Yuki Uchida Returns to Fuji TV Lead Role After 30 Years in Age-Gap Romance 'Last Note'
Uchida's return to a Fuji TV lead after three decades and Teranishi's first commercial broadcast lead role together mark a rare pairing of a veteran actress with a pop-group member in a primetime age-gap romance, a format the producer says aims to reclaim the "power of love" as a dramatic subject.
Reporting from 2 sources: Eiga Natalie, Cinema Today.
Yuki Uchida will co-star with timelesz member Takuto Teranishi in the dual-lead drama "Last Note," premiering July 9 on Fuji TV's Thursday Theater slot. The original script follows Aoi Ichinose (Uchida), a 49-year-old fragrance company saleswoman who has weathered marriage, divorce, and career setbacks, and Subaru Higuchi (Teranishi), a 30-year-old man who abandoned his dreams due to his upbringing. Their chance meeting sets off a gradual romance. For Uchida, this is her first lead role in a Fuji TV drama series since "Please Give Me Wings!" in 1996, a gap of 30 years. Teranishi takes his first lead role in a commercial broadcast drama. The title refers to the "last note" of a perfume, the final scent that lingers after application. The script is by Tomomi Matoba ("Husband, Won't You Die?"), with direction by Hideyuki Aizawa ("PICU Pediatric Intensive Care Unit") and Yuji Nakamae ("Stepmom and Daughter Blues"). Producer Reiko Misao said she wanted to depict a straightforward romance in an era where love stories about affairs have become commonplace.
The title "Last Note" refers to the final scent of a perfume that changes over time. The top note is the first impression upon application, the middle note is the main scent, and the last note is the final scent that blends with the skin to leave a unique fragrance. The drama depicts adult pure love, where feelings that should have been hidden bloom like the special lingering aftertaste of a perfume's last note.
Uchida said receiving the offer was a challenge. "I've experienced love stories when I was younger, but I haven't been involved in them for a while," she said. "Now at this age, it's also a challenge to see if I can deliver realistic acting and expression." She said the age-gap element incorporates life perspectives, and the process of why you fall for someone is completely different from love stories in your 20s or 30s. She described her character Aoi as a woman who has over-expected from her life and ended up burned out, living thinking "maintaining the status quo is fine." Teranishi, who is nearly the same age as his character Subaru, said he wants to portray authentically people of his generation who close off their dreams and live going with the flow. "I hope we can create a work that gives those people a push," he said.
Producer Reiko Misao said she wanted to make a love story that makes viewers think "I wish this were my story" with a sense of longing. "Now that love stories about affairs have become commonplace, I wanted to depict a straightforward romance," she said. "In an era where love is becoming less of a priority, I wanted to once again depict the power of love that enriches people's lives." She said Uchida is exactly the Aoi she imagined, and she was captivated by Teranishi's inner strength and rich expressiveness after seeing him in a prior drama.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Eiga Natalie 内田有紀とtimelesz寺西拓人がW主演、歳の差恋愛ドラマ「ラストノート」放送
- Cinema Today 内田有紀、30年ぶりフジ連ドラ主演 timelesz・寺西拓人とW主演で歳の差恋愛描く「ラストノート」7月期放送