I may or may not have written a thread on the #JDorama acting scene before. I feel like doing one now, so bear with me.
Many of us who follow the #JDorama scene know that actors come from a diverse range of backgrounds. But just how diverse?
Obviously many went into acting as part of an exercise in building their 'multi-talented' #JPop idol profile.
Shingo Katori, the youngest member of SMAP, was not even a teenager yet at the time. But it's all part of the image building, so.
But there are also those who took a more rough-and-tumble route. Toshiaki Karasawa, for example, started out as a #tokusatsu film extra.
The more remarkable thing about the #JDorama scene, though, is that it actually draws on many other sources for actors.
This, of course, comes down to a rich and diverse performing arts scene in Japan as a whole, including street theatre, kabuki and others.
Kabuki, a traditional form of Japanese theatre, has accounted for many actors we have also seen in film and television.
Kankuro Nakamura, who starred in last year's #TaigaDorama series Idaten, is one recent high-profile example.
But those with longer memories will easily recall the likes of Teruyuki Kagawa and Ebizo Ichikawa, who are established kabuki actors.
Kagawa, for instance, featured in 2002 #TaigaDorama series Toshiie To Matsu and the 20th Century Boys film series.
Then there are those who honed their skills as stage actors. Japan has a rich theatre scene with many major and minor companies.
Close-quarters interaction with audiences, especially in small-scale productions, give a clear idea of what works and what doesn't.
Some actors are trained in conventional straight-up theatre, like Masachika Ichikawa and the late Kiyoshi Kodama, to name just two.
Others are trained in comedy. Don't dismiss this as trivial - good comedians acquire skills that prove useful in doing straight acting.
The late Chosuke Ikariya, who featured as veteran policeman Waku in #OdoruDaisousassen, is the best example I can name.
They don't always end up looking funny either. While rewatching HERO recently, I caught sight of Hiroyuki Miyasako.
Miyasako played a man who was arrested for harming a woman in one episode. There's nothing funny about the role.
And to Miyasako's credit, he did not bring unwarranted attention to himself in the few scenes where he appeared. Good acting.
You may notice this thread has not mentioned women at all yet. And that's where we move into another key training ground.
In case you missed it, Japan is also well-known for its all-female revues and training schools, the most famous being Takarazuka (宝塚).
Based in Hyogo Prefecture in the Kansai area, Takarazuka takes in young girls and trains them rigorously in a wide range of stage work.
Because it's an all-female training school, some of the girls actually specialize in taking on male roles - not trivial at all.
One example of someone who trained in male roles? Yuki Amami, who went on to star in #JDorama series BOSS.
Other actresses to have gone through Takarazuka training include Hitomi Kuroki, Miki Maya and the late Kaoru Yachigusa.
Graduates from the last ten years or so have yet to make an impression in the #JDorama scene, but we can look forward to that.
There are others who learn as they go along, having been converted into acting after starting their careers in some other role.
Of course, this is quite likely at the prompting of the talent agencies that manage them. But that's really a trivial detail.
MEGUMI started out as a successful #gravure idol - and if you have seen pictures of her in the day, it would not be hard to see why.
Her acting debut came in 2003, a year when she also tried to diversify as a recording artist and voice actress.
Since then, she has kept getting roles in a long list of #JDorama shows, including a supporting role in Giso Furin last year.
And how do we know she's actually good? Well, she won the Best Supporting Actress award in Japan's Blue Ribbon Awards last year.
By the way, the younger #JDorama actors we know and love today aren't just appearing on television or commercial flicks.
Some do get tested by serious filmmakers, and some take on roles in theatre productions, so they're constantly challenged.
They follow in the footsteps of actors like Rie Miyazawa and Naohito Fujiki, who have been involved in Ninagawa Theatre productions.
While the likes of Haru Kuroki, Wakana Aoi and Tomoya Nakamura are taken out of their comfort zones, this is good for their growth.
So the next time you watch a #JDorama series, it's worth paying attention to how much the actors show signs of growth over time.
And all that is possible because they encounter colleagues who come from a wide range of experiences and backgrounds.
Oops, typo. I suspect I was sleepwalking through this, it's Masachika Ichimura.
