FujiTV's "Set Design no Himitsu Ten 2 ~ Getsuku Dorama 30 nen no Kiseki ~"

FujiTV will be holding a free exhibition titled "Set Design no Himitsu Ten 2 ~ Getsuku Dorama 30 nen no Kiseki ~" (The secrets of set design 2 ~ The 30-year tracks of Getsuku Dramas) at Housou Library (Broadcast Library / 放送ライブラリー) in Yokohama from 10am to 5pm between 23 February and 8 April. This exhibition is meant to showcase its set designs and art works created for its Getsuku (Mondays 9pm) dramas over the past 30 years after the first exhibition with a similar theme about various types of TV programmes was held last year and received rave reviews. As this year is the 30th anniversary of the Getsuku timeslot, the exhibits will be exclusively from the 126 dramas shown in this timeslot including the ongoing "Kuragehime" this season. Besides the actual sets used in the dramas, props, costumes, scripts, models, image drawings, rough sketches etc. will be displayed along with the explanations by the art designers.

Some of the dramas featured in the history section include (not exhaustive list though):
- Love Generation (1997)
- Saiyuuki (2006)
- Nodame Cantabile (2006)
- HERO 2 (2014)

The following dramas will have special feature corners:
- Kizoku Tantei (2017)
- Code Blue 3 (2017)
- Minshuu no Teki (2017)
- Kuragehime (2018)

For more details, please refer to the official announcement below (in Japanese only).

Source: FujiTV

USEN's Top 30 Hit J-pop Ranking for 2017

The following ranking compiles the number of times which a song is played on commercial music broadcasting channels under USEN and requests from listeners between the period of 6 January 2017 and 30 November 2017. USEN released the rankings for 8 categories i.e. J-pop, Western music, Enka, Indies, K-POP, Anime, JPOP + Western music and Classic Rock so if you are interested to see the results for the other categories, please visit here.

Without further ado, here is the top 30 for this year in USEN's ranking. Titles in bold indicate songs which are used in dramas as theme or insert songs and the title of the dramas are indicated within the brackets. Please let me know if I have missed anything or made an error:

First episode satisfaction ranking for Autumn 2017 dramas (TV Watcher)

TV Watcher released a ranking where respondents were asked to give scores to the first episodes of Autumn 2017 dramas based on their satisfaction level after watching the first episodes. The full score is 5 while anything above 3.7 is considered high satisfaction. Note that only dramas shown in the 9pm and 10pm timeslots were considered in this ranking. Numbers in brackets indicate the score for the drama concerned:

Production press conference & fan meeting of FujiTV Autumn 2017 drama "Minshuu no Teki"

The production press conference and fan meeting of FujiTV Autumn 2017 drama "Minshuu no Teki ~ Yo no naka, okashikunai desuka!?" was held on 13 October which was attended by cast members Shinohara Ryoko, Takahashi Issei, Ishida Yuriko, Maeda Atsuko and Saito Tsukasa. The drama will begin its run from 23 October in the Mondays 9pm timeslot after its start date was postponed from 16 October due to the upcoming general elections on 22 October.

Maeda Atsuko to star in spin-off drama from FujiTV Autumn 2017 drama "Minshuu no Teki ~ Yo no naka okashikunai desuka!? ~"

Maeda Atsuko will be starring in the spin-off drama from FujiTV Autumn 2017 drama "Minshuu no Teki ~ Yo no naka okashikunai desuka!? ~" which will begin its run from 23 October in the Mondays 9pm timeslot. The spin-off drama "Kataomoi no Teki" (The enemy of one-sided love) consists of 5 episodes and will be shown according to the following schedule and be made available for streaming via FOD after all episodes have been shown on TV:

Oricon's most anticipated Autumn 2017 dramas ranking

Oricon conducted a survey on 1,364 people from their teens to 50s between 11 September and 19 September whereby they chose which Autumn 2017 they are looking forward to watch. Dramas which were not announced by the TV stations before 5 September were not included in this survey and only dramas from the private networks and NHK were considered as candidates 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.

Surprisingly, this is the first time that two dramas tied for the top spot with the maximum score of 80 marks. Although they are both medical-themed dramas, they have very different storylines. "Doctor X" features many difficult surgery scenes amid the underlying storyline of the internal power and money struggles within the university hospital while "Kounodori" focuses on the gynecology department where the doctors strive to provide the best obstetric care to their patients amid various challenges. Also worth noting is that TV Asahi and TBS hogged the top 5 spots in this ranking while NTV, FujiTV and TV Tokyo accounted for the rest of the slots.

