Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju

Details

 * Title: 昭和元禄落語心中
 * Title (romaji): Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju
 * Format: Renzoku
 * Genre: Drama
 * Episodes: 10
 * Broadcast network: NHK
 * Broadcast period: 2018-Oct-12 to 2018-Dec-14
 * Air time: Friday 22:00
 * Theme song: Maboroshi by Yuzu

Synopsis
Over the course of the Showa era, Yakumo (Okada Masaki), enters the alluring and mysterious world of rakugo, (a traditional Japanese comic performance art) he forges a very strong friendship with the impulsive and bashful Yurakutei Yamazaki Ikusaburo, who is very skillful in the performance of rakugo, Both became disciples to learn rakugo at the same time, which raised at the beginning a strong rivalry between the two that would last for the rest of their lives.

The envy between both artists persists and causes to wreak havoc in their friendship, but it doens't compare to the deep blow that causes when Yakumo falls in love with the alluring and seductress Geisha Miyokichi (Oomasa Aya) who always supported him in his desire to be rakugo's best performer. Yurakutei marries Miyokichi, but tragedy strikes when both die in strange circumstances to what appears to be suicide. Yakumo decides to adopt their orphan daughter Konatsu (Narumi Riko), while he refuses to reveal the secret that plagues his existence around the death of both and that causes him to feel remorse and a bitter pain and makes his entire life drenched in suffering.

Konatsu grows up hating Yakumo as she considers him to be an enemy of her parents. Along with Yotaro (Ryusei Ryo), Yakumo's disciple, she soon begins to unravel the truth of the deaths of Yurakutei and Miyokichi that Yakumo has been covering up for so long.

Cast

 * Okada Masaki
 * Ryusei Ryo
 * Narumi Riko
 * Oomasa Aya
 * Yamazaki Ikusaburo
 * Hirata Mitsuru
 * Sasai Eisuke
 * Sakai Miki
 * Kawakubo Takuji
 * Hiraizumi Sei
 * Yanagiya Kyotaro (柳家喬太郎)
 * Tsuji Kazunaga (辻萬長)
 * Nakahara Takeo

Production Credits

 * Original work: Manga Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju by Kumota Haruko
 * Screenwriter: Habara Daisuke
 * Producer: Fujio Takashi, Kobayashi Daiji (小林大児), Izumi Yuzo (出水有三)
 * Director: Tanada Yuki (タナダユキ), Kiyohiro Makoto, Kobayashi Tatsuo (小林達夫)
 * Music: Muramatsu Takatsugu (村松崇継)