Takeru Sato and Hikaru Mitsushima, two of Japan’s most acclaimed actors, have been cast in the lead roles of a brand new drama series to be produced by Netflix and named “First Love.” The songs “First Love” and “Hatsukoi” by renowned singer-songwriter Hikaru Utada will serve as the inspiration for this drama.
Many of Utada’s songs have been used as the themes for movies and television shows, but this is the first time an original drama inspired by her music will be produced.
The drama will swing between the 1990s, the 2000s, and the present. All of them are intertwined, depicting a couple’s unforgettable “first love” that lasts for more than 20 years.
It will be directed by Yuri Kanchiku, who previously oversaw the drama series “Let M The Reason I Love You” and the documentary “To Be Continued” by AKB48.
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What Is First Love All About?
A breathtaking love tale that lasts more than 20 years is told in the series. Takeru Satoh’s Hikari Mitsushima, along with the music of Hikaru Utada, is a wondrous union and the epitome of love.
Prominent as well as upcoming actors from Japan are represented in the cast, including Kaho, Minami, Akiyoshi Nakao, Araki Towa, Aoi Yamada, Osamu Mukai, Arata Iura, and Kyoko Koizumi.
In addition, beginning on June 9, Netflix will also stream Utada Hikaru’s studio live performance, titled “Hikaru Utada Live Sessions from Air Studios,” in advance of the release of “First Love” in November.
First Love: Is It Releasing In October?
Mitsushima will portray a woman who attempts to be a flight attendant but ends up in a serious accident, while Sato will play a pilot in the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force.
The song “First Love” was first made available in March 1999 on the self-titled album and then again a month later as a single. The album continues to be the top-selling one in Japan right now.
The title of Utada’s seventh Japanese studio album and seventeenth digital single, respectively, is “Hatsukoi.” On November 24, 2022, ‘First Love’ will make its global Netflix debut.
Cast And Characters
Hikari Mitsushima
Hikari Mitsushima is a model, singer, and actor from Japan. She began performing as a teen “idol vocalist” in the J-pop bands Folder and Folder 5 in 1997.
In the same year, she made her acting debut in the kaiju movie Rebirth of Mothra II, as Shiori Uchiura/Little Girl.
In 2005, she made her debut on television in the role of Elly in Ultraman Max. She sang on Stephanie’s “Pride A Part of Me,” the theme song for the 2009 Japanese drama film Pride, as a member of the fictitious band SRM.
Hikari contributed lead vocals to the 2017 television drama Quartet’s theme song, “Otona no Okite,” by the fictional band Doughnut’s Hole, in which she played Suzume Sebuki. She was featured as a vocalist in the same year’s Mondo Grosso song “Labyrinth” and was a dancer in the music video.
Takeru Satoh
Takeru Satoh Heis an actor from Japan. Most notably, he played the title character Ryotaro Nogami in the Kamen Rider Den-O series, as well as Himura Kenshin in the live-action Rurouni Kenshin movie and its follow-ups.
For three or four years, Satoh temporarily worked as a child actor for commercials and magazine picture shoots.
He made the decision to stop acting like a youngster after moving up in primary school because of his “shy personality.” In 2007, he received his diploma from Koshigaya Kita High School in Saitama.
Know The Director Of First Love
Former film student Kanchiku Yuri has an idealistic view of movies and filmmaking. She was born in 1982, making her a child of the early 1980s.
Kanchiku studied film at the Nihon University College of Art. She works on lighting and composition, drawing inspiration from Iwai Shunji and Miyagawa Kazuo.
Her first major motion picture, My Rainy Days, which was inspired by a novel for mobile phones, has become a cult favorite. The Tokyo International Film Festival hosted the movie’s world premiere. Ironically, after its publication, she stopped talking and only sometimes worked on a short video for the AKB48 girl group.
The latter piece was filmed there. Working on a second full-length movie and filming commercials and music videos have kept Ms. Kanchiku busy.
