It has been announced that actor Taishi Nakagawa will appear in the drama series "W Golden Kamuy- Hokkaido Tattoo Prisoner Struggle Edition" (WOWOW), a sequel to the movie "Golden Kamuy" (2024). He will play the elite lieutenant Koito Otonoshin Koito born in Satsuma.
"Golden Kamuy" is based on a popular manga (2014-2022) by Satoru Noda, which has sold over 29 million copies (as of July). Set in Hokkaido at the end of the Meiji era, it depicts a survival battle in the wilderness of a group of quirky characters fighting over a huge amount of buried Ainu treasure. A film starring Kento Yamazaki was released in January this year and became a hit, grossing over 3 billion yen. The sequel drama version will feature the same main cast and will be exclusively broadcast and streamed on WOWOW from 10pm on October 6th (9 episodes in total).
Nakagawa plays Koito, a second lieutenant in the Imperial Army's 7th Division. He is a man of great physical ability and a master of the Jigen-ryu of swordsmanship, known for its one-hit kill technique. Above all, he is a character who admires Lieutenant Tsurumi (played by Hiroshi Tamaki), who leads the 7th Division.
Nakagawa commented, "A few months ago, Teaser trailer was released in which Koito was seen running for just a moment. I watched from behind the scenes as people speculated about who it was, and it made me realize once again how much expectation there was for this character. I love the man Otonoshin Koito more than anyone. That's why I felt some pressure, but I put everything I have into the role. I don't want anyone else to play the role of Koito, and I am proud that only I can play the role. I hope that the Koito that fans love will also be present in this drama."
A new 120-second trailer has also been released. It shows Sugimoto (Yamazaki) and his group and the group led by Hijikata (Hiroshi Tachi), the Shinsengumi "demon vice-commander" of the 7th Division, fighting fiercely over the gold.