"Jotei": Nagisa Saito Takes the Lead Role in the New Live-Action Series Based on the Manga by Ryo Kurashina and Issaku Wake

The manga classic "Jotei" (女帝) by author Ryo Kurashina and artist Issaku Wake is being adapted once again as a live-action series. The Japanese broadcaster Yomiuri TV has announced that Nagisa Saito will take on the lead role of Ayaka Tachibana. The series premieres on October 22 in Yomiuri TV's "Drama DiVE" slot, airing Thursdays from 0:59 a.m., i.e., in the night leading into Friday. For the actress, born in 2003, it is her first lead role in an ongoing television series. Further casting details are still pending.

The story centers on Ayaka Tachibana, who grows up in Kumamoto as the daughter of a single mother who runs a small bar. Her life is thrown into turmoil when her first boyfriend betrays her and his circle tries to make the incident disappear with money and power. Shortly afterward, her mother dies of an illness. Ayaka drops out of school, leaves Kumamoto, initially gets by in Osaka, and eventually enters the nightlife business. With beauty, courage, and calculation, she works her way up in the male-dominated world of Ginza clubs to become the "Jotei," the ruler of the night—driven by the desire to take revenge on the powerful men who destroyed her family. Politicians, businessmen, and members of the underworld fall under her spell; whether love or ruin awaits at the end remains open.

The manga was first published in 1996 and reached a total circulation of more than 2.5 million copies. In 2001, a live-action version starring Maju Ozawa was released in cinemas, followed in 2007 by a television series starring Rosa Kato. Later, the material was also adapted as a Korean series and as a stage play. The new adaptation is intended to preserve the strong ensemble character of the original while also reflecting present-day social conditions and the voices of the disadvantaged.

The production is being handled by the company Media Mix Japan; the series is backed by a production committee consisting of Avex Pictures and Yomiuri TV. Directing are Miyaoka Taro, Sono Kenichi, Okamoto Koichi, Yuasa Shin, and Oda Kido, with Uchibe Kentaro and Fukuda Hiroyuki named as chief producers. The broadcast will initially take place in the Kansai region; transmission by other stations is still being coordinated. The series is also to be available as a catch-up offering via TVer.

The original author, Ryo Kurashina, looks back on the long history of the material: when the manga started in 1996, that was almost 30 years ago. That it is now being revived as a contemporary work with Nagisa Saito as well as a strong ensemble and team makes him curious; he has already read the script and is looking forward to the result. That is thanks to the readers who have loved and supported the work over a long period. As a viewer, he wants to enjoy this "Reiwa version" of Jotei together with the audience.

Nagisa Saito said she was very happy when she received the offer, but at the same time felt great pressure. The position as lead actress brings nervousness and uncertainty; she wants to engage honestly with the role and the production and, together with the direction, the ensemble, and the team, create a good work. Ayaka is a strong-willed woman who tries to move forward in every situation; she herself shares the straightforwardness with which she pursues decisions once made. At the same time, she has learned a lot from the character's strength and way of life. She wants to take the character's feelings seriously and portray them carefully. She wished the viewers that something of the work might remain in their hearts, and invited them to follow the characters' paths to the end.

A teaser visual and a teaser video were released for the announcement. The still image shows Ayaka against a vermilion background, into which the series logo is engraved, with a direct, determined gaze. The video contrasts the character's transformation: from the plain school uniform of a high school student to a bright red dress and a seductive expression. Lines such as "One day I will subjugate you" and "I will... become a Jotei" are interwoven with striking images from the original manga.

For Nagisa Saito, the series is another step in a rapid career: in 2017, she made her debut as a member of the idol group =LOVE produced by Rino Sashihara and was one of its central members. After leaving the group in January 2023, she devoted herself to acting; she attracted attention, among other things, in the live-action adaptation of "Oshi no Ko," in which she played Hoshino Ruby, as well as in the series "Ashita, Watashi wa Dareka no Kanojo." She can also be seen in the film series "Odoru Daisousasen." Whether "Jotei" will become a springboard for her should become clear from October 22.