The 91st Drama Academy Awards (Autumn 2016) - Best Theme Song

Overall Ranking Top 3
1) Koi - Hoshino Gen (Nigeru wa haji daga yaku ni tatsu)
2) Suna no Tou - THE YELLOW MONKEY (Suna no Tou ~ Shirisugita Rinjin ~)
3) Give Me Love - Hey! Say! JUMP (Cain to Abel)

Voters Ranking Top 5
1) Koi - Hoshino Gen (Nigeru wa haji daga yaku ni tatsu)
2) Give Me Love - Hey! Say! JUMP (Cain to Abel)
3) one chance - Johnny's WEST (Rental Kyuuseishu)
4) Jukai no Ito - Cocco (Unmei ni, nita koi)
5) Suna no Tou - THE YELLOW MONKEY (Suna no Tou ~ Shirisugita Rinjin ~)

TV Reporters Ranking Top 5
1) Koi - Hoshino Gen (Nigeru wa haji daga yaku ni tatsu)
2) Suna no Tou - THE YELLOW MONKEY (Suna no Tou ~ Shirisugita Rinjin ~)
3) Give Me Love - Hey! Say! JUMP (Cain to Abel)
4) Susume, tama ni nigetemo - Charan-Po-Rantan (Nigeru wa haji daga yaku ni tatsu)
5) Heaven's Door ~ Hi no ataru basho ~ - Kanna Chise (Jimi ni sugoi! Kouetsu Girl Kouno Etsuko) / Jukai no Ito - Cocco (Unmei ni, nita koi) / 12gatsu no ame - chay (Jimi ni sugoi! Kouetsu Girl Kouno Etsuko)

Judges Ranking Top 5
1) Koi - Hoshino Gen (Nigeru wa haji daga yaku ni tatsu)
2) Smile for me - Matsutoya Yumi (Chef ~ Mitsuboshi no Kyuushoku ~)
3) Heaven's Door ~ Hi no ataru basho ~ - Kanna Chise (Jimi ni sugoi! Kouetsu Girl Kouno Etsuko)
4) Ikiteitandayona - Aimyon (Kichijoji dake ga sumitai machi desuka?)
5) Suna no Tou - THE YELLOW MONKEY (Suna no Tou ~ Shirisugita Rinjin ~) / Give Me Love - Hey! Say! JUMP (Cain to Abel) / Susume, tama ni nigetemo - Charan-Po-Rantan (Nigeru wa haji daga yaku ni tatsu)

Source: The Televison

The 91st Drama Academy Awards (Autumn 2016) - Best Supporting Actress

Overall Ranking Top 3
1) Ishida Yuriko - Nigeru wa haji daga yaku ni tatsu
2) Nagasawa Masami - Sanadamaru
3) Matsushima Nanako - Suna no Tou ~ Shirisugita Rinjin ~

Voters Ranking Top 5
1) Ishida Yuriko - Nigeru wa haji daga yaku ni tatsu
2) Shida Mirai - Rental Kyuuseishu
3) Nagasawa Masami - Sanadamaru
4) Matsushima Nanako - Suna no Tou ~ Shirisugita Rinjin ~
5) Kurashina Kana - Cain to Abel

TV Reporters Ranking Top 5
1) Ishida Yuriko - Nigeru wa haji daga yaku ni tatsu
2) Matsushima Nanako - Suna no Tou ~ Shirisugita Rinjin ~
3) Nagasawa Masami - Sanadamaru
4) Takeuchi Yuko - Sanadamaru
5) Shida Mirai - Rental Kyuuseishu / Tsuchiya Tao - IQ246 ~ Karei naru Jikenbo ~

Judges Ranking Top 5
1) Nagasawa Masami - Sanadamaru
2) Shimizu Fumika - Kaseifu no Mitazono
3) Matsushima Nanako - Suna no Tou ~ Shirisugita Rinjin ~ / Eguchi Noriko - Jimi ni sugoi! Kouetsu Girl Kouno Etsuko / Mizuno Miki - Kuroi Juunin no Onna

Source: The Televison

The 91st Drama Academy Awards (Autumn 2016) - Best Supporting Actor

Overall Ranking Top 3
1) Hoshino Gen - Nigeru wa haji daga yaku ni tatsu
2) Kusakari Masao - Sanadamaru
3) Ooizumi Yo - Sanadamaru

Voters Ranking Top 5
1) Hoshino Gen - Nigeru wa haji daga yaku ni tatsu
2) Fujii Ryuusei - Rental Kyuuseishu
3) Suda Masaki - Jimi ni sugoi! Kouetsu Girl Kouno Etsuko
4) Kubota Masataka - THE LAST COP
5) Ooizumi Yo - Sanadamaru

