The 20th Nikkansports Drama Grand Prix for the 2016 fiscal year - Best Leading Actress

Note that the 2016 fiscal year includes the Spring 2016, Summer 2016, Autumn 2016 and Winter 2017 seasons. Numbers presented below are in the following order: number of votes from women / number of votes from men / grand total. To see a breakdown of the votes by age groups, please visit the link provided at the end of this post.

Nikkansports is announcing the winners of one category daily so I will post the results progressively as they become available:

Top 10 for the best leading actress category:

1) Aragaki Yui - Nigeru wa haji daga yaku ni tatsu (854 + 237 = 1,091)

2) Ishihara Satomi - Jimi ni sugoi! Kouetsu Girl Kouno Etsuko (343 + 46 = 389)

3) Kuroki Haru - Juuhan Shuttai! (340 + 41 = 381)

4) Yonekura Ryoko - Doctor X 4 ~ Gekai Daimon Michiko ~ (241 + 129 = 370)

5) Haru - ON ~ Ijou Hanzai Sousakan Toudou Hinako ~ (223 + 33 = 256)

6) Mitsushima Hikari - Totto Terebi (194 + 27 = 221)

7) Kitagawa Keiko - Ie uru onna (150 + 36 = 186)

8) Ayase Haruka - Seirei no Moribito Kanashiki Hakkaigami (139 +39 = 178) / Takahata Mitsuki - Toto Nee-chan (103 + 75 = 178)

10) Sawaguchi Yasuko - Kasouken no Onna (95 + 40 = 135)

Source: Nikkansports

The 90th Drama Academy Awards (Summer 2016) - Best Supporting Actor

Overall Ranking Top 3
1) Karasawa Toshiaki - Toto Nee-chan
2) Inoo Kei - Soshite, Dare mo inakunatta
3) Takizawa Hideaki - Seiseisuru hodo, Aishiteru

Voters Ranking Top 5
1) Inoo Kei - Soshite, Dare mo inakunatta
2) Yokoyama Yu - ON Ijou Hanzai Sousakan Toudou Hinako
3) Endo Kenichi - HOPE ~ Kitai zero no shinnyu shain ~
4) Totsugi Shigeyuki - Shihei
5) Kato Shigeaki - Toki wo kakeru shoujo

TV Reporters Ranking Top 5
1) Karasawa Toshiaki - Toto Nee-chan
2) Takizawa Hideaki - Seiseisuru hodo, Aishiteru
3) Murakami Nijiro - Aogeba Totoshi / Nakamura Toru - Ie uru onna
5) Yamazaki Kento - Suki na hito ga iru koto

Judges Ranking Top 5
1) Karasawa Toshiaki - Toto Nee-chan
2) Inoo Kei - Soshite, Dare mo inakunatta
3) Takizawa Hideaki - Seiseisuru hodo, Aishiteru / Nishijima Hidetoshi - Toto Nee-chan
5) Hayashi Kento - ON Ijou Hanzai Sousakan Toudou Hinako / Eguchi Yosuke - Hajimemashite, Aishiteimasu

Source: The Televison

The 90th Drama Academy Awards (Summer 2016) - Best Leading Actress

Overall Ranking Top 3
1) Kitagawa Keiko - Ie uru onna
2) Takahata Mitsuki - Toto Nee-chan
3) Haru - ON Ijou Hanzai Sousakan Toudou Hinako

Voters Ranking Top 5
1) Kitagawa Keiko - Ie uru onna
2) Haru - ON Ijou Hanzai Sousakan Toudou Hinako
3) Takahata Mitsuki - Toto Nee-chan
4) Matsui Jurina - Shihei
5) Kiritani Mirei - Suki na hito ga iru koto

TV Reporters Ranking Top 5
1) Takahata Mitsuki - Toto Nee-chan
2) Kitagawa Keiko - Ie uru onna
3) Haru - ON Ijou Hanzai Sousakan Toudou Hinako
4) Ono Machiko - Hajimemashite, Aishiteimasu
5) Keyakizaka46 - Tokuyama Daigorou wo dare ga koroshita ka?

