Taiga Nakano is a Japanese actor who was born in Tokyo, Japan, on February 7, 1993, as the second son of the A-list actor Hideo Nakano. He began his career as a child star, appearing in the movie adaptation of the hit manga series “Freesia” (2007). He made his drama debut the same year with “Asakusa “Fukumaru Ryokan.” He has remained an actor ever since, appearing in scores of hit dramas and films, such as the movies “Pumpkin and Mayonnaise” (2017), “Silent Rain” (2020), and “Mother” (2020).

Taiga Nakano

Life for Mikito Tsurugi (Matsuzaka Tori) appears to be over before it even began. His university dreams have ended in failure, and he has no job...or career prospects. He is broke and cannot find a girlfriend. Happiness is a stranger to him. One day, his friend lends him a DVD of music videos. While he is watching, he suddenly becomes besotted with the female Hello! Project singer Aya Matsuura. He begins following “idol” groups – and in doing so, meets a number of similar-minded young men.

They decide to form a band – resurrecting a dream he once had of becoming a bassist in a pop group. The band picks up a small cult following among fellow idol group fans. And a firm bond of friendship begins to form between the young men. But this hobby cannot sustain them for long, and they eventually start to find other things to do with their time. The past comes back in flash, however, when one of Mikito Tsurugi’s bandmates is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. Will the band pull together one last time to help ease the trauma of these last difficult days?

This movie was based on a true story – and an autobiographical essay by the “real” Mikito Tsurugi

“In Those Days” is a 2021 Japanese movie that was directed by Rikiya Imaizumi.

In Those Days

✨good old days✨

Kiki Inoue (Mori Nana) is 21 years old. She is haunted by her past failures, and has fallen into a state of lethargy. She works part-time at a convenience store, but finds some sense of joy in trying new sweets and reviewing them on her social media account. Meanwhile, Takumi Asaba (Tomoya Nakamura), is the CEO of the same convenience store chain. He seems cold, aloof, and indifferent to other people’s feelings to those who do not know him well. He has been tasked with reversing the fortunes of the chain. Rival firms are outperforming this chain, and he has resolved to change that.

When he stumbles upon Kiki Inoue’s social media account, he has an idea. He hopes to enlist her help – unaware that she is actually one of his company’s employees – to help him develop sweets to sell at the chain’s stores. When the two meet, she is also unaware that he is the store’s CEO. But eventually, they forge a partnership and she moves to a job in the chain’s production department. As they start to work together, the slowly begin to develop feelings for one another. Can they transform the chain’s financial outcomes with their new treats? And will a “sweet” romance follow?

“A Warmed Up Love” is a 2020 Japanese drama series that was directed by Tsuboi Toshio and Okamoto Shingo.

A Warmed Up Love

🍭 The Sweethearts! 🍭

Tsuchida (Asami Usuda) lives with her boyfriend Seiichi (Taiga Nakano) in a humble home, enjoying their often mundane but love-filled lives together.

He is a budding musician, but suddenly finds himself at an unexpected crossroads, unable to channel his energy into writing new songs.

Meanwhile, Tsuchida has been left with the unenviable job of finding the money to pay the bills – so has taken to working in a hostess bar to make ends meet while her jobless boyfriend mopes at home.

But when he discovers what she really does for a living – and learns that she has possibly slept with one of her clients – Seiichi resolves to find work.

He lands a soulless cleaning job, which drives him further into sorrow. And to complicate matters further, Tsuchida’s old flame Hagio(Joe Odagiri) returns to the scene – and reveals that he wants her to be his girlfriend again.

Who will win the tug-of-war for Tsuchida’s heart?

This movie was based on a manga series of the same name by artist Kiriko Nananan.

“Pumpkin and Mayonnaise” is a 2017 Japanese film that was adapted for the screen and directed by Tominaga Masanori.

Pumpkin and Mayonnaise

Pumpkin Lovers Team

Remi Takasugi (Ayame Goriki) works as a “girlfriend for rent” for a popular agency. For an hourly fee, the agency will provide customers with a “girlfriend” who will do what they want them to – provided the requests are not sexual in nature. Remi Takasugi is by far the agency’s most popular “girlfriend,” and she always does her best to keep her customers happy. But there is something unusual about her: She always wears a scarf or neck covering, possibly hiding some kind of secret…

Kousuke Yamada (Taiga Nakano), meanwhile, is an unassuming third-year college student who has no experience in the world of love. He has failed to find a job and his life is going nowhere fast. When he “rents” Remi Takasugi, he falls head over heels for her – but is too poor to pay her fees. Regardless, he resolves to do whatever it takes to be with her. But will his pursuit lead him to learn her secret?

“Rental Lovers” is a 2017 Japanese drama series that was directed by Akihiko Watase and Yusuke Ito.

Rental Lovers

Agency "Borrowed Love" Team

Fuji TV

Can indecision and fear keep you from getting everything you want out of life? Aoi Miura (Sota Fukushi) was a popular student and star of his high school swim team who dreamed of becoming an architect someday. But years later, his shy and indecisive personality stunted his maturity, and he finds himself working only as an assistant in a small architect office in Tokyo. When Aoi meets up again with Akari Serizawa (Tsubasa Honda), a friend from high school that he had secretly liked, he finds that there is another Aoi by her side. Shouta Aoi (Shuhei Nomura) was a nerdy, unpopular student in high school but he now faces a bright future as a doctor. When the story ends with a wedding day, which Aoi will be the lucky guy to marry Akari? “Koinaka” is a 2015 Japanese drama series directed by Hiro Kanai and Shogo Miyaki.

Koinaka

In the devastating aftermath of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, Mie Tozawa (Haru) lost everything she held dear, including her father. Trying to pick up the pieces of her life, Mie has tried her best to move on, but with so many lingering memories, some days moving on feels nothing short of impossible. Sifting through her father’s belongings, Mie finds a bundle of unsent New Years cards, dated some 28 years prior. Her curiosity piqued, she sets out to discover the reason why the cards were never sent.

With the stack of cards in-hand, Mie begins reaching out to the people whose names are on the cards. Though the task isn’t easy, she eventually tracks down Haruhiko Sakacho (Kiichi Nakai), one of her father’s high school baseball teammates. Agreeing to meet with Mie, Haruhiko tells her of his past, of his relationship with her father, and of the glory days of their high school baseball team. Inspired by these stories, Mie decides it’s time to bring the old team back together.&nbsp;

Tracking down as many members of her father’s old baseball team as she can, Mie hopes to persuade them to play in the Masters Koshein, a senior league baseball tournament; but the task isn’t easy, especially not after she uncovers a long-hidden secret of her father’s. Will the truth keep her from her current task or will it inspire her to turn one of her father’s long-forgotten dreams into reality?

Based on the novel, “Kiroi Jou”, by Kiyoshi Shigematsu, “Again” is a 2015 sports drama film directed by Sumio Omori.

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