TV Reporters Ranking Top 5
1) Hoshino Gen - Nigeru wa haji daga yaku ni tatsu
2) Kusakari Masao - Sanadamaru
3) Ooizumi Yo - Sanadamaru
4) Suda Masaki - Jimi ni sugoi! Kouetsu Girl Kouno Etsuko / Dean Fujioka - IQ246 ~ Karei naru Jikenbo ~ / Muro Tsuyoshi - Yuusha Yoshihiko to Michibikareshi Shichinin

Judges Ranking Top 5
1) Hoshino Gen - Nigeru wa haji daga yaku ni tatsu
2) Kusakari Masao - Sanadamaru
3) Kohinata Fumio - Sanadamaru
4) Suda Masaki - Jimi ni sugoi! Kouetsu Girl Kouno Etsuko / Dean Fujioka - IQ246 ~ Karei naru Jikenbo ~

Source: The Televison

The 91st Drama Academy Awards (Autumn 2016) - Best Leading Actor

Overall Ranking Top 3
1) Sakai Masato - Sanadamaru
2) Yamada Ryosuke - Cain to Abel
3) Matsuoka Masahiro - Kaseifu no Mitazono

Voters Ranking Top 5
1) Sakai Masato - Sanadamaru
2) Yamada Ryosuke - Cain to Abel
3) Sawamura Ikki - Rental Kyuuseishu
4) Yamada Takayuki - Yuusha Yoshihiko to Michibikareshi Shichinin
5) Matsuoka Masahiro - Kaseifu no Mitazono

TV Reporters Ranking Top 5
1) Sakai Masato - Sanadamaru
2) Yamada Takayuki - Yuusha Yoshihiko to Michibikareshi Shichinin
3) Matsuoka Masahiro - Kaseifu no Mitazono
4) Yamada Ryosuke - Cain to Abel
5) Oda Yuji - IQ246 ~ Karei naru Jikenbo ~

Judges Ranking Top 5
1) Sakai Masato - Sanadamaru
2) Abe Hiroshi - Sniffer Kyuukaku Sousakan
3) Matsuoka Masahiro - Kaseifu no Mitazono / Oda Yuji - IQ246 ~ Karei naru Jikenbo ~
5) Yamada Takayuki - Yuusha Yoshihiko to Michibikareshi Shichinin

Source: The Televison

The 91st Drama Academy Awards (Autumn 2016) - Best Drama

Overall Ranking Top 3
1) Nigeru wa haji daga yaku ni tatsu (TBS)
2) Sanadamaru (NHK)
3) Jimi ni sugoi! Kouetsu Girl Kouno Etsuko (NTV)

Voters Ranking Top 5
1) Nigeru wa haji daga yaku ni tatsu (TBS)
2) Rental Kyuuseishu (NTV)
3) Cain to Abel (FujiTV)
4) Sanadamaru (NHK)
5) THE LAST COP (NTV)

TV Reporters Ranking Top 5
1) Nigeru wa haji daga yaku ni tatsu (TBS)
2) Sanadamaru (NHK)
3) Jimi ni sugoi! Kouetsu Girl Kouno Etsuko (NTV) / Suna no Tou ~ Shirisugita Rinjin ~ (TBS)
5) Yuusha Yoshihiko to Michibikareshi Shichinin (TV Tokyo)

Judges Ranking Top 5
1) Nigeru wa haji daga yaku ni tatsu (TBS)
2) Sanadamaru (NHK)
3) Jimi ni sugoi! Kouetsu Girl Kouno Etsuko (NTV)
4) Doctor X ~ Gekai Daimon Michiko ~ (TV Asahi) / Kuroi Juunin no Onna (NTV)

Source: The Television

"Last Cop" & "Rental Kyuuseishu" collaborate for cross appearances in next week's episodes

NTV Autumn 2016 dramas "Last Cop" and "Rental Kyuuseishu" will be collaborating for cross appearances in the episodes showing next week. In the 7th episode of "Last Cop" to be shown on 19th November, Sawamura Ikki will appear as his character Akabe and do something. This leads Kyogoku (Karasawa Toshiaki), Mochizuki (Kubota) and Wakayama (Takeuchi Ryoma) to visit a maid cafe in Akihabara as shown in the 7th episode of "Rental Kyuuseishu" where they will meet Akabe and Haishi (Fukuhara Haruka). 50 staff members from both dramas participated in the cross-filming.

