First look of Yukino Kishii from series adaptation of Riku Onda's novel 'The Aosawa Murders' out, to stream from November 8
Tokyo, August 3
Japanese broadcaster Wowow has announced that it's producing a live-action series based on Riku Onda's best-selling mystery novel 'The Aosawa Murders' which is set to star Yukino Kishii in the lead role. The actress is globally known for her role in Cannes titled 'All The Lovers in The Night.'
According to the outlet, the six-episode series is scripted by Naoko Adachi with Go Furukawa as lead director. Hayato Kawai will also direct some episodes of the series.
Japanese broadcaster Wowow shared the first look of actress from the series on their Instagram handle on Monday.
The first look photos shows the actress playing the character in two different time periods: in the 1980s when as a twenty-something Makiko went from door to door listening to the people whose lives the case had upended; and in the 2000s, now in her forties, when she is confronted about the truth of the case by a freelance writer.
According to Deadline, the story opens with a mass poisoning at the home of a prominent family in a Japanese coastal city and follows the impact of the event on a novelist, who was among the first at the scene and later wrote a book about the case; a blind girl who was the family's sole survivor; and a writer investigating the case.
Yukino Kishii plays the role of Makiko Saiga, a woman who witnessed the mass poisoning at the age of eleven and later wrote a novel about it, and who freely changes her voice and manner of speaking depending on whom she is talking to.
In addition to 'All The Lovers In The Night', which premiered in Cannes Un Certain Regard, Kishii's credits include 'Small and Slow But Steady.'
"I had been reading Onda-sensei's novels since junior high school, so the offer made me very happy - and put just as much pressure on me. When I heard the scripts would be by Naoko Adachi, who always renders the world from so many angles, I felt that with her I might be able to dive into this story," said Kishii as quoted by Deadline.
Published in English as 'The Aosawa Murders', Onda's 2005 novel Eugenia won the 59th Mystery Writers of Japan Award for Best Novel, and has sold a cumulative 380,000 copies in Japan.
The novel has been translated into six languages (English, German, French, Spanish, Italian and Korean) and was selected as a New York Times Notable Book of 2020; featured among The Guardian's best recent crime and thrillers of 2020; and won first place in the international category of the German Crime Fiction Prize in 2022. The series will premiere on November 8.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The premise sounds so intriguing - a mass poisoning, a blind survivor, and a novelist who witnessed it all. Very Agatha Christie vibes! While I wish Indian OTT platforms would also adapt such literary works, I'm definitely adding this to my watchlist. The two time periods concept is fascinating!
As someone who read the English translation of 'The Aosawa Murders', I was wondering when this would get adapted. The novel's structure with multiple perspectives is really challenging to translate to screen. Glad to see Wowow is handling it and Kishii seems like a great choice for Makiko's complex character.
Kyunki yeh Japanese content hai, isliye isme action toh nahi hoga lekin mystery definitely solid hoga. 😄 Jokes aside, Japanese storytelling is so nuanced. I appreciate the detail they're putting in with the character switching voices depending on who she's talking to. Something most mainstream Indian series lack.
It's a refreshing change to see international content being covered by Indian media. I think we can learn a lot from how Japanese authors like Riku Onda build suspense without relying on unnecessary violence or graphic scenes. The novel's international recognition speaks volumes - NYT Notable Book, Guardian's best of 2020! Must watch for mystery lovers.
While I'm genuinely curious about this and respect the source material, I do feel the 6-episode format might be too short for such a layered novel. The original book jumps between multiple timelines and perspectives. But hey, let's give it a chance - Asian dramas rarely disappoint when it comes to mystery genres.