[Dorama] Sakura Kara no Tegami AKB48 Sorezore no Sotsugyou Monogatari

[SomethingWild]

With a title that long, you know it's gotta be good!



On Air: February 26th, 2011
Cast: Almost all AKB48 members
Episodes: 17

This will probably be tied with the upcoming AKB48 single.

...more info to come!

[Melchizadek]

Cool.  Looks like the AKB48 dorama is becoming an annual tradition. 

[ohno]

Official Site: http://www.ntv.co.jp/akbsakura/
News article with some pictures(SCHOOL MIZUGI!): http://news.thetv.jp/article/19739/

[jafeijai]

Some details from

First episode: 30 minutes.
Last episode: 60 minutes.
All the others: 10 minutes.

Edit: Additional info from the official site:

Members that will make an appearance in the drama:
- Oshima Yuko
- Minegishi Minami
- Akimoto Sayaka
- Satou Amina
- Miyazaki Miho
- Itano Tomomi
- Kasai Tomomi
- Takajou Aki
- Nakagawa Haruka
- Kojima Haruna
- Kashiwagi Yuki
- Kitahara Rie
- Watanabe Mayu
- Miyazawa Sae
- Takahashi Minami
- Maeda Atsuko
- Shinoda Mariko
- Sashihara Rino
- Matsubara Natsumi
among others unmentioned on the site


OMFG SASHIKO IS MARRIED IN THIS DRAMA.

[jafeijai]

がんを患い、余命3カ月となった碑文ヶ丘3年C組担任の前田（上川隆也）は、生徒たちに自分の病気と余命を告白。同時に卒業証書の代わりとして、遺書になるかもしれない手紙をそれぞれに渡す。だが、これまで自分たちに対して無関心だった前田の突然の告白に、生徒たちは戸惑ってしまう…。

Maeda (played by Kamikawa Takaya), the homeroom teacher of 3C that has been diagnosed with cancer and has only 3 months left to live, suddenly tells his class about his condition. At the same time, as a substitute of a diploma, he hands out a letter, which may become his will, to each student. But, to the confession of Maeda who had been indifferent about them up until now, the students are perplexed...

Basic idea:
- teacher tells class he's about to die
- students go 'wtf'
- students begin wondering how to deal with this eternal farewell with their teacher as their graduation approaches

[jafeijai]

Triple post! ('cuz it's important)

translating the official site roles since I'm not sleepy yet.

【3rd year C class】
Oshima Yuko (lacrosse club)
A top student who's good at studying and sports. As former captain of the lacrosse club, she brought her team to 2nd place championship. After retiring from the club in the summer of her 3rd high school year, she's challenging studying to enter the Medical faculty of a State university. She's a decided, stubborn person who won't change her mind after she's set her mind on something.

Minegishi Minami (lacrosse club)
Former vice-captain of the lacrosse club, she loves lacrosse more than anyone else. She's smart, but she doesn't like studying much. She has a honest temperament and always says what she thinks, and sometimes it leads to misunderstanding. She wants to study abroad in Canada for lacrosse.

Akimoto Sayaka (lacrosse club)
A sportsgirl dedicated to lacrosse. She is a mature, calm person. She looks rational but she's actually passionate. She supports the team as the goalie. She has decided to continue studying in the sports field. Her dream is to become a PE teacher.

Sato Amina (lacrosse club)
She's energetic and smily. She's a lacrosse club member who makes everyone around her happy. She loves lacrosse, but she's also very interested in fashion. She records the club activity so she's always carrying a videocamera. She plans to continue studying for a degree in the university annexed to the high school-

Miyazaki Miho (lacrosse club)
A sportsgirl dedicated to lacrosse. Her passionate character is easy to get inflamed, so she often acts without thinking of the consequences. She's the mood maker of the team. She plans to continue studying for a degree in the university annexed to the high school.

Itano Tomomi (group of 4 flashy girls)
The leader of the four. Queen character. She fervently reads fashion mags, she's sensitive to trends, and she doesn't regret doing her utmost efforts for style's sake. She plans to continue studying for a short-term degree in the university annexed to the high school.

Kasai Tomomi (group of 4 flashy girls)
She's the daughter of the owners of a dango (Japanese pastry) shop and she has no money, but thanks to her natural fashion sense she looks stylish in cheap clothes. She dreams of becoming a designer. She's good at flattering people and she also often has biting remarks, without malice. She plans to continue studying for a short-term degree in the university annexed to the high school.

