Completion screening event of FujiTV New Year drama SP "Kimi ni sasageru Emblem"

The completion screening event of FujiTV New Year drama SP "Kimi ni sasageru Emblem" was held on 20 December which was attended by cast members Sakurai Sho, Nagasawa Masami, Ichihara Hayato and Ando Masanobu. The drama SP which is based on a true story, will be shown at 9pm on 3 January, features Sakurai as a former J-league soccer player Takajo Kazuya who becomes paralysed due to an accident and regains hope in life after becoming a wheelchair basketball player with the support of his fiancee Nakagawa Miki (Nagasawa).

Sakurai who last appeared in a New Year drama SP "Taishi Kakka no Ryorinin two years ago, commented that he was a bit nervous before the start of the filming and that it was rare for a screening event to be held for a drama SP which reflected how much effort the cast and staff had put into this. When asked about the strengths of this drama, Sakurai said that this is not only a touching story which will bring people to tears but will also feature love between family members and friends and the charm of the wheelchair basketball sport.

Before the start of the filming, Sakurai went through about a month of training in order to play a wheelchair basketball player which he said was well worth the effort since they hardly needed stand-ins for the matches scenes in the drama which were shot at Yoyogi Stadium. In response, Ichihara commented that it would have been nice if this was a full drama series so that they could have more time to practise more and play better. Ando echoed the view that he liked the scenes where they played basketball because they took a lot of time to practice together. Even Nagasawa who didn't get to play recounted that the players showed great teamwork and got along really well with one another.

When asked about which scene he found memorable, Sakurai cited the first meeting between Takajo and Mukai Hiroto (Ichihara) where the latter was trying to crash into him at full force and he felt like he was a bullfighter when the bull was charging towards him. Ando then cited the touching scene when Sakurai and Nagasawa were filming the scene where he was trying to go up the stairs with her help and praised Sakurai for doing his best for the filming. Ichihara also mentioned a scene where Takajo and Mukai were talking where they were sobbing towards the end which led Nagasawa to joke that Sakurai is a guy who cries easily unexpectedly. In response, Sakurai said in an embarrassed manner that it could be because that he is older now so is more easily moved emotionally.

Nagasawa recounted that it seemed fated that she took on this drama as her father was a soccer player and coach so she felt as if she was seeing her parents' story through this drama. As such, she was very happy to be able to take part in this.

Sources: Sponichi 1 / Oricon / Sponichi 2

Preview of "Kimi ni sasageru Emblem" (Drama SP)

Title: Kimi ni sasageru Emblem 君に捧げるエンブレム (The emblem to be dedicated to you)
Official website: here
O.A. Date: 3 January 2017 at 9pm
Broadcast by: FujiTV
Cast: Sakurai Sho, Nagasawa Masami, Ichihara Hayato, Tanaka Tetsushi, Kobayashi Kaoru, Baisho Mitsuko, Katase Rino, Ando Masanobu and Kagawa Teruyuki

Supporting cast lineup of new FujiTV drama SP "Kimi ni sasageru Emblem" announced

The supporting cast lineup of new FujiTV drama SP "Kimi ni sasageru Emblem" starring Sakurai Sho was announced on 1 November. The drama SP which will be shown during New year 2017, features Sakurai as Takajou Kazuya, a former J-league soccer player who becomes paralysed due to an accident and becomes a wheelchair basketball player. Other than Nagasawa Masami who will play his fiancee Nakagawa Miki, Ichihara Hayato, Baisho Mitsuko, Kagawa Teruyuki, Tanaka Tetsushi, Kobayashi Kaoru, Katase Rino and Ando Masanobu will be also part of the cast.

Ichihara will play Mukai Hiroto who is the top scorer in the wheelchair basketball team but actually suffers from metastatic cancer which can end his career anytime. Ando will play Kamimura Ren who is the ace of the team and the biggest rival to Kazuya and Hiroto. Miki's father Akio who objects to his daughter marrying Kazuya will be played by Kobayashi while Baisho will play Waka who is Kazuya's mother. Hayato's mother Fumiko will be played by Katase. Tanaka will play Tsuruta Hitoshi who introduces Kazuya into the world of wheelchair basketball and Kagawa will play Fukumoto Koutarou, a sports newspaper reporter who has been following Kazuya's career since he was a soccer player.

Source: Sponichi

Nagasawa Masami to play Sakurai Sho's wife in FujiTV drama SP "Kimi ni sasageru Emblem"

Nagasawa Masami will be starring in the upcoming FujiTV drama SP "Kimi ni sasageru Emblem" which will be shown during New Year 2017. The drama SP features Sakurai Sho as the lead character Takajo Kazuya who is based on the life of Kyoya Kazuyuki, a former J-league soccer player who became a wheelchair basketball player after a traffic accident. Nagasawa will play Takajo's wife Nakagawa Miki who chooses to marry him despite his accident which took place just before their wedding and her parents' objections.

As this is the first time that Nagasawa is playing a wife with a disabled husband, she admitted that it was difficult to show the complicated feelings of her character. However, since she was a child, she had seen how people can be passionate about sports through her interaction with those working with her father Nagasawa Kazuaki who is a former national team soccer player and coach so she could identify with the feelings of the lead character. She was also impressed by how positive Takajo is even though he faces so many challenges and hopes that she will be able to manage the role of his wife. When asked about her impression of Sakurai who she is working with for the first time, Nagasawa praised him for being a person who doesn't give anyone pressure, is very tolerant towards others and seems able to do everything. As such, she could relax from the first day they started working together.

Filming began at the end of last month.

Sources: Sanspo / Sponichi / Oricon

Sakurai Sho to star in FujiTV New Year drama SP "Kimi ni sasageru Emblem" as wheelchair basketball player

Arashi's Sakurai Sho will be starring in the FujiTV New Year drama SP "Kimi ni sasageru Emblem" (The emblem I want to offer to you) which is based on the true story of former J-league soccer player Kyoya Kazuyuki. Kyoya met with an accident in 1993 which led to spine injuries thus causing him to retire from soccer. He later became a wheelchair basketball player.

Sakurai plays the role of Takajou Kazuya who is modeled after Kyoya in the drama SP. Kazuya was chosen as a national team player and about to get married when he met with an accident that left him with spine injuries and having to move around in a wheelchair. With the support of his wife, Kazuya becomes a wheelchair basketball player with the dream of participating in the Paralympics.

The production crew spent 5 years interviewing Kyoya and people involved in the sport of wheelchair basketball. Their intention is not to produce a tearjerker about handicapped people but rather to show how people refuse to be defeated by difficulties in life. Sakurai had interviewed people who participated in wheelchair basketball when he was doing a TV feature on sports for the handicapped so he finds that it's meaningful to be able to participate in this drama which features such sports. However, he is worried about the wheelchair basketball scenes since he tried doing that before and it was a very tough experience for him. On the other hand, he is glad that he had played soccer up till he was in the second year of junior high so he should be able to manage the soccer scenes in the drama. Sakurai is expected to undergo training from Kyoya after the end of the Paralympics this year as the latter is away in Rio de Janeiro as the assistant coach for the wheelchair basketball team.

Sources: Sanspo / Cinema Today