Sanada Maru (TV series)

Sanada Maru
Promotional poster
Written byKōki Mitani
Directed byTakafumi Kimura
and others
StarringMasato Sakai
Yo Oizumi
Masami Nagasawa
Yoshino Kimura
Koji Yamamoto
Hirofumi Arai
Haru Kuroki
Mayu Matsuoka
Yō Yoshida
Takeo Nakahara
Takashi Fujii
Kataoka Ainosuke VI
Shinya Niiro
Taishi Nakagawa
Kenichi Okamoto
Susumu Terajima
Masahiko Nishimura
Show Aikawa
Kenichi Endō
Masanobu Takashima
Hiroshi Fujioka
Atsuko Takahata
Mitsuko Kusabue
Yūko Takeuchi
Fumiyo Kohinata
Kyōka Suzuki
Masaomi Kondō
Seiyō Uchino
Masao Kusakari
Narrated byYumiko Udo
Theme music composerTatsuya Shimono
Opening theme"Sanada Maru Main Theme" (「真田丸 メインテーマ」) by the NHK Symphony Orchestra,
Fumiaki Miura
ComposerTakayuki Hattori
Country of originJapan
Original languageJapanese
No. of episodes50
Production
Executive producersYotaro Yashiki
Kunio Yoshikawa
Running time45 minutes
Original release
NetworkNHK
ReleaseJanuary 10 (2016-01-10) –
December 18, 2016 (2016-12-18)

Sanada Maru (真田丸) is a 2016 Japanese historical drama television series and the 55th NHK taiga drama.[1] The series is named after the Sanada Maru, a fortification defended by Sanada during the Siege of Osaka in 1615. Written by Kōki Mitani, it stars Masato Sakai as the samurai Sanada Nobushige. It premiered on January 10, 2016 and concluded on December 18, 2016.

Due to declining viewership for taiga dramas in recent years, NHK strengthened its marketing push for Sanada Maru as compared with its previous taiga dramas.

Plot

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The drama focuses on the history of the Sanada clan during the Sengoku period in Japan, and in particular on Sanada Nobushige, who would go on to become one of the legendary commanders of the period.

Cast

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Pro-Tokugawa daimyōs

"The Seven Generals of Hideyori"

Others

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Production

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Production Credits

  • Music – Takayuki Hattori
  • Titling – Shūhei Hasado
  • Historical research – Motoki Kuroda, Masaru Hirayama, Kazuhiro Marushima
  • Architectural research – Kiyoshi Hirai
  • Clothing research – Hiroaki Koizumi
  • Sword fight arranger - Kunishirō Nakagawa

Casting

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NHK chose to cast Masato Sakai for the lead role of Sanada Nobushige, a samurai of the Sengoku period. Minoru Kubota of the Yomiuri Shimbun assumes that this is in part to increase viewership for the historical series after years of declining audience numbers for taiga dramas, as Sakai was a popular actor in the dramas he previously starred in.[3][4]

Marketing

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Due to the decline in viewers of NHK's taiga dramas, which is especially seen in the historically low ratings of preceding taiga drama Hana Moyu in 2015, the public broadcaster strengthened its effort to market Sanada Maru in order for viewership to increase.[4] Locations that were to be depicted in the taiga drama were featured in travel-themed programs such as Tsurube's Salute to Families and Bura Tamori, which also featured actors from Sanada Maru as guests.[4] History-themed documentaries and discussion programs covered the historical background of the drama.[4] Lead actor Sakai was sent out by NHK to major media outlets for interviews, though he was found to be uncooperative in many of them, as questions would focus on his personal life instead of his new role in the drama.[4]