Judges Ranking Top 5
1) Kitagawa Keiko - Ie uru onna
2) Ono Machiko - Hajimemashite, Aishiteimasu
3) Takahata Mitsuki - Toto Nee-chan
4) Haru - ON Ijou Hanzai Sousakan Toudou Hinako
5) Kuroshima Yuina - Toki wo kakeru shoujo / Takei Emi - Seiseisuru hodo, Aishiteru / Matsushima Nanako - Eigyou Buchou Kira Natsuko

Source: The Televison

The 90th Drama Academy Awards (Summer 2016) - Best Drama

Overall Ranking Top 3
1) Ie uru onna (NTV)
2) Toto Nee-chan (NHK)
3) Soshite, Dare mo inakunatta (NTV)

Voters Ranking Top 5
1) HOPE ~ Kitai zero no shinnyu shain ~ (FujiTV)
2) Soshite, Dare mo inakunatta (NTV)
3) Shihei (TBS)
4) ON Ijou Hansai Sousakan Toudou Hinako (FujiTV)
5) Toki wo kakeru shoujo (NTV)

TV Reporters Ranking Top 5
1) Toto Nee-chan (NHK)
2) Ie uru onna (NTV)
3) ON Ijou Hansai Sousakan Toudou Hinako (FujiTV)
4) Soshite, Dare mo inakunatta (NTV) / Aogeba Totoshi (TBS)

Judges Ranking Top 5
1) Ie uru onna (NTV)
2) Toto Nee-chan (NHK)
3) Hajimemashite, Aishiteimasu (TV Asahi)
4) Soshite, Dare mo inakunatta (NTV)
5) Otokomeshi (TV Tokyo)

Source: The Television

Winners of the 5th Confidence Award Drama Prize (Summer 2016)

Best Drama: Ie uru onna (NTV)

Best Leading Actor: Mikami Hiroshi (Isan Sozoku Bengoshi Kakizaki Shinichi)

Best Leading Actress: Haru (ON Ijou Hanzai Sousakan Toudou Hinako)

Best Supporting Actor: Yamauchi Takaya (HOPE ~ Kitai Zero no Shinnyu Shain ~)

Best Supporting Actress: Kinami Haruka (Seiseisuru hodo, Aishiteru)

Best Script: Yukawa Kazuhiko (Hajimemashite, Aishiteimasu)

Best Newcomer: Ishii Anna (Aogeba Totoshi)

Source: Confidence Award Drama Prize

Winners of the 20th Nikkansports Dorama Grand Prix (Summer 2016)

The numbers in brackets indicate the number of votes received:

Best Drama
1) Sanadamaru - NHK (232)
2) Toto Nee-chan - NHK (165)
3) Ie uru Onna - NTV (156)
4) Aogeba Totoshi - TBS (94)
5) Shihei - DEATH CASH - TBS (89)

Best Leading Actor
1) Sakai Masato - Sanadamaru (389)
2) Terao Akira - Aogeba Totoshi (249)
3) Fujiwara Tatsuya - Soshite, dare mo inakunatta (163)
4) Higashiyama Noriyuki - Keiji Shichinin 2 (100)
5) Nakajima Yuto - HOPE ~ Kitai Zero no Shinnyuu Shain ~ (97)

Best Leading Actress
1) Kitagawa Keiko - Ie uru Onna (277)
2) Takahata Mitsuki - Toto Nee-chan (243)
3) Haru - ON Ijou Hanzai Sousakan Toudou Hinako (106)
4) Matsui Jurina - Shihei - DEATH CASH - (97)
5) Kiritani Mirei - Suki na hito ga iru koto (70)

Best Supporting Actor
1) Ooizumi Yo - Sanadamaru (199)
2) Karasawa Toshiaki - Toto Nee-chan (133)
3) Kohinata Fumio - Sanadamaru (83)
4) Totsugi Shigeyuki - Shihei - DEATH CASH - (78)
5) Nakamura Tooru - Ie uru Onna (72)

