Meguro Ren of Snow Man, star of Silent, Umi no Hajimari, Trillion Game and The Royal Family, will lead a completely original TV Asahi drama from bestselling author Ikeido Jun, the writer behind Naoki Hanzawa and Shitamachi Rocket.
TV Asahi announced on November 9 that the drama will air in its Thursday 9 p.m. slot in April 2027. The network made the announcement unusually early, about six months before the premiere.
Meguro Ren and Ikeido Jun (Photo: TV Asahi)
First Team-Up With Ikeido Jun
This marks the first collaboration between the two, and it is Meguro Ren's first lead role in a TV Asahi prime-time drama. It is also the first time Ikeido Jun has created an original story for a drama series. He is also writing the script under his screenwriter pen name, Tsubaki Michio, which he used for the film Shylock's Children and the stage musical adaptation of Wise and Foolish.
Ikeido Jun debuted after winning the Edogawa Rampo Prize in 1998 and went on to write a string of hits, including the Naoki Hanzawa series and the Naoki Prize-winning Shitamachi Rocket. Several of his works have been adapted into dramas by TV Asahi, including Wise and Foolish and Hayabusa Fire Brigade. His novel was also adapted into the drama Shylock no Kodomotachi.
Meguro Ren, who earned praise for his delicate acting in Fuji TV's Silent and Umi no Hajimari, recently finished a long shoot in Canada for Shogun Season 2.
Title & Cast Still Under Wraps
The title, Meguro Ren's role, the co-stars and the story have not been revealed yet, and more details will be announced in the coming months.
TV Asahi executive producer Miwa Yumiko said, "We have been developing this project with Ikeido Jun for several years, and we have now been able to welcome Meguro Ren, whom the entire team has wanted. A miraculous collaboration is finally coming true. We are working hard to create a work that goes beyond everyone's expectations, so please look forward to it until April next year."
