A 156-episode soap opera about a 1920s singer where they LITERALLY swapped the lead actress MID-RUN. Drama behind the drama!
Season 1 • Episode 156
LatestThe 19th NHK Asadora. A dramatization of the life of the singer Chiyako Sato. Michiko Godai replaced Haruna Takase in the lead two months into the series when Takase became ill. Adapted from the novel "Aa Tokyo Koshinkyoku" by Yuki Ryoichi.
Acting
Two actresses, one role, zero explanation given on screen.
Production
NHK's obsessive period detail: they BUILT 1920s Tokyo.
Costume
Taisho-era fashion that'll make you Google 'where to buy kimono'.
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Haruna Takase was so beloved that fans sent NHK angry letters DEMANDING her return; Michiko Godai won them over by episode 50.
Chiyako Sato was real: she recorded Japan's first pop song in 1923, making this basically a fictionalized biopic of the country's Britney Spears.
JP
