The 92nd Drama Academy Awards (Winter 2017) - Best Supporting Actress

Overall Ranking Top 3
1) Yoshioka Riho - Quartet
2) Mizuno Miki - Ubai Ai, Fuyu
3) Kimura Fumino - A LIFE ~ Itoshiki Hito ~

Voters Ranking Top 5
1) Oshima Yuko - Tokyo Tarareba Musume
2) Kimura Fumino - A LIFE ~ Itoshiki Hito ~
3) Yoshioka Riho - Quartet
4) Yamamoto Mizuki - Uso no Sensou
5) Mizuhara Kiko - Uso no Sensou

TV Reporters Ranking Top 5
1) Mizuno Miki - Ubai Ai, Fuyu
2) Yoshioka Riho - Quartet
3) Koizumi Kyoko - Super Salaryman Saenai-shi
4) Kimura Fumino - A LIFE ~ Itoshiki Hito ~
5) Saito Yuki - Okaasan, Musume wo yamete ii desuka? / Takeuchi Yuko - A LIFE ~ Itoshiki Hito ~

Judges Ranking Top 5
1) Mizuno Miki - Ubai Ai, Fuyu / Kimura Fumino - A LIFE ~ Itoshiki Hito ~
3) Yoshioka Riho - Quartet / Saito Yuki - Okaasan, Musume wo yamete ii desuka? / Fukada Kyoko - Gekokujou Juken

Source: The Televison

The 92nd Drama Academy Awards (Winter 2017) - Best Supporting Actor

Overall Ranking Top 3
1) Asano Tadanobu - A LIFE ~ Itoshiki Hito ~
2) Matsuyama Kenichi - A LIFE ~ Itoshiki Hito ~
3) Kudo Kankuro - Quartet

Voters Ranking Top 5
1) Matsuyama Kenichi - A LIFE ~ Itoshiki Hito ~
2) Fujiki Naohito - Uso no Sensou
3) Kudo Kankuro - Quartet
4) Sakaguchi Kentaro - Tokyo Tarareba Musume / Yasuda Ken - Uso no Sensou

TV Reporters Ranking Top 5
1) Sakaguchi Kentaro - Tokyo Tarareba Musume
2) Asano Tadanobu - A LIFE ~ Itoshiki Hito ~
3) Kudo Kankuro - Quartet
4) Miura Shohei - Ubai Ai, Fuyu / Muro Tsuyoshi - Super Salaryman Saenai-shi / Lily Frankie - Gin to Kin

Judges Ranking Top 5
1) Asano Tadanobu - A LIFE ~ Itoshiki Hito ~
2) Matsuyama Kenichi - A LIFE ~ Itoshiki Hito ~
3) Kudo Kankuro - Quartet
4) Sakaguchi Kentaro - Tokyo Tarareba Musume
5) Miura Shohei - Ubai Ai, Fuyu / Fujiki Naohito - Uso no Sensou / Yagira Yuuya - Okaasan, Musume wo yamete ii desuka?

Source: The Televison

Winners of the 7th Confidence Award Drama Prize (Winter 2017)

Here are the winners of the 7th Confidence Award Drama Prize for the Winter 2017 season:

Best Drama: Quartet

Best Leading Actor: Kusanagi Tsuyoshi (Uso no Sensou)

Best Leading Actress: Matsu Takako (Quartet)

Best Supporting Actor: Takahashi Issei (Quartet)

Best Supporting Actress: Saitou Yuki (Okaasan, Musume wo yamete ii desuka?)

Best Script: Sakamoto Yuji (Quartet)

Best Newcomer: Yoshioka Riho (Quartet)

Source: Confidence Award Drama Prize

Satisfaction ranking for Winter 2017 dramas (TV Watcher)

TV Watcher conducts a daily survey on at least 3,000 respondents per day on each episode of the dramas shown within a full season. In this ranking, it takes the average score tabulated from the scores for each episode. The maximum score a drama can get is 5.

Numbers in brackets indicate the average satisfaction score for each drama:

1) Uso no Sensou (4.030)

2) Quartet (3.889)

3) Okaasan, Musume wo yamete ii desuka? (3.856)

4) Super Salaryman Saenai-shi (3.758)

5) Gekokujou Juken (3.746)

6) Tokyo Tarareba Musume (3.738)

7) Sanbiki no Ossan 3 ~ Seigi no mikata, Mitabi!! ~ (3.718)

8) A LIFE ~ Itoshiki Hito ~ (3.698)

9) Shuukatsu Kazoku ~ Kitto, umaku iku ~ (3.619)

10) Ubai Ai, Fuyu (3.616)

11) Shikaku Tantei Higurashi Tabito (3.501)

12) Daibinbou (3.457)

13) Kirawareru Yuuki (3.327)

14) Totsuzen desuga, ashita kekkon shimasu (3.174)

Source: TV Watcher

Preview of "Okaasan, Musume wo yamete ii desuka?" - Winter 2017

Title: Okaasan, Musume wo yamete ii desuka? お母さん、娘をやめていいですか?  (Mother, can I quit being your daughter?)
Official website: here
O.A. Start Date: 13 January 2017
Timeslot: Fridays 10pm
Total number of episodes: 8
Broadcast by: NHK
Theme Song: "Little Doll" by Sarah Àlainn
Cast: Haru, Saito Yuki, Yagira Yuuya, Terawaki Yasufumi, Asou Yumi, Dan Mitsu, Ishii Anna, Oozora Mayumi

Press conference & screening event of new NHK drama "Okaasan, Musume wo yamete ii desuka?"

