Matsumoto Jun is going to play the leading role in the upcoming TBS dorama called "Smile" that is going to start in April (Fridays, 10pm). He is going to play a young man who is half Japanese and half Philippine in a story all about 'humanity'. Aragaki Yui and Nakai Kiichi are going to costar in this dorama. The series will be written by scriptwriter and actor Takuma Takayuki who already wrote for and played a role in "Hana Yori Dango".

Matsumoto will have the challenge to play a young man whose father is a Filipino and mother a Japanese. He's a person who always has a smile on his face and faces forwards, even though his father died and mother gone missing.

It's the first time that he is going to play a halfie. His character was born and raised in Japan, so Japanese is his mother tongue, but his outward appearance will be more exotic. "It's a character that has to overcome a lot of tough hurdles, but in reality he's the most kind person you can get."

As mentioned above, the dorama will be written by Takuma Takayuki who is using his pen name Satake Mikio. The title "Smile" is said to describe all the three characters played by Matsumoto, Aragaki and Nakai, each of the three being different to the other two. All of them are usually smiling a lot in their lifes, but at the same time they all have their big secrets deep inside themselves. Those three will be the key roles that are going to portray humanity and human warmth in the story in one way or another.

Aragaki's role is that of the young woman Hana who lost her speech due to a certain incident and yet manages to cheerfully live through her life. "I was a bit bewildered, because it's different to any other role I have done so far, but I'll put in all my effort to fit into the world of 'Smile'". Hana is also said to be a model who was in the supervision of the Takuma theatre group.

Nakai will play a lawyer who is watching over those people. It's been 12 years since he acted in a TBS dorama.

Credits to: jyoyu.blogspot.com
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