Best Supporting Actress
1) Nagasawa Masami - Sanadamaru (145)
2) Kimura Tae - Toto Nee-chan (122)
3) Tabe Mikako - Aogeba Totoshi (86)
4) Imoto Ayako - Ie uru Onna (84)
5) Takeuchi Yuko - Sanadamaru (70)

Source: Nikkansports

Ashina Sei to appear in FujiTV Summer 2016 drama "ON Ijou Hanzai Sousakan Toudou Hinako"

Ashina Sei will be appearing in FujiTV Summer 2016 drama "ON Ijou Hanzai Sousakan Toudou Hinako" as the lead Toudou Hinako's (Haru) destined enemy Makabe Towa. In the 8th episode, Hinako had rushed to a hotel to find the murderer Sato Tsuya (Sasaki Nozomi) who had escaped and found Makabe waiting for her there after the latter had cut Kataoka's (Takahashi Tsutomu) neck. It is later revealed that Makabe turns out to be the person who had instigated Hinako to kill like she did when they were in senior high school by handing her a knife. In order to save her senior who is caught by Makabe, Hinako must decide whether to be a murderer or not as the drama approaches its finale.

Source: Oricon

First episode satisfaction ranking for Summer 2016 dramas (TV Watcher)

This is the ranking compiled by TV Watcher where respondents were asked to give scores to the first episodes of the Summer 2016 dramas. The full score is 5 while anything above 3.7 is considered high satisfaction. Numbers in brackets indicate the score for the drama concerned:

1) Soshite, Dare mo inakunatta - NTV (3.88)

2) Keiji Shichinin 2 - TV Asahi (3.71)

3) Aogeba Totoshi - TBS / HOPE ~ Kitai Zero no Shinnyuu Shain - FujiTV (3.61)

5) Eigyou Buchou Kira Natsuko - FujiTV (3.59)

6) ON Ijou Hanzai Sousakan Toudou Hinako - FujiTV (3.53)

7) Ie uru onna - NTV (3.52)

8) Suki na hito ga iru koto - FujiTV (3.42)

9) Toki wo kakeru shoujo - NTV (3.35)

10) Yassan ~ Tsukiji Hatsu! Oishii Jikenbo ~ - TV Tokyo (3.33)

11) Onnatachi no tokusou zensen - TV Asahi (3.32)

12) Seiseisuru hodo, Aishiteru - TBS (3.20)

13) Hajimemashite, Aishiteimasu - TV Asahi (3.18)

14) Kami no shita wo motsu otoko - TBS (2.81)

Source: TV Watcher

Most anticipated Summer 2016 dramas ranking (Yahoo! Japan)

This is a survey done by Yahoo! Japan between 5 July and 16 July where respondents were respondents were asked to choose which drama they looked forward most before the season started. Note that 70% of the respondents were male so dramas of certain genres tend to be more favoured as compared to those targeted at female audiences. It might also be worth noting that the difference between the Top 4 is actually quite small and they collectively account for about 40% of the votes.

Numbers in brackets indicate the number of votes received while the percentage represents the vote share:

1) Yamikin Ushijima-kun Season 3 - TBS (1,363 / 10.2%)

2) ON Ijou Hanzai Sousakan Toudou Hinako - FujiTV (1,306 / 9.7%)

3) Soshite, Dare mo inakunatta - NTV (1,302 / 9.6%)

4) Ie uru onna - NTV (1,255 / 9.3%)

5) Keiji Shichinin 2 - TV Asahi (906 / 6.7%)

6) Aogeba Totoshi - TBS (847 / 6.3%)

7) Suki na hito ga iru koto - FujiTV (846 / 6.3%)

8) Seiseisuru hodo, Aishiteru - TBS (711 / 5.3%)

9) Toki wo kakeru shoujo - NTV (694 / 5.2%)

10) Kami no shita wo motsu otoko - TBS (564 / 4.2%)

