Budokan

Budokan (武道館) is an upcoming Japanese TV drama starring Juice=Juice.

The drama will premiere in February 2016 with two versions. The first will begin on February 6 on Fuji TV with 25 minute long episodes, and the second will begin on February 10 on BS SKY PerfecTV! with 45 minute long episodes.

It is based on the novel of the same name by Naoki Prize winner Asai Ryo, about a five-member idol group called NEXT YOU and their dream to perform at Nippon Budokan.

Details

 * TV Show: Budokan (武道館)
 * Network: Fuji TV
 * Production: Fuji TV, SKY PerfecTV!, Kyodo Television
 * Episodes: 8
 * Run Date:
 * February 6, 2016 - (Fuji TV)
 * February 10, 2016 - (BS SKY PerfecTV!)
 * Run Time:
 * Saturday, 23:40 - 24:05 (Fuji TV)
 * Wednesday, 21:00 - 21:45 (BS SKY PerfecTV!)
 * Original Work: Budokan by Asai Ryo
 * Theme Song: Next is you! by NEXT YOU

Synopsis

 * (Translation of official Fuji TV synopsis.)

The popular and highly admired idol unit "NEXT YOU" is formed by five members. In 2013, they were recruited by music producer Natsume Jun (35) after being chosen in the "Tsugi wa Kimi da! Contest" (Next is You! Contest). After their formation they had their indie debut and made their major debut a year ago. Currently, they are in the middle of carrying out the live activities of their third single.

The five members are: the one responsible as center and the most popular, Aoi (17); the cheerful mood maker, Mayu (18); the oldest member and leader, Hana (19); one of the oldest but is still spoiled, Rurika (19); and the only amateur chosen, Aiko (17).

Enthusiastic male fans rush to their lives. The fans support the girls' dream: "To stand on the stage of Budokan!" However, they are still far from reaching Budokan. They are popular among idol otaku, but in reality they are inexperienced when appearing on TV, and the highest they've ranked on Oricon is 15th and have never entered the top ten. So far, the agency they belong to has produced many leading top idols, and now they will be focusing on NEXT YOU. Natsume, of course, wants NEXT YOU to aim for the top spot. Idol otaku, charismatic bloggers around the world, and now NEXT YOU's number one fans are especially supporting Aiko.

Aiko is the kind of girl who has loved to sing and dance since very young. Longing to be an idol, she sure enough became a NEXT YOU member, and now she will do her best to achieve standing on the stage of Budokan. She is an active high school student, balancing work and school everyday. At 8-years old, her parents divorced and she chose to live with her father; two people, father and daughter, living in a Tokyo apartment. Aiko and her salaryman father have an understanding with each other, and he gives her his support. However, Aiko has been secretly mailing reports of her idol activity to another person, her mother who lives separated from her.

There is also one more person she sends mail to, her childhood friend Daichi (17). They are classmates who live on same floor of the same apartment and go to the same high school. But in spite of Aiko aiming for being top idol, Daichi has secretly come into her heart. However, the idol world prohibits love. Although the agency's views are severe, the fans are even more so. Now, she won't even think about love. Not only Aiko, but the other members obediently believe "love is absolutely unthinkable" and do their best to aim for nothing but Budokan.

However, various challenges descend upon the girls. The ordeal that "idols should not be fat", injury as a result of an incident with a pervert, differences of opinion with a popular member, love problems, and so on... To overcome these things, will it be possible for these girls to stand on the stage of Budokan? Is it possible for them to obtain enough popularity to fill up Budokan? To obtain the top spot of idols, will it be possible for them to throw away all their other desires?

Focusing mainly on Aiko, this will portray the stark inner world of idols at the same time, and depict the other side of the idol boundary realistically.

Cast

 * NEXT YOU
 * Miyazaki Yuka as Tsurui Rurika (鶴井るりか)
 * Kanazawa Tomoko as Sakamoto Hana (坂本波奈)
 * Takagi Sayuki as Adachi Mayu (安達真由)
 * Miyamoto Karin as Hidaka Aiko (日高愛子)
 * Uemura Akari as Dogakiuchi Aoi (堂垣内碧)
 * GREEN-UP PROMOTION (グリーンアッププロモーション)
 * Kinoshita Houka as Nomura Yoichi (野村洋一), chief manager of NEXT YOU and the section chief of GREEN-UP PROMOTION
 * Koide Keisuke as Natsume Jun (夏目純), music producer of NEXT YOU
 * Takahata Yuta as Maeda Haruki  (前田春樹), on-site manager of NEXT YOU and subordinate of Nomura
 * Yoshizawa Ryo as Mizushima Daichi (水嶋大地), Aiko's childhood friend
 * Yashiba Toshihiro as Hidaka Tsunehiko (日高恒彦), Aiko's father
 * Ono Karin as Takagi Eri (高木恵理), Aiko's classmate
 * Rokkaku Seiji as Hakase (ハカセ), a charismatic idol blogger


 * Guest Stars
 * Mano Erina as Omitani Kyoka (尾見谷杏佳), actress and former member of NEXT YOU (Episode #1)

Trivia

 * The BS SKY PerfecTV! version of the drama will have original scenes and full singing scenes.
 * Tsunku helped produce the image and sound of NEXT YOU.
 * A lottery was announced for fan club members to participate as extras for the filming of a handshake event on December 1st. Fuji TV will be lending NEXT YOU T-shirts, but fans have also been encouraged to make their own original goods for NEXT YOU and the members, as well as wearing pink clothing for NEXT YOU's unit color.
 * An official YouTube channel for NEXT YOU was created, called NEXT YOU Station (ネク！ステ) as a parody of Hello! Project Station. However, the channel content can only be viewed in Japan.