Izuka Kenta is a Japanese actor. He was born on October 8, 1986, in Seto, Aichi, and made his acting debut in 2006. Since then, he has appeared in a wide variety of films and television dramas, including “The Novelist - Spring Life” (2021), “Rinko-san Wants to Try” (2021), “Candy Color Paradox” (2022), and “Seductive Nights” (2022).

Izuka Kenta

Sumire (Igeta Hiroe) is a victim of her own kindness. She repeatedly falls for the wrong kind of guy – a mistake that keeps ending in heartbreak. Now, she has suffered a double whammy – she has lost her boyfriend and has also suffered a career setback, losing her job as a pattern designer. While wallowing in her sorrow, she comes across some eye-catching lingerie. She decides to make a radical change – and become an underwear designer!

But her first steps in the industry are inauspicious, and when she attends a job interview, she finds herself unable to answer questions. Disillusioned, she finds herself out in the rain when she meets a younger man named Soichi (Ichinose Hayate), who shields her with his umbrella. Soichi dreams of becoming a pianist. Sumire finds herself falling for him, but soon learns that Soichi is full of mysterious secrets…

“Hide from the Rain” is a 2023 Japanese drama series that was directed by Komaki Sakura, Sasaki Shimon, and Megumi Aiba.

Hide from the Rain

Auspicious Rain 🌦️

Satoshi Onoe (Keito Kimura) is a reporter for the weekly gossip magazine “Dash!” The magazine is a hit among readers, as it often contains juicy details about the latest celebrity scandals, and sells well as a result. Its success is largely down to its so-called stakeout crews – teams of journalists and photographers who follow celebrities in the hope of catching them getting up to no good.

But one day, the magazine’s senior staff decided to reshuffle the stakeout teams – and pair Satoshi Onoe with the photographer Motoharu Kaburagi (Yamanaka Jyutaro). Satoshi Onoe secretly resents Motoharu Kaburagi, and thinks of him as a rival, of sorts. Furthermore, while Satoshi Onoe prides himself on his writing skills and his sense of ethics, Motoharu Kaburagi is very different. The photographer has poor manners and takes a haphazard approach to work. The two clash as they begin their joint assignments, resentful that they have to work together. But as they try to catch the ultimate scoop, they unexpectedly begin to develop feelings for one another. Could an unlikely workplace romance be in the cards for them?

This drama was based on a manga series of the same name that was written by Isaku Natsume and first published in 2019.

“Candy Color Paradox” is a 2022 Japanese drama series that was directed by Tomoyuki Furumaya.

Candy Color Paradox

🍬Candy Crush🍬

TV Asahi

Shikamori Umi (Suzuki Airi) is part of the production staff on a popular TV talk show. She is worked to the bone by her seniors, who always make her work overtime that she rarely has time for herself. As a result, she is always tired, and has no time for a love life. One day, she falls asleep on the set during a live broadcast – and this shameful moment makes her reevaluate her life. She realizes that there is no way to change her boss – so she quits the company.

She switches jobs, moving to a completely different field – the world of makeup and beauty. She finds an entry-level post at a makeup agency named Animal Beauty. At first, she begins to worry that she has made the wrong choice, when she gets off on the wrong foot with the firm’s CEO Sakaki Keisuke (Jin Shirasu). But she soon discovers that the CEO is not quite as abrasive as he seems – and that he might even have a crush on her! She also meets Kazao (Honda Kyoya), a handsome and talented photographer who works at the company. She develops a friendship with him, and also begins to feel a mutual attraction forming. Will Umi’s career change prove to be a success? And might it even lead her to love?

“Animals” is a 2022 Japanese drama series that was directed by Hara Keinosuke.

ANIMALS

The Animal Beauty Team

There was a time when Konatsu Ikawa (Ishida Nicole) thought she was very much in love with Ryosuke Onuma (Izuka Kenta), but for Konatsu, that feels like ages ago. Even so, when she crosses paths with Ryosuke at a party, she can’t deny the sparks that still seem to fly between them. Against her better judgment, Konatsu ends up inviting Ryosuke home, completely unaware of the fact that she’s not the only woman he’s recently followed home for an evening of pleasure.

As far as university students go, Akari Kurata (Teramoto Rio) doesn’t rank among the most outgoing students in her class. Finding much more pleasure in a night spent at home watching movies than going out with peers, Akari is happy to spend the majority of her time at home. Of course that doesn’t mean she’s opposed to spending time with others, which is why, when Ryosuke Onuma offers to walk her home, she not only accepts, but she invites him to join her for an unforgettable night in.

When Riko Nomiya (Miyama Karen) meets Ryosuke Onuma at a bar one night after work, sparks immediately fly between them. Before she knows it, they’re spending a night together she won’t soon forget. But what about Ryosuke? What drives a man to spend every night with a different woman and what happens when those women find out he’s not the sweet and innocent man he appears to be?