11) Denshichi Torimonochou - NHK (519 / 3.9%)

12) Onnatachi no Tokusou Saizensen - TV Asahi (451 / 3.4%)

13) Eigyou Buchou Kira Natsuko - FujiTV (419 / 3.1%)

14) Hajimemashite, Aishiteimasu - TV Asahi (394 / 2.9%)

15) HOPE ~ Kitai Zero no Shinnyuu Shain ~ - FujiTV (339 / 2.5%)

16) Otokomeshi - TV Tokyo (293 / 2.2%)

17) Isan Sozoku Bengoshi Kakizaki Shinichi - NTV (291 / 2.2%)

18) Juken no Cinderella - NHK (262 / 2.0%)

19) Shihei - TBS (184 / 1.4%)

20) Gurame! ~ Souri no Ryoriban ~ - TV Asahi (141 / 1.1%)

21) Yassan ~ Tsukiji Hatsu! Oishii Jikenbo ~ - TV Tokyo (125 / 0.9%)

22) Tokuyama Daigoro wo dare ga koroshita ka? - TV Tokyo (103 / 0.8%)

23) Koekoi - TV Tokyo (70 / 0.5%)

24) Love Love Alien - FujiTV (42 / 0.3%)

Source: Yahoo! Japan

Sasaki Nozomi to join the cast of "ON Ijou Hanzai Sousakan Toudou Hinako" from the third episode

Sasaki Nozomi will be joining the cast of FujiTV Summer 2016 drama "ON Ijou Hanzai Sousakan Toudou Hinako" from the third episode which will be shown on 26 July. The case featured in this episode is about a series of murders at an European-style building rumoured to be haunted where the young female victims had a part of their bodies taken away by the murderer. Sasaki plays the role of Sato Tsuya who owns a laundry shop near the crime scene and helps to babysit her customer's daughter Haruka who happened to see someone suspected to be the murderer. Through the investigation, she comes to befriend Hinako (Haru) who is around the same age as her.

Sasaki commented that as she is joining the cast in the middle of the drama's run, Haru and the rest of the cast have been very welcoming towards her. As she also likes suspense and mystery stories, she hopes that viewers will enjoy watching this drama to find out who might be the culprit in the cases.

Source: Oricon

Watabe Atsuro reportedly having remarried in late June

Watabe Atsuro is said to have remarried in late June as reported on 9 July. According to the media, his wife is in her 30s and the marriage application was filed late last month. There are no plans for a wedding at the moment. The couple were said to have met more than 6 years ago but only became an item last autumn. News of their relationship first came out in the press in February this year. Watabe's agency said that they had been informed of this but didn't make it public since this is Watabe's private matter.

Watabe married celebrity RIKACO in 1994 and the couple had 2 sons before they divorced in 2005. His latest drama will be "ON Ijou Hanzai Sousakan Toudou Hinako" which begins its run from 12 July via FujiTV.

Sources: Nikkansports / Sanspo

Preview of "ON Ijou Hanzai Sousakan Toudou Hinako" - Summer 2016

Title: ON Ijou Hanzai Sousakan Toudou Hinako ON 異常犯罪捜査官藤堂比奈子 (ON Abnormal crimes investigator Toudou Hinako)
Official website: here
Official Facebook page: here
Official Twitter page: here
O.A. Start Date: 12 July 2016
Timeslot: Tuesdays 9pm
Broadcast by: FujiTV / Kansai TV
Original novel by: Naito Ryo
Theme Song: Swan by Alexandros
Cast: Haru, Yokoyama Yu, Kaname Jun, Takahashi Tsutomu, Saito Shinji, Momose Saku, Sato Rei, Hayashi Kento, Okunuki Kaoru, Mitsuishi Ken, Harada Mieko & Watabe Atsuro

Production press conference of FujiTV Summer 2016 drama "ON Ijou Hanzai Sousakan Toudou Hinako"

The production press conference of FujiTV Summer 2016 drama "ON Ijou Hanzai Sousakan Toudou Hinako" was held on 24 June which was attended by cast members Haru, Watabe Atsuro, Harada Mieko, Hayashi Kento and Kaname Jun. The drama which will begin its run from 12 July in the Tuesdays 10pm timeslot, features Haru in her first leading role in a private network drama as a newbie police detective who investigates strange cases.