Primetime Category
1) Doctor X 5 ~ Gekai Daimon Michiko ~ / Kounodori 2 * (80)
3) Aibou season 16 (75)
4) Kangoku no Ohimesama (70)
5) Rikuou * (67)
6) Minshuu no Teki ~ Yo no naka, okashikunai desuka!? ~ (66)
7) Kasouken no Onna SEASON 17 (65)
8) Keiji Yugami * (60)
9) Okusama wa, toriatsukai chuui (58)
10) Saki ni umaretadake no boku (50)
11) Ashita no Yakusoku (49)
12) Ima kara anata wo kyohaku shimasu * (39)
13) Universal Koukokusha ~ Anata no jinsei, urikomimasu * (34)

Midnight Category
1) Black Revenge (56)
2) Re:Mind * (39)
3) Wakakozake Season 3 * / Juuyou Sankounin Tantei * (37)
5) Otona Koukou (29)
6) Rabuho no Ueno-san Season 2 * (28)
7) Shinjuku Seven * (27)
8) Setoutsumi * (25)
9) Fringeman ~ Aijin no tsukirikata wo oshiemasu ~ * (23)
10) Boku wa Mari no naka * (22)
11) Sakura no oyakodon * (18)

Source: Oricon

FujiTV announces its decision to postpone the first O.A. of "Minshuu no Teki" due to upcoming election

FujiTV announced on 30 September that they will be pushing back the broadcast of upcoming Autumn 2017 drama "Minshuu no Teki ~ Yo no naka, okashikunai desuka!? ~" which was originally slated to begin its run from 16 October. In the announcement, the TV station said that in view of the upcoming House of Representatives election due to take place on 22 October and that there are scenes of an election in the first episode of the drama, the decision was made to do so due to the sensitivity of the content and that the first OA date coincides with the election's public notice date. As such, the first episode will be postponed to a week later i.e. 23 October. As for what programme to show in the now-vacated timeslot, FujiTV will make an announcement on a later date.

This drama features Shinohara Ryoko as the lead character Sato Tomoko who lives with her husband and only child who is attending nursery. When Tomoko was in senior high school, her parents disappeared one after another which led to her quitting school. She then switched jobs many times before deciding to live a serious life unlike her parents. Tomoko got married to her husband who she met at her part-time job but he continues to keep switching jobs as a freeter. As such, she has to chip in to the household finances by taking on part-time jobs. Unfortunately, she got fired when she rebelled against rules in her company. Now in her 40s without a decent education and qualifications, Tomoko becomes attracted to the prospect of becoming a city councilor after watching a feature on a corruption scandal and how much a city councilor earns. After conducting research on her chances of being elected are as high as over 80 percent, Tomoko decides to give it a shot despite being a greenhorn in politics and has no backing from a political party. Right from the start, she is faced with difficulties such as making her PR poster and writing her street rally speeches but with the help of her husband and fellow mothers at the nursery, Tomoko gradually begins her journey to stand for election. Her rival in the election Toudou Makoto will be played by Takahashi Issei who comes from a family of politicians and highly regarded to become a potential Prime Minister while Ishida Yuriko will play Hirata Kazumi whose child also attends the same nursery as Tomoko's and her biggest supporter who graduated from a top-notch university and was a reporter covering political news at a news agency. Other co-stars include Furuta Arata, Maeda Atsuko, Chiba Yuudai, Tanaka Kei and Saito Tsukasa.

Sources: Nikkansports / Sanspo / Sponichi

Preview of "Minshuu no Teki - Yo no naka, okashikunai desuka!? -" - Autumn 2017

Title: Minshuu no Teki - Yo no naka, okashikunai desuka!?- 民衆の敵 - 世の中、おかしくないですか!? (Public Enemy ~ Isn't the world strange?")
Official website: here
Official Twitter: here
O.A. Start Date: 16 October 2017
Timeslot: Mondays 9pm
Broadcast by: FujiTV
Theme Song: "LIFE" by AAA
Cast: Shinohara Ryoko, Takahashi Issei, Furuta Arata, Maeda Atsuko, Chiba Yuudai, Saito Tsukasa, Wakadanna, Hosoda Yoshihiko, Imada Mio, Yo Kimiko, Oosumi Kenya, Tanaka Kei & Ishida Yuriko

AAA to sing the theme song for FujiTV Autumn 2017 drama "Minshuu no Teki ~ Yo no naka, okashikunai desuka!? ~"

AAA will be singing the theme song for FujiTV Autumn 2017 drama "Minshuu no Teki ~ Yo no naka, okashikunai desuka!?" which will begin its run from October in the Mondays 9pm timeslot. The song titled "LIFE" will be AAA's first theme song for a FujiTV drama.

The producer Kusagaya Daisuke commented that they were looking for a theme song with the image of how the lead character played by Shinohara Ryoko strives hard to achieve happiness for herself and her family so they wanted this to be a song that can encourage the viewers as well. With AAA's harmonious voices and their energetic feel, it is hoped that the song will make the drama even more enjoyable to watch for the viewers.

The leader of the group Urata Naoya expressed their joy in being given the chance to sing the theme song and hopes that they can be a source of support to the cast and staff working hard on this drama and the viewers watching it.

