"Koizora" moves to the small screen

[Tokyograph News]

TBS has announced that it is producing a television drama based on "Koizora," the mobile phone novel that became a hit movie last year. The film starred Yui Aragaki and Haruma Miura, and both saw their popularity rise after the movie took in 3.9 billion yen from more than 3.1 million admissions.

The drama will feature an entirely new cast, with auditions being held for both Aragaki's and Miura's roles. Producers are said to be seeking unknown actors, particularly a girl who can be cultivated into becoming "the next Gakky (a nickname for Aragaki)." The cast is expected to be finalized by mid-June so that filming can begin for a summer broadcast. TBS will be airing the drama in its recently revamped Saturday 8:00pm time slot, which currently is the home of the baseball drama "ROOKIES."

Although the cast will be new, the production team is being carried over from the film, giving them another shot at the story. The team includes Natsuki Imai as director, Mutsuki Watanabe as screenwriter, and Shin Kono doing music.

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