As her character has a strange eating habit of putting shichimi in everything she eats, Haru was asked if she has a similar habit which she revealed that she would never finish her drinks and leave about 2 to 3cm of the beverage for some reason. Haru has been busy since she made it big in the NHK morning drama "Asa ga kita" and revealed that she has been able to cope with this by ensuring that she gets enough sleep once she's off work.

Source: Sanspo

Alexandros to sing the theme song for FujiTV Summer 2016 drama "ON Ijou Hanzai Sousakan Toudou Hinako"

4-member male rock band Alexandros will be singing the theme song for FujiTV Summer 2016 drama "ON Ijou Hanzai Sousakan Toudou Hinako" starring Haru which will begin its run from 12 July in the Tuesdays 10pm timeslot. The song titled "Swan" will be released as a single on 24 August.

Alexandros made their major debut in March last year and their three singles to date have all been used as drama theme songs. They had also performed in Austin, Texas in March this year. For this latest theme song, it was written by the vocalist cum guitarist Kawakami Yohei after he read the original novel.

Source: Sanspo

Haru celebrates her 25th birthday on the set of "ON Ijou Hanzai Sousakan Toudou Hinako"

Haru had a surprise birthday celebration on the set of her new Summer 2016 drama "ON Ijou Hanzai Sousakan Toudou Hinako" on 17 June where she was presented with a shichimi tower made from 300 cans of shichimi and a cake bearing the drama's title. Haru plays a newbie police detective in the drama and carries a can of shichimi left behind by her late mother which bears the words "Susume! Hina-chan". In line with this, the cans of shichimi all bear the words "25-sai mo susume! Haru-chan". Co-stars including Yokoyama Yu, Kaname Jun and Watabe Atsuro were also at the celebration.

Haru commented that this is the first time that she has received a shichimi tower. As she feels that 25-years-old is a turning point in adulthood and she feels the responsibility as the lead of the drama, she will do her best to create a good atmosphere on set. Haru revealed that she has always celebrated her birthday while working and that she was in Osaka last year for the filming of "Asa ga kita" so her private life seems to be taking a back seat to her work most of the time.

The drama begins its run from 12 July in the Tuesdays 10pm timeslot on FujiTV / Kansai TV.

Source: Sanspo

Haru to star in FujiTV Summer 2016 drama "ON Ijou Hanzai Sousakan Toudou Hinako"

Haru will be starring in her first leading role in a private network drama when she appears in the FujiTV Summer 2016 drama "ON Ijou Hanzai Sousakan Toudou Hinako" (ON Abnormal crimes investigator Toudou Hinako) which will be shown from July in the Tuesdays 10pm timeslot. The drama which is based on the novel series "ON Ryouki Hanzai Sousahan Toudou Hinako" by Naito Ryo, features Haru as a newbie police detective Toudou Hinako who has an amazing memory that allows her to draw the crime scenes in great detail and tries to solve some bizarre cases that come her way. She is seen as a weirdo by others because she eats everything with shichimi and shows an extraordinary amount of interest in murderers while trying to hide her emotional trauma with a cheerful facade. Unknown to others, the shichimi bottle is a memento left behind by her late mother which has the words "Susume, Hina-chan" (go ahead Hina-chan). Through working on the cases, it also causes some changes to her life.

Filming begins in the beginning of June.

Haru has been busy since she finished her morning drama "Asa ga kita" and can be seen in "Sekai ichi muzukashii koi" now. She will also embark on a national tour with Uchino Seiyo as they are the leads in a stage play. With regard to her tight schedule, Haru commented that she will try her best in her first leading role and first attempt at playing a police detective and thinks that it will be a tough but fun experience.

Sources: Sanspo / Sponichi