Sources: Nikkansports / Sanspo / Sponichi

Supporting cast line-up of FujiTV Autumn 2017 drama "Minshuu no Teki ~ Yo no naka, okashikunai desuka? ~" announced

The supporting cast line-up of FujiTV Autumn 2017 drama "Minshuu no Teki ~ Yo no naka, okashikunai desuka? ~" (Public Enemy ~ Isn't the world strange?") starring Shinohara Ryoko has been announced. The drama which will be shown in the Mondays 9pm timeslot, features Shinohara as the lead character Sato Tomoko who lives with her husband and only child who is attending nursery. When Tomoko was in senior high school, her parents disappeared one after another which led to her quitting school. She then switched jobs many times before deciding to live a serious life unlike her parents. Tomoko got married to her husband who she met at her part-time job but he continues to keep switching jobs as a freeter. As such, she has to chip in to the household finances by taking on part-time jobs. Unfortunately, she got fired when she rebelled against rules in her company. Now in her 40s without a decent education and qualifications, Tomoko becomes attracted to the prospect of becoming a city councilor after watching a feature on a corruption scandal and how much a city councilor earns. After conducting research on her chances of being elected are as high as over 80 percent, Tomoko decides to give it a shot despite being a greenhorn in politics and has no backing from a political party. Right from the start, she is faced with difficulties such as making her PR poster and writing her street rally speeches but with the help of her husband and fellow mothers at the nursery, Tomoko gradually begins her journey to stand for election. Her rival in the election Toudou Makoto will be played by Takahashi Issei who comes from a family of politicians and highly regarded to become a potential Prime Minister while Ishida Yuriko will play Hirata Kazumi whose child also attends the same nursery as Tomoko's and her biggest support who graduated from a top-notch university and was a reporter covering political news at a news agency.

Furuta Arata will play Inuzaki Kazuhisa who is the most powerful figure in the city council and has strong links to the political world due to his long tenure as a city councilor. However, he doesn't control the city council openly and prefers to manipulate the people of his faction from the sidelines. At first, he doesn't think much about Tomoko but slowly changes his opinion of her.

Maeda Atsuko and Chiba Yuudai will be playing city councilors who enters the council at the same time as Tomoko and Toudou. Maeda plays Koide Mia who used to be a gravure idol and stands for election at the recommendation of Inuzaki. Being a former idol, she is good at using SNS to interact with her voters and supporters. On the other hand, Chiba who plays Okamoto Ryo, aspires to return to his past glamourous life which was interrupted when his father ran away due to his debts. As such, Okamoto tries his best to brush up his political knowledge and is always frustrated at Tomoko who is clearly not as knowledgeable as him.

Yo Kimiko plays Kawaharada Akiko who is the city mayor known for her clean image and strong debating powers which she picked up when she was in the US. Being a favourite among the female voters, she is at loggerheads with Inuzaki as she tries to fight against the old power in the council.

Last but not least, Tanaka Kei plays Tomoko's husband Kouhei who fell in love with her at first sight. He is very gentle and considerate to the extreme and takes care of their child while Tomoko stands for election.

Sources: Oricon / Sponichi

Shinohara Ryoko to star in yet-untitled FujiTV Autumn 2017 drama as an aspiring city councilor

Shinohara Ryoko will be starring in the yet-untitled FujiTV Autumn 2017 drama which begins its run from October in the Mondays 9pm timeslot. The drama features Shinohara as the lead character Sato Tomoko who lives with her husband and only child attending nursery. When Tomoko was in senior high school, her parents disappeared one after another which led to her quitting school. She then switched jobs many times before deciding to live a serious life unlike her parents. Tomoko got married to her husband who she met at her part-time job but he continues to keep switching jobs as a freeter. As such, she has to chip in to the household finances by taking on part-time jobs. Unfortunately, she got fired when she rebelled against rules in her company. Now in her 40s without a decent education and qualifications, Tomoko becomes attracted to the prospect of becoming a city councilor after watching a feature on a corruption scandal and how much a city councilor earns. After conducting research on her chances of being elected are as high as over 80 percent, Tomoko decides to give it a shot despite being a greenhorn in politics and has no backing from a political party. Right from the start, she is faced with difficulties such as making her PR poster and writing her street rally speeches but with the help of her husband and fellow mothers at the nursery, Tomoko gradually begins her journey to stand for election. Her rival in the election Toudou Makoto will be played by Takahashi Issei who comes from a family of politicians and highly regarded to become a potential Prime Minister while Ishida Yuriko will play Hirata Kazumi whose child also attends the same nursery as Tomoko's and her biggest support who graduated from a top-notch university and was a reporter covering political news at a news agency.

With regard to playing a politician for the first time, Shinohara admitted that she does feel pressurised but will tap on the support of everyone around her to make an entertaining drama. The producer also suggested that she can focus on showing how an ignorant housewife like Tomoko grows as a result of this journey rather than think about how to convey the difficult concepts in politics. Meanwhile, co-stars Ishida commented that she is very excited to work with Shinohara for the first time and hopes to see how she will play Tomoko and Takahashi also expressed his anticipation about working with his charming co-stars.

Filming begins in early July.

Sources: Oricon / Nikkansports / Sanspo