Mizukawa Asami to return in the last episode of "Iryu 4 ~ Team Medical Dragon"

Mizukawa Asami will make her return to the Iryu series in the final episode of "Iryu 4 ~ Team Medical Dragon" which will be shown on 20 March. She will reprise her role as Satohara Miki, the talented nurse who is a great surgical assistant that can keep up with Asada Ryutaro's (Sakaguchi Kenji) pace. This is the first time in 7 years since Mizukawa is acting in the Iryu series where she was last seen in the second series back in 2007 and she revealed that she is happy but also worried about whether she can handle the operation scenes after such a long break. In the final episode, Miki is described as having returned from Germany and rejoins the team.

Source: Sanspo

"Iryu 4 ~ Team Medical Dragon" goes to India for location shooting of its intro video

The production crew of "Iryu 4 ~ Team Medical Dragon" went to India's Delhi and Doida for the shooting of its intro video which will be shown before each episode from Ep 2 onwards. Takahashi Katsunori who plays an international management consultant in the drama, went there for the filming and commented that it had been a culture shock for him since it was his first visit to India and he had to look the part as the consultant who has a sharp eye at spotting business opportunities.

Source: Sanspo

Preview of "Iryu 4" - Winter 2014

Title: Iryu 4
Official website: here
Official Facebook page: here
Official Twitter page: here
O.A. Start Date: 9 January 2014
Timeslot: Thursdays 9pm
Broadcast by: FujiTV
Original manga by: Nogisaka Taro
Theme song: Aoi Ryu by ATSUSHI (EXILE)
Cast: Sakaguchi Kenji, Inamori Izumi, Koike Teppei, Abe Sadao, Taira Mikijiro, Sasaki Kuranosuke, Natsuki Mari, Kishibe Ittoku, Takahashi Katsunori

EXILE's vocalist ATSUSHI to sing the theme song for Winter 2014 drama "Iryu 4 ~ Team Medical Dragon"

EXILE's vocalist ATSUSHI will be singing the theme song for FujiTV's Winter 2014 drama "Iryu 4 ~ Team Medical Dragon" which is due to be begin its run from 9 January at 10pm on Thursdays. The theme song "Aoi Ryu" (Blue Dragon" was written by ATSUSHI after he had discussions with the drama's staff and doctor advisors and will be released as his solo single on 19 February.

Source: Sanspo

Takahashi Katsunori to join "Iryu 4 ~ Team Medical Dragon ~" as new cast member

Takahashi Katsunori will be joining the cast of FujiTV Winter 2014 drama "Iryu 4 ~ Team Medical Dragon ~" which begins its run from January 2014 in the Thursdays 10pm timeslot. The drama which features Sakaguchi Kenji as the lead Asada Ryutaro, describes the reunion of Team Dragon as they are faced with the task of creating the ideal hospital. Takahashi will play the role of Okamura, a consultant who has been involved in many hospital restructuring projects in the United States and returns to Japan to scout the members from Team Dragon to go to India to provide high-level medical treatment there. Okamura has a lot of medical knowledge and his past is shrouded in secrecy.

Takahashi described that the biggest hurdle for him was the amount of medical terms he had to say in his lines and there was little possibility for him to avoid these terms even though he would have wanted not to memorise them if he had the choice.

Source: Sanspo

Sakaguchi Kenji makes a comeback in "Iryu 4"

Sakaguchi Kenji will play the character Asada Ryutaro again in the new sequel "Iryu 4" which will be shown via FujiTV from January 2014 at 10pm on Thursdays. This time, the focus of the drama will shift from medical treatment to the medical business as Team Dragon gathers again to try to create the perfect hospital. There have been three parts in the Iryu series (2006, 2007 and 2010) and everyone thought that they were done with this series by the time Part 3 was completed.

Part 4 will be set against the backdrop of Japanese hospitals purchasing overseas hospitals with the hope of making entry into the global market but within Japan, the local hospitals have been closing one after another due to problems such as lack of doctors. In such a situation, members of Team Dragon come together again to create an ideal hospital.

Sakaguchi who counts "Iryu" as his signature work, expressed joy at being able to act in the sequel but commented that he did feel intimidated at having to act in long operation scenes again.

Co-stars in "Iryu 4" include previous Team Dragon members Inamori Izumi, Koike Teppei, Abe Sadao and Sasaki Kuranosuke as well as Hira Mikijiro who will act as Asada's teacher.

Source: Sanspo