The press conference and screening event of new NHK drama "Okaasan, Musume wo yamete ii desuka?" was held on 5 January which was attended by the scriptwriter Inoue Yumiko and cast members Haru, Saito Yuki and Yagira Yuuya. The drama which begins its run from 13 January in the Fridays 10pm timeslot, describes how mother Akiko (Saito) and daughter Mizuki (Haru) are like best friends and lovers. The nature of their relationship does bother Mizuki's father Koji (Terawaki Yasufumi) but he is too busy with work to do anything about it. Just then, when the family is planning to build a new house, they meet Matsushima (Yagira) who is assigned to be in charge of their construction project. At first, both Akiko and Mizuki hit it off with Matsushima which leads Akiko to encourage Mizuki to date him. However, once Mizuki starts going out with Matsushima, she realises how she had been tightly controlled by her mother all this while and attempts to break free from this unhealthy relationsip between them. When Akiko realises what is going on, she resorts to extreme measures e.g. seducing Matsushima in order to get her beloved daughter back.

The filming of the drama took place near Nagoya between September and December last year as it is a NHK Nagoya production. When asked about the filming process, Haru recounted that it was a very intense and painful time because of the story which will keep everyone on tenterhooks. She also commented that thanks to Saito's acting, it has helped to make this a beautiful yet scary drama. Meanwhile, Saito said smilingly that she plays a really frightening mother in the drama and there were many emotional scenes between her and Haru which were quite draining mentally. In addition, she had to spend quite a bit of time at Nagoya and leave her three children at home so that made her feel quite bad at times. Although she cannot identify with her character's ways, Saito had tried her best to play the mother and hopes that everyone will like the drama. As for Yagira, he remarked that this was the first time that he was surrounded by a largely-female cast so he was quite happy during the filming.

Sources: Nikkansports / Sanspo / Sponichi 1 / Sponichi 2

Production press conference of new NHK drama "Okaasan, Musume wo yamete ii desuka?"

The production press conference of new NHK drama "Okaasan, Musume wo yamete ii desuka?" (Mother, can I quit being your daughter?) was held on 14 November which was attended by cast members Haru, Saito Yuki, Yagiya Yuuya and Terawaki Yasufumi. The drama which begins its run from 13 January in the Fridays 10pm timeslot, was written by Inoue Yumiko. Haru plays the role of a English teacher at a private senior high school who starts dating a construction director (Yagira) at the encouragement of her mother (Saito) but the relationship between mother and daughter becomes affected as the three of them get involved in a love triangle. Terawaki plays the father of Haru's character.

Haru revealed that she honestly thinks that it is a relief that her mother is not like Saito's character in the drama. As for her character's feelings of wanting to change herself but being unable to do it as she wishes, Haru hoped that she can convey the heroine's frustration to the viewers. Saito commented that she is enjoying playing her character who experiences extreme emotions while Yagira said that he finds it more challenging to play an ordinary man this time compared to his recent roles which had quite unique character traits. As for Terawaki, he commented that his character could only watch from the sidelines as his wife and daughter clash but did not do anything to resolve the situation so it was quite emotionally draining for him.

Source: Sanspo

Haru to star in new NHK drama "Okaasan, Musume wo yamete ii desuka?"

Haru will be starring in the new NHK drama "Okaasan, Musume wo yamete ii desuka?" (Mother, can I quit being your daughter?) which will begin its run from 13 January in the Fridays 10pm timeslot. She will be caught in a love triangle with her mother played by Saito Yuki and the daughter's boyfriend who is played by Yagira Yuuya. Terawaki Yasufumi will be playing Haru's father in the drama.

The drama which consists of 8 episodes, is written by Inoue Yumiko and describes how the mother Akiko and daughter Mizuki are like best friends and lovers. The nature of their relationship does bother Mizuki's father Koji but he is too busy with work to do anything about it. Just then, when the family is planning to build a new house, they meet Matsushima who is assigned to be in charge of their construction project. At first, both Akiko and Mizuki hit it off with Matsushima which leads Akiko to encourage Mizuki to date him. However, once Mizuki starts going out with Matsushima, she realises how she had been tightly controlled by her mother all this while and attempts to break free from this unhealthy relationsip between them. When Akiko realises what is going on, she resorts to extreme measures i.e. seducing Matsushima in order to get her beloved daughter back.

Haru commented that the theme of a mother-and-daughter relationship is something which everyone can relate to and she is eagerly anticipating to work with her co-stars. In the drama, her character will change gradually so she hopes to be able to do the same through the filming.

Sources: Sanspo / Oricon