Love Story
Nakayama Miho as Sudoh Misaki Toyokawa Etsushi as Nagase Ko Yuka as Kobayashi Kano
Katori Shingo as Nabetomo Kyoji Kato Haruhiko as Iketani Mitsugu Hatano Hiroko as Kurata Yumi
Ono Takehiko as Kashiwabara Shujo Kotani Kinya as Nagase Kenji
Theme Songs
Haruka Ni [Spitz]
Love Story [Cagnet]
Alhambra (Guitar Piece)
Released Date
2001-04-15 ~ 2001-06-24 [TBS] - 11 Episodes
Synopsis
Etsushi Toyokawa plays Nagase Ko (37), a quirky, cranky, highly successful writer in his mid-30s who is in the midst of a maddening 2-year long case of writer's block.
Into his life plummets Sudoh Misaki (30) played by Nakayama Miho. She has struggled to find a place in the publishing world for a decade and now, at 30, is about to have her one-year contract dropped if she can not coax Nagase into writing again.
Nagase is the author of a series of serious bestsellers, and he writes them all in pencil on special "genko yoshi" writing paper, each sheet bearing his name.
A character who owns neither a computer nor a cell phone, Nagase is an incredibly refreshing change of pace. In real life too, many of Japan's best established writers (those who can set the rules with their publishers) evidently still persevere with pen and paper and pursue the old concept of manuscripts as the process of putting one's soul down on paper.
Editors are usually portrayed in Japanese TV dramas as long-suffering drones who coax, coerce and beg the esteemed writing "sensei" to keep turning out a steady stream of work, often regardless of quality. Misaki is different. She is both an editor and a fan of Nagase's books and she wants him to do his best. Misaki is the first editor to see Nagase for what he has become--a sour, negative, unproductive artist. He seems to feel real warmth only for his grandmother, who runs an old fashioned sembei (rice cracker) shop nearby.
Misaki can understand the author's angst but does not pander to his self-pity. When he agrees to write a trendy love story for his publisher just to get something in print, only Misaki is bold enough to tell him the truth: it is mediocre and completely out of character. At this point, Nagase realizes she is the editor for him.
The supporting cast includes Katori Shingo of SMAP as Nagase's neighbor, Nabetomo Kyoji, from across the hall. He is a successful DJ who dreams of becoming a professional illustrator. Yuka plays his girlfriend, Kobayashi Kano, from the countryside. You may want to take a closer look at the illustrations Shingo will brandish about. He did them all himself.
j!-ent