It's been a while, hasn't it? Well, Japan has decided to stop producing GLs altogether after AyaHiro 2 (I guess success is only enough to drive investments if the themes are cheating or BL), so...
Anyway, at the end of last month, Yuuna Kamiura (already producer of AyaHiro and CallMeNo, because nobody else cares to represent lesbianism in Japan, it seems) teased the production of a new GL via the publication of a casting call for extras. And today, the info about the lead actresses, together with the first visuals and start date, was finally released.
How We Do Relationship? (Tsukiatteagetemo Ii Kana; which means something along the lines of "Well, I guess I wouldn't mind dating you"), adaptation of the extremely popular Yuri manga by Tamifull, will start airing on September 10th on MBS, and it's already been announced that it will be streamed on GagaOOlala as well! The show will have 8 episodes; 24 minutes each, as per usual.
The direction of the series is entrusted to Kana Yamada (who worked on The Naked Director, on Yurika Nakamura's latest cheating drama, and a BL called Contrast) and the director of lesbian movie Saraba, Saranhe, Saraba: Hong Sunhye.
The script will be taken care of by our incredible Miki Matsugasako, who already did an AMAZING job with Call Me by No Name.
And the leads? Well, Miwa and Saeko will be portrayed, respectively, by Sakurako Konishi (who recently appeared alongside our Kanna Mori in her latest drama) and...Riho Sayashi!! Currently a singer, Riho has been a very popular member of the famous idol group Morning Musume!
It looks like another spot-on casting to me. I'd like to read from the manga fans! The aesthetic traits of the actresses seem perfectly in line with the vibe of the characters! I really hope I'll get into the show thanks to their performances, because I was not able to get into the manga, though I might give it a second chance!
Quick synopsis, for those who are not familiar with the manga:
Miwa is a very popular young woman who has never experienced mutual love. After starting university, she quickly gets close to Saeko. They bond over being both attracted to women and they end up dating. As their relationship gets deeper and deeper, however, a lot of things starts to surface, between unresolved trauma, insecurity, and unexpected desires. More than on how they get together, the story focuses on what happens after they start dating, portraying the bittersweet and realistic side of a relationship between women!
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Anyway, aside from release date and cast, comments from them have also been shared on the official account for the show. Apparently, the start of it all was...AyaHiro! TsukiKana's author and her manager once mentioned AyaHiro in casual conversation and apparently the manager remembered that with particularly good timing, and that ultimately led to the adaptation of the manga. Can't wait to find out more about how it all went (surely during some Twitter Space). The manga author also shared that when she started TsukiKana, she really wanted to deliver a raw, absolutely honest, portrayal, even if that meant that there would be no chance for the story to be ever adapted. And yet here we are...!!
Kamiura is very happy to have the privilege to adapt TsukiKana. She mentioned being struck by the dynamic between the characters, how it leads to them laying their weaknesses bare to the other. It has stayed with her ever since she read the manga.
Matsugasako is herself a huge fan of the manga! To the point she says she's been saved by it (!), which alongside great happiness, made her feel great pressure. She also says something beautiful. That is, that while depicting Saeko and Miwa's lives, she felt almost as she was tracing the contours of her own heart.
Director Hong Sunhye straight up mentions that, being a lesbian herself (god, I LOVE when lesbians mention being lesbiaaaaaaaaans. I love that word. Say it more!) she felt deeply connected to the emotional turbulence portrayed in the manga, even bringing up memories from her past. She hopes that, together with the rest of the team, they'll be able to make us experience once again, the feelings of the sort of romance that happens when you're not a kid anymore, but you're also not a fully grown adult yet.
Director Yamada mentions how falling in love can force us to confront those parts of ourselves that we might not be too happy about. There's more to the relationship between Saeko and Miwa than the sparkling joy of youth. There are feelings like loneliness and possessiveness that one might not want to acknowledge; there's the sort of passion that keeps you awake at night. She wants to portray what the manga author has created without glossing it over, without reducing it to an idealized picture.
While reading the manga, Sakurako Konishi (Miwa) was moved both by the tenderness and difficulties of being with someone. Love is not made up merely of pure, beautiful feelings. There are a lot of emotions blending together, including carelessness, loneliness, expectations...And TsukiKana portrays that in a wonderfully raw and honest way, in her opinion.
In her own experience reading the manga, Sayashi found herself wanting to keep reading and, at the same time, having to stop because of how painful some parts felt. In approaching the role, she feels like she's drawing a lot of strength from Saeko, who tries to stay lively at all times. She adds that every member of the team is doing their best to treat the characters living in this story with the utmost care!
The show has the potential to become very big, my friends.
The manga this is an adaptation of is extremely popular, both in Japan and internationally, so if the series hits, it will hit big! Considering the amount of content the manga is made of, this could also mean a potential second season. Kamiura is a smart cookie, so she possibly took this into consideration while drafting the series.
In the next weeks, we'll get more and more info on the series, and I look forward to find out who will play the secondary characters, and who will be in charge of the music. I assume Sayashi herself will be part of that, at least for either the OP or the ED. I hope so, at least!
Let me know what you think of this adaptation so far!
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