Hanbun, Aoi

Details

 * Title: 半分、青い.
 * Title (romaji): Hanbun, Aoi.
 * Also known as: Half Blue / Half Blue Sky
 * Format: Renzoku
 * Genre: Drama
 * Episodes: 156
 * Viewership ratings: 21.1%
 * Broadcast network: NHK
 * Broadcast period: 2018-Apr-02 to 2018-Sep-29
 * Air time: Mon-Sat 8:00
 * Theme song: Idea by Hoshino Gen

Synopsis
In 1971, the year after the Osaka Exposition, a girl called Nireno Suzume was born to the owners of a small eatery in a town in Gifu Prefecture's Tono region. She was a healthy child who ran around the hills and fields every day. But when she was a elementary school student, she ended up losing her hearing in one ear because of an illness. Her loving parents and childhood friend born on the same day at the same hospital were the ones who give her encouragement. After graduating from high school, Suzume sets her sights on writing manga for girls with her unique creative powers and leaves for Tokyo which is in the middle of the bubble economy. Put through training by her teacher, she tries hard to improve herself by learning from fellow assistants and devoting herself to studying but soon faces setbacks. Suzume gets married and has a daughter but the family finances are dire. She ends up divorcing her husband who is a dreamer. The bubble economy bursts before she realizes it and enters a period of low growth. After repeated failure, Suzume returns to her hometown as a single mother. What awaits her will become an unexpected turning point in her life... -- Jdrama Weblog

Cast

 * Nireno Family
 * Nagano Mei as Nireno Suzume (heroine)
 * Yazaki Yusa as young Suzume
 * Yamazaki Ririna (山崎莉里那) as Nireno Kano (Suzume's daughter)
 * Matsuyuki Yasuko as Nireno Haru (Suzume's mother)
 * Takito Kenichi as Nireno Utaro (Suzume's father)
 * Nakamura Masatoshi as Nireno Senkichi (Suzume's grandfather)
 * Fubuki Jun as Nireno Renko / narrator (Suzume's grandmother)
 * Kamimura Kaisei as Nireno Sota (Suzume's younger brother)
 * Shimizu Toya (志水透哉) as young Sota
 * Sakisaka Mia as Nireno Satoko (Sota's wife)
 * Tanaka Rei as Nireno Daichi (Sota's son)


 * Hagio Family
 * Sato Takeru as Hagio Ritsu (Suzume's childhood friend)
 * Takamura Kaito as young Ritsu
 * Harada Tomoyo as Hagio Wako (Ritsu's mother)
 * Tanihara Shosuke as Hagio Yaichi (Ritsu's father)
 * Ishibashi Shizuka (石橋静河) as Hagio Yoriko (Ritsu's wife)
 * Yamashiro Ruito as Hagio Tsubasa (Ritsu's son)


 * Saionji Family
 * Yamoto Yuma as Saionji Ryunosuke (Suzume's classmate)
 * Otake Haruyoshi as young Ryunosuke
 * Rokkaku Seiji as Saionji Mitsuru (Ryunosuke's father)
 * Hirooka Yuriko as Saionji Tomiko (Ryunosuke's mother)
 * Yamada Maho as Saionji Reiko (Ryunosuke's sister)
 * Kouta Hinako (幸田雛子) as young Reiko


 * Kidahara Family
 * Nao as Kidahara Nao (Suzume's childhood friend)
 * Nishizawa Aina as young Nao
 * Takagi Wataru (高木渉) as Kidahara Goro (Nao's father)
 * Iketani Nobue as Kidahara Sachiko (Nao's mother)


 * Gifu Prefecture
 * Yo Kimiko as Okada Kimika (town doctor)
 * Kato Chika (加藤千佳) as Midwife
 * Koseki Yuta as Kento
 * Fuse Eri as Tomoshibi owner
 * Smiley Kikuchi (スマイリーキクチ) as Barber shop owner
 * Yoshizawa Ken (吉澤健) as Boatman
 * Sato Yumiko as Toyoshima (Suzume's elementary school homeroom teacher)
 * Mori Yusaku (森優作) as Kobayan
 * Ozaki Shinji (尾関伸次) as Asatsuyu high school English teacher
 * Harumi Shiho as Asatsuyu high school world history teacher
 * Shizuka Manami (静麻波) as Mana
 * Iida Raura as Art club member
 * Tsukamoto Sayuri (塚本小百合) as Art club member


 * Office Tinkerbell
 * Toyokawa Etsushi as Akikaze Haori (mangaka)
 * Igawa Haruka as Hashimoto Wakana
 * Seino Nana as Komiya Yuko (Akikaze Haori's assistant)
 * Shison Jun as Toudo Makoto (Akikaze Haori's assistant)
 * Kawai Katsuo (河井克夫) as Nakano (Akikaze Haori's assistant)
 * Nekota Nao (猫田直) as Nogata (Akikaze Haori's assistant)
 * Fujimatsu Shoko (藤松祥子) as Yuka (Suzume's assistant)
 * Sato Mutsumi (佐藤睦) as Maru (Suzume's assistant)
 * Serizawa Naoya (芹沢尚哉) as Koyanagi (Suzume's assistant)


 * Tokyo
 * Nakamura Tomoya as Asai Masato (Ritsu's classmate)
 * Furuhata Seika as Ito Saya
 * Tsukamoto Shinya as Professor Usagawa
 * Mamiya Shotaro as Moriyama Ryoji (Suzume's husband)
 * Saito Takumi as Motosumiyoshi Shohei
 * Kimura Midoriko as Fujimura Mitsue (Ryoji's aunt)
 * Aso Yumi as Fujimura Mugi (Ryoji's aunt)
 * Sudo Risa as Fujihimura Marie (Ryoji's aunt)
 * Shimada Kyusaku as Tanabe Ichiro (Suzume's 100 yen store manager)
 * Arita Teppei (有田哲平) as Tsumagari Masahiko
 * Konishi Manami as Kato Keiko
 * Araki Towa as Shujiro (Masahiko's son)

Production Credits

 * Screenwriter: Kitagawa Eriko
 * Executive Producer: Katsuta Natsuko (勝田夏子)
 * Producer: Shoen Takehiro (松園武大)
 * Director: Tanaka Kenji (田中健二), Doi Shohei (土井祥平), Hashizume Shinichiro (橋爪紳一朗)
 * Music: Kanno Yugo

Recognitions

 * 22nd Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix (Jul-Sep 2018): Best Drama
 * 22nd Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix (Jul-Sep 2018): Best Supporting Actor - Sato Takeru
 * 22nd Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix (Jul-Sep 2018): Best Supporting Actress - Matsuyuki Yasuko