TV schedule

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Episode Title Directed by Original airdate Rating
1 "Funade" (船出, Sailing Out) Takafumi Kimura January 10, 2016 (2016-01-10) 19.9%
2 "Ketsudan" (決断, Decision) January 17, 2016 (2016-01-17) 20.1%
3 "Sakuryaku" (策略, Stratagem) January 24, 2016 (2016-01-24) 18.3%
4 "Chōsen" (挑戦, Challenge) Kunio Yoshikawa January 31, 2016 (2016-01-31) 17.8%
5 "Kyūchi" (窮地, Predicament) Takafumi Kimura February 7, 2016 (2016-02-07) 19.0%
6 "Meisō" (迷走, Adrift) February 14, 2016 (2016-02-14) 16.9%
7 "Dakkai" (奪回, Recapture) Tadashi Tanaka February 21, 2016 (2016-02-21) 17.4%
8 "Chōryaku" (調略, Ploy) February 28, 2016 (2016-02-28) 17.1%
9 "Kakehiki" (駆引, Maneuvering) Daiji Kobayashi March 6, 2016 (2016-03-06) 16.6%
10 "Myōshu" (妙手, Gambit) March 13, 2016 (2016-03-13) 16.2%
11 "Shūgen" (祝言, Nuptials) Tadashi Tanaka March 20, 2016 (2016-03-20) 15.6%
12 "Hitojichi" (人質, Hostage) March 27, 2016 (2016-03-27) 17.9%
13 "Kessen" (決戦, Showdown) Takafumi Kimura April 3, 2016 (2016-04-03) 17.5%
14 "Osaka" (大坂) April 10, 2016 (2016-04-10) 17.1%
15 "Hideyoshi" (秀吉) April 17, 2016 (2016-04-17) 18.3%
16 "Hyōri" (表裏, Two-faced) Daiji Kobayashi April 24, 2016 (2016-04-24) 16.9%
17 "Saikai" (再会, Reunion) Shōhei Doi May 1, 2016 (2016-05-01) 17.0%
18 "Jōraku" (上洛, An audience) Tadashi Tanaka May 8, 2016 (2016-05-08) 19.1%
19 "Koiji" (恋路, Romance) Daiji Kobayashi May 15, 2016 (2016-05-15) 17.0%
20 "Zenchō" (前兆, Premonition) Tetsuya Watanabe May 22, 2016 (2016-05-22) 18.7%
21 "Sentan" (戦端, Hostility) Takafumi Kimura May 29, 2016 (2016-05-29) 16.8%
22 "Saitei" (裁定, Arbitration) Shōhei Doi June 5, 2016 (2016-06-05) 16.6%
23 "Kōryaku" (攻略, Conquest) Tadashi Tanaka June 12, 2016 (2016-06-12) 18.9%
24 "Metsubō" (滅亡, Downfall) Takafumi Kimura June 19, 2016 (2016-06-19) 17.6%
25 "Betsuri" (別離, Parting) Tetsuya Watanabe June 26, 2016 (2016-06-26) 18.3%
26 "Uriuri" (瓜売, Gourd Seller) Daiji Kobayashi July 3, 2016 (2016-07-03) 16.4%
27 "Fushin" (不信, Distrust) Takafumi Kimura July 10, 2016 (2016-07-10) 15.1%
28 "Junan" (受難, Sufferings) Shōhei Doi July 17, 2016 (2016-07-17) 17.0%
29 "Ihen" (異変, Disturbance) Keita Hosaka July 24, 2016 (2016-07-24) 17.5%
30 "Tasogare" (黄昏, Twilight) Tadashi Tanaka July 31, 2016 (2016-07-31) 14.5%
31 "Shūen" (終焉, Demise) Takafumi Kimura August 7, 2016 (2016-08-07) 17.3%
32 "Ōshū" (応酬, Tit-for-tat) Daiji Kobayashi August 14, 2016 (2016-08-14) 15.8%
33 "Dōran" (動乱, Upheaval) Shōhei Doi August 21, 2016 (2016-08-21) 18.0%
34 "Kyohei" (挙兵, Risings) Tetsuya Watanabe August 28, 2016 (2016-08-28) 13.2%
35 "Inubushi" (犬伏) Takafumi Kimura September 4, 2016 (2016-09-04) 15.0%
36 "Shōbu" (勝負, Battle) Daiji Kobayashi September 11, 2016 (2016-09-11) 16.5%
37 "Nobuyuki" (信之) Tadashi Tanaka September 18, 2016 (2016-09-18) 17.3%
38 "Masayuki" (昌幸) Takafumi Kimura September 25, 2016 (2016-09-25) 15.7%
39 "Saigetsu" (歳月, Years) Keita Hosaka October 2, 2016 (2016-10-02) 16.6%
40 "Yukimura" (幸村) Shōhei Doi October 9, 2016 (2016-10-09) 15.0%
41 "Nyūjō" (入城, Entry) Takafumi Kimura October 16, 2016 (2016-10-16) 15.4%
42 "Mikata" (味方, Allies) October 23, 2016 (2016-10-23) 13.0%
43 "Gungi" (軍議, War Council) Daiji Kobayashi October 30, 2016 (2016-10-30) 14.5%
44 "Chikujō" (築城, Fortification) Tadashi Tanaka November 6, 2016 (2016-11-06) 15.3%
45 "Kanpū" (完封, Shutout) November 13, 2016 (2016-11-13) 15.2%
46 Hōdan (砲弾, Cannonball) Keita Hosaka November 20, 2016 (2016-11-20) 14.2%
47 Hangeki (反撃, Counter-attack) Daiji Kobayashi November 27, 2016 (2016-11-27) 15.3%
48 Hikigane (引鉄, Trigger) Takuya Shimizu December 4, 2016 (2016-12-04) 16.1%
49 "Zen'ya" (前夜, The Eve) Takafumi Kimura December 11, 2016 (2016-12-11) 14.8%
50 None December 18, 2016 (2016-12-18) 14.7%
Average rating 16.6% - Rating is based on Japanese Video Research (Kantō region).

