Key Person of Interest Detective

Key Person of Interest Detective (重要参考人探偵, Jūyō Sankōnin Tantei) is a Japanese manga series by Murako Kinuta.[1]

Key Person of Interest Detective
Cover of the first manga volume
重要参考人探偵
(Jūyō Sankōnin Tantei)
Manga
Written byMurako Kinuta
Published byShogakukan
ImprintFlowers Comics α
MagazineMonthly Flowers
DemographicJosei
Original runMay 2013March 2018
Volumes7

The series was serialized in Shogakukan's Monthly Flowers magazine from May 2013 to March 2018.[2] A total of seven volumes of the manga have been published under their Flowers Comics α imprint.

It was adapted into a TV drama series on TV Asahi in the Fall 2017 season.[3][4]

Introduction

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Kei Maneki, a model belonging to a small modeling agency, has somehow developed a "constitution" of finding dead bodies one after another ever since he discovered a dead body when he was five years old. Because he is always the first to find a dead body, the police suspect him of being a "key person of interest". One day, he goes on a photo shoot for work with fellow models Itsuki Suo and Simon Toma, where they find a dead body. However, Kei is too calm because he is used to dead bodies, and the cops suspect him. Kei, Itsuki, and Simon begin to deduce the truth in order to clear Kei's name.

Main characters

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Kei Maneki
The protagonist. He is an eight-headed model belonging to the weak modeling agency "Wave". He is feisty, quarrelsome and quick to snap. He is usually the first person to find a corpse and the key witness. Unlike Itsuki, who calls himself a "great detective," he solves cases with true excellence in deductive reasoning.
Itsuki Suo
Kei's fellow model. He is a great deductive maniac, and when Kei gets involved in a case, he happily develops his deductions, but they are often off the mark.
Simon Toma
Kei's fellow model. He likes to pick up women of all ages in his spare time, but he does so from the bottom of his heart, and even the elderly women he meets seem to be unaffected by his words and actions. As a hobby, he models nude drawings at an art college.

Bibliographic information

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  • Key Person of Interest Detective by Murako Kinuta Shogakukan Total 7 vols.
    • Volume 1 Released on March 10, 2015 , ISBN 978-4-09-136806-5[1]
    • Volume 2 Released on February 10, 2016 , ISBN 978-4-09-138235-1[1]
    • Volume 3 Released on July 8, 2016 , ISBN 978-4-09-138627-4[1]
    • Volume 4 Released on December 9, 2016 , ISBN 978-4-09-138683-0[1]
    • Volume 5 Released on June 9, 2017 , ISBN 978-4-09-139310-4[1]
    • Volume 6 Released on November 10, 2017 , ISBN 978-4-09-139790-4[1]
    • Volume 7 Released on June 8, 2018 , ISBN 978-4-09-870124-7[1]

Television drama

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Key Person of Interest Detective
 
Key Person of Interest Detective (Japanese: 重要参考人探偵, Hepburn: Jūyō Sankōnin Tantei)
Genre
Based on"Key Person of Interest Detective" by Murako Kinuta
Screenplay byTsutomu Kuroiwa
Directed by
  • Renpei Tsukamoto
  • Tadaaki Hourai
  • Takashi Komatsu
StarringYuta Tamamori
Music byYu Takami
Ending theme"Red fruits" by Kis-My-Ft2
Country of originJapan
Original languageJapanese
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producerIkuei Yokochi
Producers
  • Akiko Emmy Kanda
  • Chizu Asai
  • Tatsuya Hongou
Running time60min
Production companies
[5]
Original release
Release20 October (2017-10-20) –
8 December 2017 (2017-12-08)

The TV drama series Key Person of Interest Detective aired every Friday from October 20 to December 8, 2017 at 11:15pm - 0:15am in the "Friday Night Drama" slot on TV Asahi. It starred Yuta Tamamori.

A comedy-mystery series adapted from the manga of the same title.[6] The main character, who is the first to find a dead body each time, deduces the cause with the help of two of his friends in a complete story format.[7] The theme song, "Red fruits" by Kis-My-Ft2, was written especially for this work.[8]

For dramatization

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The three model friends who are the main characters in the story were played by Yuta Tamamori, Keiichiro Koyama, and Yuki Furukawa. Tamamori, who plays Kei, the main character, always ends up being the first to discover a dead body. Because of the nature of his role, he thought, "I should change my acting and reactions because the same thing happens every time,"[9] and he prepared for his role by discussing his facial expressions in particular with the director.Koyama, who plays the mystery maniac Itsuki, is Tamamori's senior at Johnny & Associates[10] and has not appeared in a drama series in about five years.[9] Koyama himself felt difficulties because it had been a long time since he had acted in a drama, but he was able to interpret the role well when the director asked him to "feel like a real person".[9] The role of Simon, who comically picks up women, was the first challenge for Furukawa, who plays the role. Furukawa has often played cool roles in the past, but in this film he changed his appearance with a long hair wig to play a sociable and cute role.[11]