The idea for this collaboration came up with Karasawa and Sawamura visited Hayashi Fumiko, the mayor of Yokohama City in early October where their dramas are filmed. The actors who had been friends for a long time discussed this idea during the meeting which led to the collaboration materialising in the end. Although the actual filming done was not in Yokohama, Karasawa enjoyed his first visit to a maid cafe which led Sawamura to joke that Karasawa might start frequenting such places in future.

Source: Oricon

Koide Keisuke to join the cast of NTV Autumn 2016 drama "Rental Kyuuseishu" from Ep 4

Koide Keisuke will be appearing in the NTV Autumn 2016 drama "Rental Kyuuseishu" from Ep 4 onwards which will be shown on 30 October. This is the first time in 11 years that Koide is appearing as a regular in a NTV drama since "Gokusen 2".

Koide will be playing Shirozaki Sentarou who is the elder brother of Momochi Reiko (Shida Mirai) and the president of a IT company. Coincidentally, the company which he owns is where Kurou (Oosugi Ren) was working at before he got fired.

Koide revealed that he had been watching the drama since it began and was surprised to be given the chance to participate in it. Although he's only joining the filming midway into the season and there are many things which he isn't used to, he will do his best to play his character.

Source: Oricon

Promotional campaign for NTV Autumn 2016 drama "Rental Kyuuseishu"

NTV announced a series of promotional events on 5 October for the impending broadcast of its Autumn 2016 drama "Rental Kyuuseishu" which begins its run from 9 October at 10pm on Sundays. First of all, a portion of its first episode will be broadcast "live" which is the first attempt in NTV's history to date. Details of the content will be announced at the beginning of the first episode's broadcast.

Secondly, the poster of the drama released last week contains a phone number whereby people can call the hotline and hear special messages from the cast. To date, more than 280,000 calls have been received so another special segment will be included in the first episode's broadcast.

Last but not least, there will be an increased number of posters hung up at various spots in Tokyo such as Shibuya where young people gather and at back alleys where posters are usually not displayed at.

Source: Oricon

Preview of "Rental Kyuuseishu" - Autumn 2016

Title: Rental Kyuuseishu レンタル救世主 (Rental Saviour)
Official website: here
Official Twitter: here
O.A. Start Date: 9 October 2016
Timeslot: Sundays 10.30pm
Broadcast by: NTV
Theme song: believe believe by JUJU feat. Akenabe Yugo
Insert song: one chance by Johnny's WEST
Cast: Sawamura Ikki, Fujii Ryuusei (Johnny's WEST), Shida Mirai, Fukuhara Haruka, Katsuji Ryo, Nakamura An, Inamori Izumi, Oosugi Ren

Inaba Yu to join the cast of NTV Autumn 2016 drama "Rental Kyuuseishu" as a mysterious woman

Inaba Yu will be appearing in the NTV Autumn 2016 drama "Rental Kyuuseishu" which begins its run from 9 October in the Sundays 10.30pm timeslot as a man dressed like a woman. He plays the role of a mysterious woman named Kaoru who appears at the coin laundry shop which Momochi Reiko (Shida Mirai) frequently goes to and often gives encouragement to the latter when she needs it.

In order to prepare for the filming, Inaba shaved some parts of his body and tried to observe how the women around him talk and behave. He commented that it was a new feeling to play a woman and hopes that the viewers will enjoy his performance. When Inaba read the script, he could identify with the theme of people needing help but being unable to say it out aloud at times so he will try to be that pillar of support for Shida's character in the drama. With regard to choosing Inaba to play Kaoru, the producer Fukui Yuta said that it was because of his looks which could be mistaken as a beautiful woman and Inaba's image being masculine and yet gentle at the same time.

Source: Oricon

Sawamura Ikki & JUJU to sing the theme song for NTV Autumn 2016 drama "Rental Kyuuseishu"

Sawamura Ikki and JUJU will be doing a duet for the theme song of his upcoming NTV Autumn 2016 drama "Rental Kyuuseishu" which will begin its run from 9 October in the Sundays 10.30pm timeslot. The song which is untitled at the moment, will be an up-tempo number and released under the name of JUJU feat. Akenabe Yuugo which is the name of Sawamura's character in the drama. Sawamura commented that when he first heard of the offer to sing the theme song with JUJU, he thought that he was hearing things and asked thrice to make sure that it was for real. This is the third time that they are working together as JUJU had sung the theme song for Sawamura's 2010 TV Asahi drama "Keishicho Shissounin Sousaka" which led to them being good friends. Sawamura had even gone to her concerts before. Sawamura joked that since he is nicknamed Ero Danshaku for his sexy voice, he thinks that the theme song will be filled with pheromones as well. As for JUJU, she said that it was great to be able to see Sawamura sing live. The two of them also expressed their wish to be able to sing the song on music TV programmes or concerts.