Soundtracks

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  • Sanada Maru NHK Taiga Drama Original Soundtrack (February 24, 2016)[5]
  • Sanada Maru NHK Taiga Drama Original Soundtrack II (July 20, 2016)[6]
  • Sanada Maru NHK Taiga Drama Original Soundtrack III (November 9, 2016)[7]
  • Sanada Maru NHK Taiga Drama Original Soundtrack: The Best (December 21, 2016)[8]

Accolades

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Ceremony Category Nominees Result Ref.
10th Tokyo Drama Awards Best Drama Series Sanada Maru Nominated [9]
Best Actor Masato Sakai Won
Best Supporting Actor Masao Kusakari Won

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "大河「真田丸」主役・堺らキャストずらり ヒロインは長澤まさみ". sponichi. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  2. ^ "松本幸四郎:38年ぶり「真田丸」で再び呂宋助左衛門に 三谷幸喜が熱烈オファー". Mantan-web. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  3. ^ Kubota, Minoru (2 December 2015). "リベンジなるか?NHK大河ドラマ「真田丸」の戦い". Yomiuri Online (in Japanese). The Yomiuri Shimbun. Archived from the original on 23 June 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d e Brasor, Philip (30 January 2016). "NHK may need to rethink its 'taiga' formula". The Japan Times. The Japan Times Ltd. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  5. ^ "Nhk Taiga Drama[sanadamaru]original Soundtrack". HMV & Books Online (in Japanese). Lawson Entertainment, Inc. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  6. ^ "Nhk Taiga Drama Sanadamaru Original Soundtrack 2". HMV & Books Online (in Japanese). Lawson Entertainment, Inc. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  7. ^ "Nhk Taiga Drama Sanadamaru Original Soundtrack 3". HMV & Books Online (in Japanese). Lawson Entertainment, Inc. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  8. ^ "Nhk Taiga Drama Sanadamaru Original Soundtrack Best". HMV & Books Online (in Japanese). Lawson Entertainment, Inc. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  9. ^ Tokyo Drama Awards 2017
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