Kimura Takuya to star in new TBS Winter 2017 drama "A LIFE ~ Itoshiki Hito ~"

Kimura Takuya will be starring in the new TBS Winter 2017 drama "A LIFE ~ Itoshiki Hito ~" (A LIFE ~ Beloved) which will begin its run from January 2017 in the Sundays 9pm timeslot. This is his first appearance in a drama series in two years since the TV Asahi 2015 drama "I''m Home" and his first drama after SMAP disbands on 31 December this year. To date, Kimura has played people with various occupations such as hair stylist, pilot, ice hockey player and the Prime Minister and this happens to be his 20th occupation to date. He will be playing a surgeon this time in this drama which is an original story written by Hashibe Atsuko.

Kimura plays the lead character Okita Kazuaki who was chased out of the hospital he worked at when he was just starting out as a pediatric cardiovascular surgeon. However, he did not know that the person who engineered this scheme was his best friend Masao (Asano Tadanobu). In order to build up his knowledge and refine his skills, Okita left behind his then-girlfriend Danjou Mifuyu (Takeuchi Yuko) and went to Seattle in the US. 10 years later, he is invited by Mifuyu's father Danjou Toranosuke (Emoto Akira) who was his mentor, to return to Japan, operate on the latter and work at his hospital Danjou Kinen Byouin. However, upon his return, Okita finds out that Mifuyu and married Masao who took on her family's surname and is the hospital's assistant director now. While working in the hospital, he also encounters a number of doctors and nurses who are unique in their own ways and strives to save his patients through hard work and refusing to give up even when faced with tough circumstances.

Matsuyama Kenichi plays Igawa Souta, a cardiovascular surgeon who has the ambition of becoming the No.1 surgeon and is overly confident in his abilities. His father is the chairman of the Kanto Surgeons Institute and he is set to inherit their family's Mantenbashi Byouin. Kimura Fumino plays the role of Shibata Yuki, a nurse working in the operating theatre who is so good at her job that she can choose which doctor to assist. Nanao plays Sakakibara Minori, the legal advisor of Danjou Kinen Byouin who has a secret relationship with Masao. Last but not least, Oikawa Mitsuhiro will play Hamura Keigo, a cardiovascular sugeon who is also the director of the first surgical department of the hospital. Hamura is sociable and bright who is well-liked by everyone but there is an emotional scar which he is hiding within.

Filming begins between the end of November and early December at the pace of 3 to 5 days per week. After the New Year holidays, the filming pace will pick up to be 5 to 6 days per week.

Sources: Nikkansports / Sanspo / Yomiuri Hochi / Sponichi 1 / Sponichi 2 / Oricon