Unbound (べらぼう〜蔦重栄華乃夢噺〜, Berabou Tsutajū Eiga no Yume-banashi)[1]is a Japanese historical drama television series starring Ryusei Yokohama as Tsutaya Jūzaburō. The series is the 64th NHK taiga drama.[2][3][4]

Unbound
Written byYoshiko Morishita
Directed byTaku Ōhara and others
Starring
Narrated byHaruka Ayase
ComposerJohn R. Graham
Country of originJapan
Original languageJapanese
No. of episodes7
Production
Running time45 minutes
Original release
NetworkNHK
ReleaseJanuary 5, 2025 (2025-01-05)

Plot

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In the mid-18th century Japan, the Rōjū Tanuma Okitsugu prioritized commerce over agriculture to rebuild the nation's finances. As the economy improved, a relatively liberal atmosphere emerged among the common people, fostering cultural development. One of the central figures in this cultural movement was Tsutaya Jūzaburō, a publisher. However, when the era transitioned to Matsudaira Sadanobu's governance from Tanuma's, stricter controls on entertainment were imposed, causing hardship for Jūzaburō. Even so, he remained undeterred, discovering and making talents such as Utamaro, Hokusai and Sharaku famous.

Cast

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Starring role

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His family

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  • Ai Hashimoto as Tei, Jūzaburō's wife
  • Katsumi Takahashi as Surugaya, Jūzaburō's foster father
  • Naoko Iijima as Fuji, Jūzaburō's foster mother
  • Aoi Nakamura as Jirobei, Surugaya's son

Publishing industry

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Artists

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Tokugawa shogunate

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Ōoku

Yoshiwara pleasure quarters

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  • Fuka Koshiba as Hananoi (Segawa V)
  • Haruka Fukuhara as Tagasode
    • Kurumi Inagaki as Kaori (young Tagasode)
  • Miki Mizuno as Ine
  • Ryo Tamaki as Toyoshima
  • Sayu Kubota as Matsunoi
  • Karin Ono as Utsusemi
  • Ayaka Higashino as Shizuyama
  • Runa Nakashima as Chidori
  • Rino Katase as Kiku
  • Yumi Adachi as Ritsu
  • Reika Manaki as Asagao
  • Momiji Yamamura as Shige
  • Bokuzō Masana as Matsuba-ya
  • Kazuhiro Yamaji as Ōgi-ya
  • Atsushi Itō as Daimonji-ya
  • Towa Watanabe as Karamaru
  • Moka Otsuka as Kamegiku
  • Masaki Hiradate as Katsuyama
  • Hikari Kabashima as Tokiwagi
  • Haruka Kinoshita as Tamakawa
  • Chisato Someya as Ureshino

Others

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  • Haruka Ayase as Kurosuke Inari / narrator
  • Hayato Ichihara as Toriyama Kengyō
  • Kai Inowaki as Oda Shinnosuke
  • Toshinori Omi as Hirasawa Tsunemasa
  • Naomasa Musaka as Hanjirō
  • Nene Yoshitaka as a corpse
  • Kanna Fuji as a corpse
  • Rin Yoda as a corpse
  • So Yamanaka as Sugita Genpaku
  • James Onoda as a bathhouse owner
  • Kensuke Sasaki as a boatman
  • Toshiki Ayata as the owner of a charcoal shop
  • Katsuya Takagi as the man with a scar on his face
  • Katsuhiro Higo as Shigoroku

TV schedule

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Episode Title Directed by Original airdate Rating
1 "Arigata-yama no Kangarasu" (ありがた山の寒がらす) Taku Ōhara January 5, 2025 (2025-01-05) 12.6%
2 "Yoshiwara Saiken <Aa, Oedo>" (吉原細見 『嗚呼御江戸』) January 12, 2025 (2025-01-12) 12.0%
3 "Senkyaku Banrai <Hitome Senbon>" (千客万来 『一目千本』) January 19, 2025 (2025-01-19) 11.7%
4 "<Hinagata Wakana> no Amai Wana" (『雛形若菜』の甘い罠) Takashi Fukagawa January 26, 2025 (2025-01-26) 10.5%
5 "Tsuta ni Karamaru Inga no Tsuru" (蔦に唐丸因果の蔓) Taku Ōhara February 2, 2025 (2025-02-02) 10.6%
6 "Uroko Hagareta <Setsuyō-shū>" (鱗剥がれた『節用集』) Takashi Fukagawa February 9, 2025 (2025-02-09) 10.2%
7 "Kōki Tōrai <Magaki no Hana>" (好機到来『籬の花』) February 16, 2025 (2025-02-16) 10.0%
8 "Gyakushū no <Kinkin Sensei>" (逆襲の『金々先生』) February 23, 2025 (2025-02-23)
9 "Tamagiku Tōrō Koi no Jigoku" (玉菊灯籠恋の地獄) March 2, 2025 (2025-03-02)
10 "<Seirō Bijin> no Miru Yume wa" (『青楼美人』の見る夢は) March 9, 2025 (2025-03-09)
11 "Tomimoto, Jingi no Uma-zura" (富本、仁義の馬面) March 16, 2025 (2025-03-16)
12 "Niwaka naru <Meigetsu Yojō>" (俄なる『明月余情』) March 23, 2025 (2025-03-23)
13 "Bakufu Yurugasu Zatōgane" (幕府揺るがす座頭金) March 30, 2025 (2025-03-30)

References

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  1. ^ "Unbound". NHK Enterprises. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  2. ^ "べらぼう〜蔦重栄華乃夢噺〜". The Television (in Japanese). Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  3. ^ "横浜流星、2025年大河主演に決定「大変光栄」 "江戸のメディア王"蔦屋重三郎の生涯を描く". Oricon (in Japanese). 27 April 2023. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  4. ^ "大河ドラマ「べらぼう~蔦重栄華乃夢噺~」キャスト・ビジュアル【一覧】". Cinematoday (in Japanese). 15 December 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
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