Grand Prix: "Ossan's Love" "Tokyo Drama Awards 2018" Announced

The main event of the International Drama Festival in TOKYO 2018, the Tokyo Drama Awards 2018 ceremony, was held on October 25 at the Tokyo Prince Hotel in Minato Ward. Under the concept of "Japanese dramas we want to show the world," this award focuses on marketability and commercial potential, honoring both the works and the people involved in their production. This year marks its 11th edition.

Yoshio Okubo, Chairman of the Festival Executive Committee (Chairman of the National Association of Commercial Broadcasters in Japan), declared the opening, stating, "Japanese dramas are particularly suited for overseas expansion among broadcast content. They hold the potential to become a key pillar of Japan's growth strategy, yet compared to Korea and Europe/America, there is still room for development. We aim for Japan to be called a drama powerhouse as soon as possible."

Satomi Ishihara, who starred in TBS TV's "Unnatural," was selected for the Best Actress Award. She stated, "This is thanks to a director I deeply respect and a script that remains genuinely fascinating no matter how many times I read it. I am proud to have been involved in this drama as the lead."

Kei Tanaka, who won Best Actor for TV Asahi's "Ossan's Love," reflected, "I focused on fully embracing every intense emotion my co-stars poured into their performances." Host Koji Ishizaka commented, "Despite the challenging theme, he delicately portrayed the protagonist's emotions, wrapping them in laughter to convey them."

The Grand Prix for Best Single Drama went to NHK's "Kurara: Hokusai's Daughter." Ishizaka, an admirer of Hokusai, praised the production with excitement: "Aoi Miyazaki's nuanced performance, the surprising camera angles and color palette, and the expressive power achieved through 4K technology were all outstanding."

The Grand Prix for Best Drama Series went to TV Asahi's "Ossan's Love." It was praised for its unique concept, its sincere approach to a challenging theme, and its exploration of the essential nature of human love. The production team stated, "We didn't set out to make a drama about male-male romance. We aimed to create a pure love story that viewers would look forward to each week."

TBS TV's "Unnatural" achieved a six-category sweep, winning Best Drama Series (Serial Drama Category) along with Best Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Direction, Special Award, and Best Theme Song. Screenwriter Akiko Nogi commented, "The challenge was finding the right balance between presenting the drama as entertainment and the realism of forensic medicine."

Yasuhiro Suga, Vice Chair of the Selection Committee (NHK Director), concluded, "The distribution of drama content is diversifying. I am confident that Japanese dramas will also be hits overseas."

 

Official Website: https://j-ba.or.jp/drafes/award/index.html