This film is also very particular about its sets. Although the director, Renpei Tsukamoto, gave only minimal instructions regarding the modeling agency "Wave," where the film takes place, it was created by the art staff with a "mid-century American feel" in mind.[12] This was inspired by the costume of the office president, played by Kenichi Takitō, and features retro furniture and brick walls.[12] Numerous other sets were also created, including a party hall and a lodge. In particular, the theater where the fourth episode takes place was built by Takashi Komatsu, the director, who drew a floor plan faithful to the original story and built the set inside an actual theater.[12]

The Knife and the Sword

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Prior to the drama's broadcast, the TV drama The Knife and the Sword, in which Tamamori also starred in the "Friday Night Drama" slot in 2013, was rebroadcast in Kantō region.[13] Mirai Shida, who played the role of Natsu who supported Tamamori's character Ken in that drama, made a guest appearance in the second episode of the film as the actress Yuri Otohara. There is a line in the drama that suggests that the two have not seen each other since Sengoku period, "450 years ago."[14] In addition, the theme song from The Knife and the Sword is played in the scene where the main character holds a kitchen knife in episode 3.[15]

Evaluation

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In a review of the first episode in "The television preview room", Tamamori as Kei, Koyama as Itsuki, and Furukawa as Simon, who play the main roles, were described as "three people with exquisitely shared roles," and the rest of the cast as well balanced, making it a "work that fans from various walks of life can enjoy.[16] On the other hand, in "The page," Koji Shiba described the solving of the mystery itself as "more of a drama to enjoy the three handsome men than a full-fledged mystery," however, he described Tamamori's performance as "His performance is attracting, with both subtlety and single-minded intensity. He has gone from the stage of being a good actor among idols to the stage where he is genuinely appreciated as an actor".[17]

Synopsis

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Kei Maneki, a model, is a man with a peculiar constitution. For some reason, he is the first to find dead bodies in various places and situations. To avoid getting his college classmate Karin Saotome into trouble, he broke up with her without telling her why. Several years later, Kei is the first one to find a dead body at a watchmaker's party he attends for work with fellow models Itsuki Suo and Simon Toma , and is reunited with Karin, who shows up at the scene as a detective. Kei is suspected by the police, but with the help of Itsuki and Simon, he deduces the true culprit and clears his own suspicion. However, after being the first person of interest in a series of murders, Karin is ordered by her boss, detective Manabu Toichi, to keep an eye on Kei as much as possible, even on days when he is off duty. Kei's defining line is, "Now I, the keyperson of interest, will tell the truth." In this one-part mystery fiction story, the mystery of Kei's childhood lost memory and his father is revealed in the latter half of the drama.

Characters

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Kei Maneki
Actor - Yuta Tamamori[18]
A model belonging to the modeling agency "Wave" .Everywhere he goes, he becomes the first person found murdered and has to shout "I'm not the murderer!". He was fed up with such a situation. However, when he was put in a tight spot as an important witness, he declared, "Now I, the keyperson of interest, will tell the truth," and gathered his thoughts while stalling for time. He finds out the truth and deduces the culprit.
Karin Saotome
Actress - Yuko Araki[19]
Drama original character. The heroine of the film. She is a rookie detective in the Metropolitan Police Department's Investigation Division. In fact, she is Kei's college classmate and ex-girlfriend. She broke up with him unilaterally due to Kei's peculiar condition of repeatedly finding dead bodies, so when they meet again at the scene of an investigation, she is blunt.
Itsuki Suo
Actor - Keiichiro Koyama[18]
A fellow model who belongs to the same office as Kei. He is a self-proclaimed master detective who is a mystery maniac and yearns to be a detective. He has a frivolous personality and always seems envious of Kei, who is involved in the case as a key witness, but in fact he is worried about Kei.
Simon Toma
Actor - Yuki Furukawa[18]
A fellow model who belongs to the same agency as Kei. He is a natural character with a friendly personality. He likes to pick up women but has no ulterior motive, and can befriend any woman regardless of age, which sometimes leads to unexpected information.
Shinosuke Namie
Actor - Kenichi Takitō[19]
President of the modeling agency Wave.
A former charismatic model himself, he is well-connected and well-informed.

Broadcast Schedule

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# Date Subtitle[20] Director
#1 20 October 2017 A man who somehow finds a dead body Renpei Tsukamoto
#2 27 October 2017 Murder auditions and the "dots and lines" of 10 years ago
#3 3 November 2017 A secret room murder on a mountaintop!!! Mystery of the exquisite curry Tadaaki Hourai
#4 10 November 2017 Murder Shakespeare Takashi Komatsu
#5 17 November 2017 Neighbor's Secret! Celebrity Murder Renpei Tsukamoto
#6 24 November 2017 Murder Fashion Show! Mystery of the Missing Body Takashi Komatsu
#7 1 December 2017 The truth about the hot-spring murders and 20 years ago Tadaaki Hourai
#8 8 December 2017 Murder 20 years ago...confront the real murderer! Renpei Tsukamoto
Average viewer rating 4.8% (ratings are based on Video Research, Kantō region, households)
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The DVD and Blu-ray, which also includes over 113 minutes of bonus footage such as a roundtable discussion among the four main cast members, a production announcement press conference, and making-of featurettes, were released on June 6, 2018.[21] Both debuted at No. 1 in the drama genre on the Oricon Weekly DVD and BD rankings dated June 18.[22]

