On May 14th, Fuji TV announced that they will be adapting 11 of Higashino Keigo’s best short stories into one omnibus drama called ‘Mokuyo Gekijo – Higashino Keigo Mysteries‘.
The drama will be comprised of 11 episodes, featuring 11 different stories and starring 11 different actors. Of course the name Higashino stands for amazing mystery novels, but it’s his varied use of different atmospheres from serious to comedic to eerie that make each story stand out from his previous works. This kind of variety becomes even more evident when composed into short stories and that’s exactly what Fuji TV wants to offer their viewers this coming summer season. Airing a weekly drama in an omnibus style is a first in the history of Japanese dramas.
Actor Nakai Kiichi will serve as a story guide and will introduce each of the stories for the viewers with a certain breeze of humor.
The first story ‘Sayonara Coach‘ is from a collection called ‘Hannin no Inai Satsujin no Yoru‘ and stars actor Karasawa Toshiaki. He plays an archery coach whose favorite pupil committed suicide after his dream to participate in the Olympics didn’t come true.
Karasawa commented, “First of all Higashino knows how to create gripping mysteries, but it’s also his depiction of the darkness that dwells within each of us and the weakness and slyness of people that makes his works so fascinating. I can’t wait to portray the depth of human psychology together with the rest of the cast.”
Aside from ‘Hannin no Inai Satsujin no Yoru’, Fuji TV will be adapting short stories from Higashino’s collections called ‘Ayashii Hitobito‘ and ‘Ano Koro no Dareka‘.
The second short story, ‘Endless Night‘, stars Matsushita Nao as a woman whose husband is killed. In the third story called ‘Reiko to Reiko‘, a lawyer played by Mizuki Alisa gets dragged into a mysterious murder case related to a puzzling young girl. In ‘Amai Hazu Nanoni‘, Sorimachi Takashi ends up in an ultimate conflict as a man who loses his daughter in a mysterious incident. Nagasawa Masami will have to solve the mysterious puzzle left behind by her murdered boyfriend in a comedic mystery story called ‘Charade ga Ippai‘.
The cast of the remaining six short stories has yet to be confirmed and will be announced at a later date.
‘Mokuyo Gekijo – Higashino Keigo Mysteries’ will air every Thursday at 10:00 pm next season.