is a

Japanese television drama , also called or J-drama, are television programs that are a staple of Television in Japan, Japanese television and are broadcast daily. Format All major Television networks, TV networks in Japan produce a variety of Drama (genre), drama serie ...

series and the 109th

Asadora , colloquially known as , is a serialized, 15 minutes per episode, Japanese television drama program series broadcast in the mornings by Japanese public broadcaster NHK. The first such series aired in 1961 with the black-and-white , starring Ta ...

series, following '' Ranman''. It premiered on October 2, 2023 and concluded on March 29, 2024. The drama is modeled after the Japanese singer and actress

Shizuko Kasagi was a Japanese jazz singer and actress. At the peak of her fame in the immediate post-war era, she earned the nickname the . Kasagi frequently sang songs composed by Ryōichi Hattori, including 1947's "Tokyo Boogie-Woogie", which remains her be ...

, but it is produced as fiction and is an original drama work.

Plot

Cast

Hanada's family

* Shuri as Suzuko Hanada ** Rioka Sawai as young Suzuko *

Toshirō Yanagiba is a Japanese actor. Career Yanagiba has appeared in films such as the ''Bayside Shakedown'' series, ''Chinese Dinner'', and ''Space Battleship Yamato (2010 film), Space Battleship Yamato''. Filmography Film * ''Minami e Hashire, Umi no Michi ...

as Umekichi Hanada, Suzuko's father *

Asami Mizukawa is a Japanese actress. She made her debut in 1996 at age 13 in an advertisement for Asahi Kasei's "Hebel Haus". In 2000, she won the ''Grand Prix'' at the “3rd Miss Tokyo Walker” competition (the first winner was Chiaki Kuriyama) and gained ...

as Tsuya Hanada, Suzuko's Mother * Kodai Kurosaki as Rokuro Hanada, Suzuko's brother * Kyoko Mitsubayashi as Toshi Onishi, Suzuko's Grandmother

Osaka

Umemaru Shoujo Kagekidan (USK)

* Kazuki Tsubasa as Aoi Tachibana *

Yū Aoi is a Japanese actress and model. She made her film debut as Shiori Tsuda in Shunji Iwai's 2001 film '' All About Lily Chou-Chou''. She subsequently portrayed Tetsuko Arisugawa in '' Hana and Alice'' (2004), also directed by Iwai, Kimiko Tanigawa ...

as Reiko Yamato * Kurumi Shimizu as Sachiko Shirakawa / Lily Shirakawa * Yuki Katayama as Tatsumi Sakuraba * Rikka Ihara as Mitsuki Akiyama * Yuuki Morinaga as Yoshio Matano * Jun Hayashi as Hayashi *

Takeshi Masu is a Japanese actor. He appeared in more than 80 films since 1981. Filmography Film Television References External links Official profile * 1955 births Living people Male actors from Tokyo Japanese male film actors Japanese ma ...

as Okuma, Umemaru company CEO

Public bath "Hanayu

* Takeshi Nadagi as Ekisha * Takashi Okabe as stupid old man * Shohei Uno as Gonbei * Kaoru Kusumi as Asa * Kazuo Senoo as enthusiastic schoolteacher

Tokyo

Tsuyoshi Kusanagi is a Japanese actor, singer, television host, and a former member of SMAP, one of the best-selling boy bands in Asia. Early life Kusanagi grew up in Kasukabe, Saitama, Japan. Career Music In 1987, at age 13, Kusanagi auditioned to enter John ...

as Zenichi Hatori, Composer. He is modeled after

Ryōichi Hattori was a Japanese pop and jazz composer. Katsuhisa Hattori is his son. He had a great influence on Japanese pop and was awarded the People's Honor Award. Japanese jazz was downtrodden during World War II World War II or the Second Worl ...

* Miwako Ichikawa as Mari Hatori, Zenichi's wife *

Rinko Kikuchi is a Japanese actress, and was the first Japanese actress to be nominated for an Academy Award in 50 years, for her work in '' Babel'' (2006). Kikuchi's other notable films include '' Norwegian Wood'' (2010), which screened in competition ...

as Ritsuko Ibarada, singer. She is modeled after

Noriko Awaya was a Japanese female soprano chanteuse and popular music (''ryūkōka'') singer. She was dubbed the in Japan. Life and career Awaya was born as in Aomori, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. She was the oldest daughter of a wealthy merchant, whose b ...

Others

Koshi Mizukami is a Japanese actor. Until August 2022 he worked under the stage name . Early life Mizukami was born on 12 May 1999 in Higashi ward, Fukuoka Prefecture. He started playing baseball in the second grade of elementary school and mainly served as ...

as Aisuke Murayama, Suzuko's husband * Koyuki as Tomi Murayama, Aisuke's mother. She is modeled after Sei Yoshimoto, the co-founder of

Yoshimoto Kogyo is a Japanese entertainment conglomerate. It was founded in 1912, Osaka, as a traditional theatre, and has since grown to be one of the most influential companies in Japan, employing most of Japan's popular owarai (comedy) talent, producing and ...

. * Noriko Nakagoshi as Kinu Nishino, Suzuko's real mother. *

Natsumi Kon is a Japanese musical actress and singer. She is best known for playing Juliette in the musical ''Roméo et Juliette'', which made her professional debut and is recognised as "new-generation diva of the musical world". Early life and education ...

Yoshiko Yamaguchi Yoshiko Yamaguchi ( ''Yamaguchi Yoshiko''; ''Shānkǒu Shūzǐ''; 12 February, 1920 – 7 September, 2014) was a Japanese singer, actress, journalist, and politician. Born in China, she made an international career in film in China, Hong Kong, ...

(Li Hsiang-lan) *

Katsuhisa Namase is a Japanese actor, known primary for his roles in television dramas. His roles are often positions of authority, such as managers, principals, or police officers, but many of these characters also share a certain kookiness and incompetence. S ...

as Kenji "Tanaken" Tanahashi. He is modeled after

Ken'ichi Enomoto was a popular Japanese singing comedian, mostly known by his stage name Enoken (エノケン). A major innovator during his heyday, Enoken's stage shows, radio appearances, and film roles were a major influence within Tokyo theatre before Worl ...

. *Miu Tomita as Sayo Kobayashi *Jack Kennedy as Sam *Sakura Kiryu as Ayumi Mizuki, Yoshio Matano and Reiko Yamato's daughter *Takashi Naito as a detective *Ryota Miura as Takeshi Shibamoto *Hana Kino as Akiko Ōno

Music

Many songs were used. The arrangement of all songs in the drama is by

Takayuki Hattori is a Japanese film, television, video game and non-soundtrack music composer, arranger and conductor. Early life Hattori graduated from the Conservatoire de Paris in 1988 and since then has worked in Japan. Career The works Hattori has s ...

, grandson of

. * : Suzuko Fukurai sings on stage at the Japanese Imperial Theater. The lyrics were written by Masaru Suzuki and the music was composed by Ryōichi Hattori. * : Suzuko Fukurai sings on stage at the Japanese Imperial Theater. The lyrics were written and composed by Ryōichi Hattori. * : Suzuko Fukurai sings on stage at the Japanese Imperial Theater. The lyrics were written and composed by Ryōichi Hattori. * Farewell Blues : Ritsuko Ibarada sings in concert. * Furusato (children's song) * *

When the Saints Go Marching In "When the Saints Go Marching In", often referred to as simply "The Saints", is a traditional black spiritual. It originated as a Christian hymn, but is often played by jazz bands. One of the most famous jazz recordings of "The Saints" was made o ...