The last time when Sawamura released a song was for 2007 NTV drama "Hatarakiman" when he sang the ending theme titled "Hatarakiman Ondo" under the name of Hataraki Mitsuru.

Source: Sanspo

Katsuji Ryo to appear in NTV Autumn 2016 drama "Rental Kyuuseishu"

Katsuji Ryo will be appearing in the upcoming NTV Autumn 2016 drama "Rental Kyuuseishu" starring Sawamura Ikki which begins its run from 9 October in the Sundays 10.30pm timeslot. He plays the role of Kii Roy, an overly-excited mechanic who is the eldest son of a family which owns an electrical appliances store. Being known as the person who can fix anything, he is able to make some strange devices to help the lead character Akenabe Yuugo (Sawamura) in his work which sometimes involve following people and wire-tapping. Unknown to others, he actually has a huge problem while working in the Rental Kyuuseishu company.

Katsuji commented that as the title of the drama suggests, it is a story with a comedic touch but with a sense of reality since everyone would wish for some help when they are in trouble. Although it is often regarded that being patient and tolerant is a virtue of the Japanese, he finds that sometimes even a word of concern is enough to help those in need so he can identify with the theme of the drama.

Source: Oricon

Inamori Izumi to appear in NTV Autumn 2016 drama "Rental Kyuuseishu"

Inamori Izumi will be appearing in the upcoming NTV Autumn 2016 drama "Rental Kyuuseishu" which begins its run from 9 October in the Sundays 10.30pm timeslot. She plays the role of Shino, the wife of the lead character Akenabe Yugo, who supports him wholeheartedly with her child-like innocence. Although she already has a daughter, Shino is still dreaming of her ideal wedding in Hawaii which has yet to take place and is unaware that her husband has a debt of USD 1 million. Inamori recounted when she read the script, she was surprised at the wide variety of characters featured in the story showing a wide spectrum of emotions and thinks that her free-spirited character might be somewhat of a surprise to viewers. The producer Fukui Yuuta commented that Inamori is a perfect fit to show the warm and comical sides of the clueless wife and is eagerly anticipating how she will portray the character in the drama.

Source: Oricon

Oosugi Ren to appear in NTV Autumn 2016 drama "Rental Kyuuseishu"

Oosugi Ren will be appearing in the NTV Autumn 2016 drama "Rental Kyuuseishu" which begins its run from 9 October in the Sundays 10.30pm timeslot. He plays the role of Kurou Kanta, the president of the "Rental Kyuuseishu" company and is Akenabe Yugo's (Sawamura Ikki) boss who hired the latter out of sympathy for his circumstances. Kurou is a mysterious man who set up the company for an unknown reason, is easily excited and has a comedic side in his personality. Oosugi commented that Kurou is someone who doesn't care about hardship and difficulties when doing things for others and this is a type of character which he has never played before.

Source: Oricon

Nakamura An to appear in NTV Autumn 2016 drama "Rental Kyuuseishu"

Nakamura An will be appearing in the upcoming NTV Autumn 2016 drama "Rental Kyuuseishu" starring Sawamura Ikki which is due to begin its run from 9 October in the Sundays 10.30pm timeslot. She plays the role of Hadano Iroha, the cool-headed and mysterious secretary of the lead character Akenabe Yugo who blows hot and cold at times. The producer Fukui Yuta commented that this character is very different from the image of Nakamura to date so the staff are eagerly anticipating how she will play Hadano in this drama. As for Nakamura herself, she said that she will have to resort to a fair bit of trial-and-error to see what is the best way to portray Hadano and hopes that this drama will be the one where she will see a breakthrough in her career.

Source: Oricon

Sawamura Ikki, Shida Mirai & Fujii Ryuusei to star in NTV Autumn 2016 drama "Rental Kyuuseishu"

Sawamura Ikki will be starring in the NTV Autumn 2016 drama "Rental Kyuuseishu" (Rental Saviour) which will begin its run from October in the Sundays 10.30pm timeslot. The drama features Sawamura as Akenabe Yugo who is a nice guy with huge debts and becomes a "rental saviour" for the sake of his wife. With just a phone call, anyone can engage a rental saviour for a limited period to solve their problems. Sawamura commented that he has never played such a character before and feels that there is meaning in taking on this role which he hopes that the viewers will like as well. Co-stars include Johnny's WEST member Fujii Ryuusei who also plays a rental saviour Aoi Denjiro while Shida Mirai plays a mysterious young woman who is saved by Akenabe and Aoi on their first mission.

Filming starts in early September.

Sources: Sanspo 1 / Sanspo 2 / Yomiuri Hochi