Takajo Aki (group of 4 flashy girls)
She is a fashionista like your average high school girl, but since she looks cool she has a lot of younger students admiring her. She has a boyish attitude that doesn't care for small details. She plans to continue studying for a short-term degree in the university annexed to the high school.

Nakagawa Haruka (group of 4 flashy girls)
Her family's rich so they buy her all she wants. She has a small breasts complex. Awwwwww girl you don't know how much I understand you. She was well raised so she's gentle and kind to anyone. In a way, she's an innocent girl who doesn't know the world. She always carries sweets with her. She plans to continue studying for a short-term degree in the university annexed to the high school.

Kojima Haruna (art club)
Her dream is to become a nail artist. She values her dream more than boys. She wants to be the best but she's naive and isn't too good at accomplishing things to the end. She calculates but if she doesn't get to a result, she leaves it. My pace. She wants to attend a nail art professional school.

Kashiwagi Yuki (lonely girl)
She was bullied in junior high school, she couldn't make any friend in high school, and she has no confidence. Even at home she's always compared to her brother who always good results so she feels she belongs nowhere. She habitually cuts her wrists thinking the world would be the same without her. She loves books and manga. She's planning to sit the entrance examination for an external university, majoring in science.

Kitahara Rie (lonely girl)
A "lonely wolf" type who is often alone in the class. She thinks there's no need to do efforts to join other people, but at the same time she secretly longs for a friend. She's doubting whether to get a recommendation for the university annexed to the high school.

Watanabe Mayu (Sae-dependent)
She hates being alone and feels lonely. Since she hates loneluness she is always putting people's friendship and love for her to the test.

Miyazawa Sae (Mayu-dependent)
A true friend, she wants to make the people who are with her happy and naturally joins them. If they're happy, she's glad, so she doesn't feel like she makes efforts, but she can't compromise with herself. She's usually energetic and cheerful. She's planning to sit the entrance examination for an external university, majoring in engineering, but keeps this a secret from Mayu.

Takahashi Minami (head of class)
She's in the swimming club. She's cheerful and reliable, so she's the "peacemaker" of the class. She always does her best for everyone. She's easily moved and cries often. She plans to study law in the university annexed to the high school.

【Outside 3-C】
Maeda Atsuko
She's a gentle, serious girl who loves her father. She used to aim to become a teacher like her father. Believing she was betrayed by her beloved, trusted father, she closed her heart. She left home and lives alone in a flat.

Shinoda Mariko
3-C's vice-homeroom teacher. She's a realist who chose to become a teacher because of how hard it is to find another job. She has a sharp character who values reality over dreams, but she loves being with other people and she's active with her students.

Sashihara Rino
Because of her unhappy family environment she mistook a teacher's fatherly feelings for her for love and fell in love with him in the past. After that, she married (her husband married into her family) and has one child. An introverted person, she finds it hard to express her feelings into words.

Matsubara Natsumi
A former swimming club member, now a Uni student. She loves swimming and the swimming club, so she often goes to train them. Takahashi Minami relies on her.

Maeda Tetsu (Kamikawa Ryuya)
3-C's homeroom teacher. He teaches Ancient Literature. After the death of his wife, he lives with his daughter Atsuko. Once, as the coordinator of the choir club, he led the club to the National championship. Recently, because of a certain accident, he's distancing himself from the students.

[riama]

[aznnerd]

Cutter!Yukirin? How utterly depressing   

[hibachifinal]

this is all interesting so far

can't wait to see mommy sasshi

[Masa]

http://natalie.mu/music/news/43316

[SomethingWild]

For some reason, I'm never that excited about an AKB48 drama... but in the end I watch it and like, so I bet it'll be that way for this one too.

The roles sound cool. Looking forward to the flashy girls group, especially Harugon.

[Masa]

AKB48 play themselves as students in "Sakura Kara no Tegami" miniseries

Tue, January 11, 2011 (7:02pm EST)

Members of idol group AKB48 are going to star in a short television miniseries titled "Sakura Kara no Tegami ~AKB48 Sorezore no Sotsugyou Monogatari~." The show will consist of 17 episodes aired on 9 consecutive nights, from February 26 to March 6.

