Osozaki no Himawari ~Boku no Jinsei, Renewal~

 (3 DVD)

    Title: 遅咲きのヒマワリ ~ボクの人生、リニューアル~
    Title (romaji): Osozaki no Himawari ~Boku no Jinsei, Renewal~
    Title (English): Late Blooming Sunflower –My life renewed-
    Format: Renzoku
    Genre: Human
    Episodes: 10
    Viewership rating: 9.2%
    Broadcast network: Fuji TV
    Broadcast period: 2012-Oct-23 to 2012-Dec-25
    Air time: Tuesday 21:00
    Theme song: Jotoku by Mr. Children
    Opening song: Anata ni by MONGOL800 (as sang by the main cast)

Synopsis

"Late blooming Sunflower –My life renewed-" is a story of 7 young adults living their ordinary days near the Shimanto river of Kochi prefecture, renowned as the last of the crystal clear streams. Somewhat nostalgic, somewhat new, they hold on to their dreams and insecurities. It's a true-to-life portrayal of the days in young adulthood.

Kodaira Jotaro, the main character, played by Ikuta, is an easy going, slow starter who spends a rather relaxing time at a private college before graduating to work at a company as a contract employee. He leads a so-so life with moderate satisfaction and moderate uneasiness, like any other young man of the modern times. Later, his character and honest ways are acknowledged by the company and he is planned to become a full-time employee when suddenly things take a complete turn. He is not only laid off, but left behind by his girlfriend who he dated for over 7 years.

Jotaro returns to his parents' home only to find that his brother was now the central part of the family, working for the government, the most dependable figure in the family. There is no room for him to fit in and feeling bewildered, he finds a website online that is recruiting volunteers for the revitalization of Shimanto city, Kochi prefecture. Without much thought, he desperately jumps at the opportunity and finds himself in the middle of Kochi, where nature is grand and time is of abundance. -- Fuji TV

Cast


    Ikuta Toma as Kodaira Jotaro
        Fukuzaki Nayuta (福崎那由他) as young Jotaro (ep1)
    Maki Yoko as Nikaido Kahori
    Kiritani Kenta as Fujii Junichi
    Kashii Yu as Morishita Ayaka
    Emoto Tasuku as Matsumoto Hiroki
    Kimura Fumino as Imai Haruna
    Kuninaka Ryoko as Shimada Sayori
    Taguchi Junnosuke as Aoyama Kaoru
    Yashiba Toshihiro as Shimada Hisashi
    Ihara Ryoka as Shimada Mei
    Takashima Kotoha (高嶋琴羽) as Shimada Yui
    Shima Hiroko (島ひろ子) as Toyota Junko
    Ito Kojun (伊藤幸純) as Yamashita Kenji
    Onuki Kae (小貫加恵) as Inoue Sachiko
    Sakagami Kazuko (阪上和子) as Ichikawa Yoshiko
    Satoi Kenta as Nikaido Ryuzo
    Asaka Mayumi as Nikaido Tokiko
    Mickey Curtis (ミッキーカーチス) as Okouchi Kinji
    Matsushige Yutaka as Kusaka Tetsuya

Guests

    Shimada Kyusaku as Fujii Toshio (ep1,3-6)
    Sakurai Hikari (桜井ひかり) as Fujita Ryoko (ep1,3,6)
    Matsumoto Jun as Suzuki (ep1,3)
    Araki Makoto (荒木誠) as Kinoshita Kazuma (ep1-2,6)
    Nakano Bungo (仲野文梧) (ep1-3)
    Noma Yoko (野間洋子) (ep1-3)
    Baisho Mitsuko as Omura Ikuko (ep1)
    Kato Kazuko as Kodaira Yuko (ep1)
    Nakamaru Shinsho as Okajima Atsushi (ep1,3,5)
    Hotaru Yukijiro (ep1)
    Kamio Yu (ep1)
    Otsuka Chihiro as Saeko (ep1)
    Ikuta Ryusei (生田竜聖) as Kodaira Keitaro (ep1)
    Tsumura Noriyoshi (津村知与支) (ep1)
    Kiya Yumika (気谷ゆみか) (ep1)
    Yoshida Oolong-Ta (ep1)
    Konno Soryu (紺野相龍) (ep1)
    Kojima Koichi (ep1)
    Ochiai Takahiro (落合孝裕) (ep1)
    Ishigami Takuya (石上卓也) (ep1)
    Nakano Motoko (仲野元子) (ep1)
    Yamaura Sakae (山浦栄) (ep1)
    Nakamura Yukiko (中村由起子) (ep1)
    Tstsumi Takahiro (堤隆博) (ep1)
    Hanahara Midori (花原緑) (ep1)

    Yamazaki Satoshi (山崎智史) (ep1)
    Koshiba Ryota (小柴亮太) as member of the little league baseball (ep2)
    Niikura Kousuke (新倉滉祐) as member of the little league baseball (ep2)
    Fukuchi Kanaru (福地叶成) (ep2)
    Minami Mayuri (南ゆまり) (ep2)
    Kotani Kouichiro (小谷公一郎) (ep2)
    Fukushima Takahiro (福島孝広) (ep2)
    Hino Yojin as Matsumoto Akihiko (ep3-5)
    Tao Kiyomi (田尾きよみ) (ep3)
    Toku Hideki (ep3-4)
    Aoki Keito (ep3)
    Sakai Tenma (酒井天満) (ep3)
    Okada Kohki as Matsuura Toru (ep4-6)
    Sakurai Hijiri (桜井聖) as the supermarket manager (ep4)
    Kikuchi Hiroko (菊地裕子) (ep4)
    Shimizu Kazuaki as a townspeople (ep4)
    Iwata Gan (岩田丸) (ep4)
    Takahashi Osamu (高橋修) (ep4)
    Natsukawa Kanako (夏川加奈子) (ep4)
    Oishi Goro as Imai Sadao (ep5)
    Nagano Satomi (ep5)
    Umoto Aki (ep5)
    Kamino Naotaka (神農直隆) (ep5)
    Odaka Sanryo (小高三良) (ep5)
    Hiroyama Kotoha (広山詞葉) as Matsuura Toru's wife (ep6)