A trio of bittersweet love stories, “Seductive Nights” is a 2022 Japanese romance drama directed by Goto Yosuke.

Seductive Nights

Seductive Night Team

Rinko Amaki (Takada Kaho) is a successful 27-year-old woman who works at a busy wedding planning agency. She excels at her job to such an extent that she is promoted to lead her unit. She is popular, beautiful, and hard-working, but there is just one thing that frustrates her: Despite being surrounded by loved-up couples and romance all day at work for years, she is still single. And on top of that, she has never made love. She wants to lose her virginity, but has never found the right man.

In a twist of fate, her male co-worker Gen Kamisaka (Totsuka Shota), another wildly successful wedding planner is in the exact same predicament. Also aged 27, he has never had any intimate relations with a woman. The duo, having discovered they share the same “problem,” decides to do something about it. But they soon discover that work and physical intimacy are not easy to balance. And while they might have initially envisaged a quick and fuss-free fling, Cupid might have other plans for them...

This drama was based on a 2017 manga series of the same name, which was created by Mio Fujita.

“Rinko-san Wants to Try” is a Japanese drama series that was directed by Keijiro Tsubakimoto.

Rinko-san Wants to Try

Try to ❤ Team

Kuzumi Haruhiko (Izuka Kenta) was just a poor university student when he met the writer Kijima Rio (Takezai Terunosuke). When the latter suffered an injury, the two men came to an agreement that involved Kuzumi Haruhiko transcribing an erotic story on Kijima’s behalf. Over time, their relationship became romantic, but fate separated them.

Almost three years later, Rio has returned to his parents’ countryside home to live with his sister, her husband, and his young niece. He still writes to Haruhiko, but the duo never expects to see each other again. Fate intervenes, and they are reunited. Soon, Haruhiko starts visiting the house regularly, and their relationship is (secretly) reignited. But when Rio’s niece makes an offhand remark, his family learns of the truth. Will this incident drive them apart – or bring them together once and for all?

This short film is the follow-up to the 2018 drama “The Novelist” and 2021’s “The Novelist - Spring Life.”

“The Novelist - Spring Life” is a 2021 Japanese short film that was directed by Miki Koichiro.

The Novelist - Spring Life 2

🔥 Endless Love 💥

Two and a half years ago, Haruhiko Kuzumi (Kenta Izuka) and Rio Kijima’s (Terunosuke Takezai) lives changed forever, when a chance encounter of a most painful sort brought them together. Having accidentally caused a bicycle accident which left Rio with a broken arm and no way to work, Haruhiko agreed to help the struggling writer transcribe his story in lieu of monetary compensation. Working together, the two developed a close relationship which has remained to this day.

Moving from Tokyo back into his parents’ countryside house with his sister and her husband, Rio’s life has taken a much different turn since his days spent with Haruhiko. At the same time, so has Haruhiko’s. A university student at the time, Haruhiko has since graduated and is now a productive, working member of Tokyo society. Now separated by both time and distance, the only thing connecting the two are the letters they still occasionally write to each other. Near the point of giving up on each other, Rio is surprised when fate decides to bring Haruhiko back into his life.

Meeting by chance in the peaceful countryside, the two men have a chance to reconnect; but will this meeting be one of heartbreak or joy?

The sequel to the 2018 drama, “The Novelist”, “The Novelist - Spring Life” is a 2021 romance directed by Miki Koichiro.

The Novelist - Spring Life

💥 The Romancist Team 💥

Despite being a full-time university student, Ryo Morinaka (Tori Matsuzaka) spends most of his days bored out of his mind. Trapped in an uneventful life, Ryo feels like he has no real sense of purpose and often wonders if that will ever change. Not even his part-time work at a bar can provide any sort of break from the monotony of his boring life; at least not until his friend, Shinya Tajima (Yu Koyanagi) introduces him to one very intriguing woman.

As the owner of an exclusive members-only escort service catering specifically to women Shizuka Mido (Sei Matobu) isn’t your normal, everyday woman. Interested in hiring Ryo, Shizuka provides him with a very intimate test before bringing him on full-time. After receiving an in-depth evaluation of his performance, Ryo takes the job. Though he feels a bit embarrassed at first, he quickly realizes that fulfilling women's desires provides him with a very real sense of purpose.

Learning to converse and connect with women on a deeper level, while being kind, considerate, and gentlemanly, Ryo finds that his life is no longer a vapid waste of time. Working in a profession surrounded by taboo, can Ryo find the fulfillment he desperately craves?

Adapted from the novel of the same name by Ira Ishida, “Call Boy” is a 2018 Japanese film directed by Daisuke Miura.

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