  • Key Person of Interest Detective released by TC Entertainment, Inc.[23]
    • Blu-ray box (TCBD-0714)
    • DVD box (TCED-3880)
  • Original sound track music by Yu Takami[24]
    • Mastard Records (LNCM-1248)

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "イケメン三人組の推理コメディ". flowers (in Japanese). Shogakukan. 2013. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  2. ^ "重要参考人探偵". manga oukoku (in Japanese). 2015. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  3. ^ "玉森裕太×小山慶一郎×古川雄輝が難事件に挑む! 推理コメディ『重要参考人探偵』ドラマ化にファン歓喜". ddnavi (in Japanese). 2017-08-26. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  4. ^ "玉森裕太主演で重要参考人探偵がドラマ化". thetv (in Japanese). 2017-08-13. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  5. ^ "重要参考人探偵". MMJ (in Japanese). 2017. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  6. ^ "「重要参考人探偵」ドラマ化!モデル3人組に玉森裕太、小山慶一郎、古川雄輝". natalie (in Japanese). 2017-08-14. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  7. ^ "古川雄輝、ジャニーズの2人と絶妙なコンビネーションプレー「楽しい」". oricon (in Japanese). 2017-11-07.
  8. ^ "キスマイ、11・29シングルは玉森主演ドラマ主題歌". oricon (in Japanese). 2017-09-27. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  9. ^ a b c "小山慶一郎、後輩・玉森裕太との共演に「いい緊張感」 古川雄輝の腹筋は美味しそう?". crankin (in Japanese). 2017-10-16. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  10. ^ "「重要参考人探偵」がクランクイン! 先輩・小山はあだ名で呼びにくい!? 玉森「同じ事務所の先輩ってハードルがね...(笑)」". thetv (in Japanese). 2017-09-24. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  11. ^ ""可愛いキャラ"の古川雄輝が新鮮 玉ちゃん・慶ちゃん・ふるぽんが三兄弟だったら?肉体美披露のサービスシーンは今後もある?<モデルプレスインタビュー>". modelpress (in Japanese). 2017-10-27. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  12. ^ a b c "「圭」たちが集まるあの場所ができるまで". TV Asahi (in Japanese). 2017-11-10. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  13. ^ "玉森裕太主演ドラマ「信長のシェフ」の再放送が決定! 「重要参考人探偵」スタートを記念して2週連続で復活". thetv (in Japanese). 2017-10-07. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
  14. ^ "「重要参考人探偵」玉森裕太と志田未来の"約450年ぶりの再会"に「信長のシェフ」ファンが大興奮!". thetv (in Japanese). 2017-10-28. Retrieved 2024-05-26.
  15. ^ "「重要参考人探偵」玉森裕太、いざ参らん!? 再び"戦国"とのコラボレーションが話題に". thetv (in Japanese). 2017-11-04.
  16. ^ "【試写室】「重要参考人探偵」また新たな個性派探偵ドラマが誕生!". thetv (in Japanese). 2017-10-20. Retrieved 2024-05-25.
  17. ^ "いわゆるイケメンものだが、玉森裕太の演技力に高評価『重要参考人探偵』". the page (in Japanese). 2017-10-23. Archived from the original on 2017-12-23. Retrieved 2024-05-25.
  18. ^ a b c "金曜ナイトドラマ「重要参考人探偵」で共演! 玉森裕太&小山慶一郎&古川雄輝SPインタビュー". thetv (in Japanese). 2017-09-22. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  19. ^ a b "新木優子が玉森主演ドラマで元恋人の女刑事に決定! 滝藤賢一は人生初オネエ(!?)役に挑戦". thetv (in Japanese). 2017-09-03. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  20. ^ "重要参考人探偵". TV asahi streaming. TV Asahi. 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-12-23. Retrieved 2017-12-10.
  21. ^ "『重要参考人探偵』DVD&Blu-ray;の豪華特典映像の内容決定!". TV Asahi (in Japanese). 2018-03-09. Archived from the original on 2018-06-17. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  22. ^ "【オリコン】玉森裕太主演『重要参考人探偵』DVD・BD、ドラマジャンル同時首位". oricon (in Japanese). 2018-06-14. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  23. ^ "重要参考人探偵". Products (in Japanese). TC Entertainment Inc. 2018-06-06. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
  24. ^ "テレビ朝日系「重要参考人探偵」オリジナルサウンドトラック". Mastard record (in Japanese). 2018-06-06. Retrieved 2024-05-24.
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