & Yagi Jun
Theme Song: " Congratulations" / "Ai no Data" by Yamazaki Ikusaburo
Cast: Yamazaki Ikusaburo, Takanashi Rin, Kaga Takeshi, Maeda Bibari, Nakao Masaki, Yamaga Kotoko

Shaku Yumiko to be the guest in Ep 2 of TV Asahi Summer 2017 drama "Aino Kekkon Soudanjo"

Shaku Yumiko will be the guest in Ep 2 of TV Asahi Summer 2017 drama "Aino Kekkon Soudanjo" which will be shown on 28 July. The drama which is based on the same-titled manga by Katou Yagi and Yagi Jun which was serialised between 2010 and 2016, is set in a legendary matchmaking agency where you have to pay 2 million yen to become a member but will be guaranteed a 100% success rate in finding your ideal marriage partner. Yamazaki plays the role of the agency's manager Aino Shingo who is cold, pretentious and speaks harshly to his clients at times. Being a former assistant professor specialising in ethology, Aino is very well-versed in the behaviour of animals and insects and has a hobby of collecting such figures. He will stop at nothing to ensure that his clients find their perfect match by using his knowledge in his counselling sessions. On the other hand, Takanashi plays his assistant named Sister Elisabeth who wears a nun's outfit and has the tendency of falling in love with handsome clients. She is constantly mocked by Aino for having the brains of an insect but she always manages to help him cover up for his blunders at work.

Shaku will be playing a single woman Sonoda Yuki who operates a childcare centre at her apartment and visits the matchmaking agency to look for a marriage partner. Upon hearing her conditions of someone who earns more than JPY 4m annually and can protect her, Aino's suspicion is aroused as Sonoda is already an entrepreneur making good money and doesn't seem like someone in need of someone to protect her. Later, Sonoda reveals that she is harassed by a stalker thus she needs someone who can protect her from harm. The other guest star in this episode will be Kashiwabara Shuji.

Shaku commented that she had watched Yamazaki's dramas in the past but this is the first time that they are working together. When she read the script, she was intrigued by the inclusion of musical elements in the drama and is excited to be a part of this story.

Source: Oricon

Oricon's most anticipated Summer 2017 dramas ranking

Oricon conducted a survey on 1,364 people from their teens to 50s where they chose which Summer 2017 they are looking forward to watch. Dramas which were not announced before the start of the survey i.e. 19 June were not included and only dramas from the private networks and NHK were considered in this list.

There are two rankings here i.e. the primetime (7pm to 10pm) and midnight categories (shown after 11pm). Numbers in brackets indicate the overall weighted score in terms of anticipated ratings, leading actor/actress, supporting cast and content which account for 20 marks each. As such, the maximum score a drama can get is 80. The asterisk indicates dramas which are based on novels/manga so those without have original scripts.

Primetime Category

1) Code Blue ~ Doctor Heli Kinkyuu Kyuumei ~ THE THIRD SEASON (77)

2) Iryu Sousa (67)

3) Hello Harinezumi (66)*

4) Bokutachi ga yarimashita (65)*

5) Gomen Aishiteru (61)*

6) Keiji Shichinin 3 (53)

7) Kurokawa no Techou (49)*

8) Aishitetatte, himitsu wa aru (48)

9) Kahogo no Kahoko / Seshiru no Mokuromi* (45)

11) Kanna-san!* / Keishicho Zerogakari ~ Seikatsu Anzenka Nandemo Soudanshitsu ~ SECOND SEASON* / Uchi no otto wa shigoto ga dekinai (44)

14) Keishicho Ikimonogakari* (29)

15) Ecchan* (16)

Midnight Category

1) Shimokitazawa Diehard (52)

2) Nou ni sumaho ga umerareta! (28)

3) Aino Kekkon Soudanjo* (27)

4) Izakaya Fuji* (24)

5) Wanitokagegisu* (20)

6) Maji de koukai shimasu / Saboriiman Kantarou* (12)

Source: Oricon

Yamazaki Ikusaburo & Takanashi Rin to star in new TV Asahi Summer 2017 drama "Aino Kekkon Soudanjo"

Yamazaki Ikusaburo will be starring in the new TV Asahi Summer 2017 drama "Aino Kekkon Soudanjo" (Aino's matchmaking agency) which will begin its run from July in the Fridays 11.15pm timeslot. This will be his first leading role in a drama and he will be joined by Takanashi Rin who plays the heroine.

The drama which is based on the same-titled manga by Katou Yagi and Yagi Jun which was serialised between 2010 and 2016, is set in a legendary matchmaking agency where you have to pay 2 million yen to become a member but will be guaranteed a 100% success rate in finding your ideal marriage partner. Yamazaki plays the role of the agency's manager Aino Shingo who is cold, pretentious and speaks harshly to his clients at times. Being a former assistant professor specialising in ethology, Aino is very well-versed in the behaviour of animals and insects and has a hobby of collecting such figures. He will stop at nothing to ensure that his clients find their perfect match by using his knowledge in his counselling sessions. On the other hand, Takanashi plays his assistant named Sister Elisabeth who wears a nun's outfit and has the tendency of falling in love with handsome clients. She is constantly mocked by Aino for having the brains of an insect but she always manages to help him cover up for his blunders at work.

With regard to taking on his first leading role, Yamazaki commented that he does feel the pressure but he will try his best to play Aino by challenging himself and putting in his best. When asked about what he feels would be a condition for him when seeking a marriage partner, Yamazaki who is married to former Morning Musume member Abe Natsumi and has a 10-month-old son, commented that the ideal marriage partner should be someone who you feel like you are willing to do things for. As for Takanashi, she joked about how her character is so unlike a nun with no "sister-like qualities" but she is eager to try this out as a challenge in her acting career.

Sources: Sanspo / Oricon