AKB48 will be playing themselves as 3rd-year high school students getting ready to graduate. One day, their homeroom teacher, played by Takaya Kamikawa (45), suddenly announces that he has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and only has three months left to live. As the students each begin reflecting on how to change their own lives, they come to understand the significance of "graduation."

Each of the episodes will be its own story, building up to the climactic final episode. The main cast will consist of Yuko Oshima, Atsuko Maeda, and the rest of the "media senbatsu" team (decided at last year's senbatsu), while the "under girls" and other AKB48 members will also appear as supporting cast. It is reported that all of the AKB48 members will make an appearance.

The drama's main theme song will be "Sakura no Ki ni Narou," whichb AKB48 will release as their next single on February 16.

The first episode will be 30 minutes long, and the last episode will be 60 minutes long, but the 15 episodes in between will each be 10 minutes long. In total, the drama has a running time of 4 hours. According to Mantan Web, the broadcast schedule will be:

    * Episode 1 - February 26, 11:55pm
    * Episode 2-4 - February 27, 11:55pm
    * Episode 5-7 - February 28, 11:58pm
    * Episode 8-10 - March 1, 11:58pm
    * Episode 11-13 - March 2, 11:58pm
    * Episode 14 - March 3, 12:38am
    * Episode 15 - March 4, 1:28am
    * Episode 16 - March 5, 12:50am
    * Episode 17 - March 6, 10:30pm

http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-7303

[eruchan]

another dorama?
well, dorama with AKB girls is always welcomed 
so far the characters looks interesting, i hope it's going to be good
although i'm trying not to have a high expectation from the dorama 

[hibachifinal]

Above all this is good news for AKB and the girls involved. It's great that they are delivering themselves in every kind of medium possible, which as idols, is what it is all about.

Though I have sentiments on how exactly will this be seen as. While of course, it is very much different, it can still be treated as this year's "MajiGaku". We all know that MajiGaku served many purposes, it delivered utmost fanservice for the fans, it showcased  a big cast, AKB themselves, and more importantly, it did well as a bridge for non-fans to become actual followers, introducing more people to AKB. It can be said that MG brought in a new slew of fans... and contributed greatly into making AKB, THE idol group of 2010.

That said, dissimilar to MG's tounge-in-cheek tone, its clear they wanted to take on a more serious, (and timely) route for the dorama (albeit in a more minimal 4 hour run). One has to wonder, what is this all for? Sure it is more fanservice for the fans, but for the general public? is it to showcase a different tone for AKB? (contrast to thier wild, playful, lively appearance as idols that most people have accepted) Will we finally see true actresses in the making through this project? I guess its mainly for trying to tie-in the single, into SOMETHING. Either way, it is still interesting to see how this will fare. MG didn't break and ratings or anything as far as i know, but it sure established something, and in a way, was a memorable, even iconic, venture for AKB. But this... seems. Too Safe.

But anyways, excited to see this etc. blah blah.. OMG SASSHI IS A MOMMY

[mode107]

I'm actually more excited for this than Majisuka 2.

From the trailer of @akb48sakura it looks like Acchan->girl running away from home, Mayu&Sae in a lesbian relationship, wristcutter Yuki, Yuko is a genius lacrosse captain, Haruna is pregnant, and Tomochin is a playgirl.

A trailer was shown? I wanna see it!
and this Mayu & Sae relationship? 

 http://twitter.com/akb48journal

[Masa]

http://www.ntv.co.jp/akbsakura/cast/index.html

The official site has been updated: http://www.ntv.co.jp/akbsakura/index.html

Official Twitter:

[mizu_chan]

Aaaa kawaiii

[mode107]

[Masa]

Tomochin noooooooooo! Don't do it!

Acchan's kinda sexy when she's angry

[mixedmedia]

  Yuka, Shiichan, Rumi, Kana, Sakiko and Haachan as well?  Natsumii in a skin tight swimsuit?  Sasshi-mama?  Will be interesting to see Sasshi interact w/ a kid. Do~n!

Kasai's glasses look kind of funky but I guess if she's supposed to be poor but stylish she has to be a little funky.

Acchan showing some emotion in that clip. 

Guess I'll have to hold out until MG 2 to see Nakayan though.

Sae-yuyu screencap!  Also posted in the Sae-Mayuyu thread.  Thanks to akb48journal on twitter.