The actors in the newest BL drama Akasaka demonstrated at 25:00 what they do at midnight on 25 (1:00 am). Additionally, it differs greatly from the drama’s events.
Boys’ love, or BL, is a popular genre in comics and TV dramas but is comparatively underrepresented in the anime industry. Since the 2000s, Japan has produced at least one BL TV drama every year; as a result, the genre’s popularity has increased significantly since the mid-2010s. However, in a first for the industry, TV Tokyo, a Japanese broadcaster, has teamed up with GagaOOLala, an LGBTQ+ streaming service, to deliver fans worldwide a TV version of Hiroko Natsuno’s manga series At 25:00 in Akasaka. At a special event held at TV Tokyo offices on April 15, four cast members, Hiroaki Saeki, TV Tokyo’s head of foreign distribution, and Jay Lin, CEO of GagaOOLala, spoke about the upcoming series.
Seven Seas Entertainment, an English-language manga publisher, states that the narrative centers on Yuki Shirasaki and Asami Hayama. When Shirasaki is paired with Hayama, a popular actor who was formerly his classmate, he gets his big break as an actor. After being cast as a gay man, Shirasaki makes the decision to fully commit to the play by going to a gay bar and having a one-night stand. But when he sees his costar in the pub, he’s taken aback. When Hayami recommends they start dating as friends with benefits, their relationship takes a turn for the worse.
Event emcee and BL superfan Haruka Mori welcomed guests as the program got underway. Following the presentation of At 25:00 in Akasaka, Mori disclosed that TV Tokyo has collaborated with GagaOOLala, an LGBTQ+ streaming service, to co-produce and livestream the show globally. Mori also brought Saeki and Lin to the stage, giving us a glimpse behind the scenes.
Saeki was the first to speak, pointing out that in the early stages of TV Tokyo took into consideration the thoughts of GagaOOLala at 25:00 in Akasaka in order to make the show more inclusive of fans from other countries. After that, Saeki discussed the value of collaborating with foreign businesses. It was quite illuminating since he mentioned how simple it is for users to find content. Saeki went on to remark, “To get out of the shell of Japan, it’s important to create expressions that are not based on our own self-serving assumptions, but rather are as close to the end customer.” These comments demonstrate his acute awareness of the fact that not all Japanese storytelling traditions translate well outside. TV Tokyo intends to better target its TV dramas to a worldwide audience by collaborating with GagaOOLala.
Lin expressed his happiness to be producing with TV Tokyo. He eloquently said, “I hope the series will inspire and be remembered by viewers, like the sakura blossoms of this season,” at 25:00 in Akasaka. According to Lin, their main concern is how well-liked and appealing Japanese BL stories are both domestically and abroad on GagaOOLala. Although BL is often regarded as a minor genre by Japanese fans, Lin pointed out that GagaOOLala significantly boosted its acquisition of Japanese BL programs. As per Lin’s report, the top six nations from which users of the service consume BL content are the US, Thailand, Taiwan, UK, Germany, and Australia. He continued, “We can see the interest is quite global.”
Lin listed three reasons for the genre’s appeal. First, because of the strong ecosystem established by publishers and TV production businesses, BL originated in Japan. Second, the content is of a high caliber because of the robust BL ecosystem. Lastly, he mentioned how stories within the genre are becoming more diverse. Numerous different subgenres, including fantasy and slice-of-life, are incorporated with BL. Following the event, Lin told ANN that BL offers a lot wider range of romantic expressions than we could see in other romance programs.
Following Saeki and Lin’s conversation, Mori presented Kiita Komagine (Asami Hayama), Taisuke Niihara (Yuki Shirasaki), Takuma Usa (Hajime Sakuma), and Shōma Nagumo (Kazuma Yamase) are among the cast members of Akasaka at 25:00. The cast initially discussed their feelings at being cast as well as their current opinions about the show. When Niihara was given the part of Shirasaki, he talked about how it made him feel both proud and under pressure. He also expressed gratitude that some of the lines from the manga were kept for the TV adaptation.
On the other hand, Mori seems really intrigued by a kiss scene in the marketing video. Speaking on the topic, Komagine stated that the moment with the first kiss is significant. For this reason, he and Niihara had consulted set personnel in advance regarding the ideal angle, particularly for the chin. Then Komagine put his index finger beneath Niihara’s chin to show the chin angle. When Mori saw this, she thanked both guys for the demonstration while suppressing her excitement.
The two men carried on talking about how they collaborated with the intimacy coordinator for the performance to get the greatest photos. Mori questioned Niihara about Komagine’s capacity for leadership after hearing both of them speak. Niihara was also probed by an inquisitive Komagine. Niihara spoke with a hint of embarrassment when he said that the intensity of each kiss varies. He’s enjoying himself as a performer playing Shirasaki.
