Starting in January and broadcast weekly for an entire year, taiga period dramas (¡°taiga¡± literally meaning ¡°big river¡±) are the crown jewels of public broadcaster NHK¡¯s programming lineup and a Sunday night staple.
The stories typically feature real-life figures played by top-line talents and unfold during the more turbulent periods of 911±¬ÁÏÍø history, such as the Sengoku Period (1482-1573), which was recently the setting for the award-winning American series "Shogun." Swords come out and pitched battles are fought on NHK, too ¡ª if not in every episode.
¡°Unbound,¡± the 64th and latest taiga drama (which aired its first episode on Jan. 5) marks a departure from this series¡¯ template. It is the first to be set in the late 18th century, when Japan was at peace and swords mostly stayed in their scabbards. Instead of a warlord or other notable samurai name, it focuses on Tsutaya Juzaburo (Ryusei Yokohama), also known as Tsutaju, a commoner born and raised in Yoshiwara ¡ª the notorious red-light district of Edo (feudal-era Tokyo). Adding star power to the cast are Haruka Ayase as a narrator and Ken Watanabe as Tanuma Okitsugu, a reformer who wants to usher in a new era for the ruling Tokugawa Shogunate.
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