Following a lighthearted exchange of questions between Niihara, Komagine, and Mori, staff gave the four cast members photos. Mori then asked what the four cast members do at twenty-five o’clock at night. Since there are only 24 hours in a day, it seems strange to people who are not from Japan to hear the time 25 o’clock. In a nutshell, it serves to indicate a single uninterrupted business day. “What are you doing at 1 AM?” Mori inquired. Komagine disclosed that he is a radio host.
Niihara and Usa admitted that they are avid gamers. Niihara prefers to play video games on his phone over consoles. Usa, however, displayed his gaming setup consisting of two monitors. It’s not only video games for USA, he added; he also pursues some of his other interests, including making music. Niihara made fun of Usa’s setup and remarked that it would be good to play games on a rig similar to his, but he was afraid that Usa would only leave his house to film.
Nagumo’s response, though, astounded Mori and the cast. Nagumo stated that he too enjoys engaging in his hobbies before answering. However, the other actors laughed when he showed his shot, with Komagine joking, “No one poses like that at the gym.” Nagumo likes, as he put it, “Pumping up his chest at the gym” around twenty-five o’clock. Nagumo continued, saying that he usually just goes home to sleep and enjoys physical sports.
Mori asked the four guys what they ate or drank at that hour, similar to what the cast was doing at twenty-five. Kebobs for Komagine, custard or pudding for Niihara, and coffee for Usa were some of their distinctive responses. Nagumo asserted, though, that he doesn’t eat at that hour since he trains. The other three men laughed heartily when they heard this. However, Nagumo stated that chicken breast would be his choice if he were to eat anything.
As the evening came to an end, Mori asked the four men about their favorite set moments. Speaking about an encounter he had while filming at a Japanese inn, Nagumo seemed to be calling up his inner teacher. Nagumo chose to warm up in the green room by performing pushups because he was filming a sequence in which he would be shirtless. Nagumo claimed that as he was performing the pushups, he heard some laughter and looked to see Niihara. Without wasting a beat, Nagumo inquired as to Niihara’s interest in joining.
Niihara gave his version of the events after hearing Nagumo’s viewpoint. Just as he was changing into a new outfit, he pointed out that Nagumo was sleeping in the green room in between takes. After changing, Niihara returned to find Nagumo pumped up, wondering, “What happened in the minute I was gone?” After that, Niihara complimented Nagumo’s physique, which made Nagumo very happy.
Then Usa got in on the fun, talking about the time Nagumo fell in front of an elevator. Usa clarified that although Nagumo is normally a remarkable and serious person, Usa thought he looked cute when he fell. Usa was explaining this when Nagumo, who was grinning the entire time, interrupted to add that it was a little awkward. When Mori inquired as to how Nagumo fell, Niihara gave a very good, if somewhat over-the-top, explanation. Nagumo had to admit that this made her smile.
The discussion then changed from memorable set moments to memorable moments spent with Nagumo. Komagine mentioned that Nagumo was filming a social media commercial for At 25:00 in Akasaka. Before diving into the plot, Komagine explained that he and the other cast members film in-character videos for the show’s Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). But when Komagine happened to catch Nagumo recording, he appeared unsure of his role at the moment. Then Komagine enquired as to Nagumo’s shot count. To the surprise of all, Nagumo revealed that, in the end, it was seven. Seeing Nagumo in this manner, Komagine said, revealed his adorable side.
It was Niihara’s turn at last for a Nagumo tale. Nevertheless, Niihara didn’t concentrate just on Nagumo; he also mentioned how infrequently the four guys get together, particularly on set, to have a little fun. However, Usa’s birthday coincided with the four of them having a scene together recently. Therefore, they all rejoiced on set and had pictures taken where Niihara, Komagine, and Nagumo were carrying balloons in the shapes of the letters “U,” “S,” and “A.”
The four men were so animated that they failed to notice the passing of time. Mori noticed their time was running out even though she was enjoying listening. With regret, the cast bid farewell to the audience and wished them luck in watching At 25:00 in Akasaka each week.
The TV Tokyo event At 25:00 in Akasaka was enlightening and fun. Even while BL dramas aren’t as well-known as other genres, the theoretically unexplored narrative space that the genre exists in is highlighted by GagaOOLala CEO Jay Lin’s remarks on the genre’s rise in popularity over the previous three years. TV Tokyo is actively collaborating with international streaming services, indicating its readiness—or maybe even its excitement—to grow internationally. It was interesting to see a glimpse into the personal lives of the cast members and their enjoyment throughout filming.
Fortunately, TV Tokyo has made the entire event available on their YouTube channel, TV Tokyo Drama. The entire incident, though, is divided into two videos. The first, with Jay Lin and Hiroaki Saeki, is available here; the second, with Komagine, Niihara, Usa, and Nagumo, is available here. Beginning on April 18, At 25:00 in Akasaka will air every Thursday at 12:30 AM. Globally, the program will be simulcast on GagaOOLala. Therefore, watch the event on YouTube if you’d want to observe some behind-the-scenes conversation before seeing At 25:00 in Akasaka.
