Kazoku no Uta
| Kazoku no Uta | |
|---|---|
 poster | |
| Genre | Drama |
| Starring | Joe Odagiri |
| Country of origin | Japan |
| Original language | Japanese |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 8 |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 54 minutes |
| Production companies | Fuji TV Kyodo TV |
| Original release | |
| Network | Fuji TV |
| Release | April 15 – June 3, 2012 |
Kazoku no Uta (家族のうた, lit.Family Song) is a 2012 Japanese television series. It features actor Joe Odagiri as a father of three children and a musician who was once very famous, though his popularity has since waned.[1]
Before its debut, Kazoku no Uta was hit by accusations of plagiarism.[2] The script was said to be extremely similar to the storyline of the 1987 television series Papa wa Newscaster.[2] The script of Kazoku no Uta was subsequently changed due to this accusation.[2]
Kazoku no Uta was aired from 15 April 2012 to 6 June 2012 as part of Fuji Television's Dramatic Sunday time slot, which airs every Sunday from 9pm to 9:54pm.[1] The number of episode was cut from the usual 10 to 8 after this series received continuously low viewership ratings.[3] The two remaining episodes were replaced by special episodes of the drama Hayami-san to Yobareru Hi.[3]
Story
In 1997, the rock band achieved fame with their debut single album Going. However, it subsequently broke up after the band leader Seigi announced that he will make his solo debut. Fifteen years later, in 2012, Seigi has already fallen out of the public eye, though he still clings on stubbornly to his outdated style of music. Only his agent and some die-hard fans are still willing to support him.
One day, three children who claimed that Seigi is their father suddenly appears. Two of them are siblings whose mother had recently passed away, while the other is left at home alone because her mother frequently runs away with her boyfriends. Although reluctant at first, Seigi takes them in and takes care of them. Over time, Seigi and the children start to bond after overcoming the many challenges that had come their way. Thanks to the influence of his children, Seigi starts to grow out of his selfish and immature ways, and starts to consider the feelings of his children and the people around him.
Cast
- Joe Odagiri as Seigi Hayakawa
- Yusuke Santamaria as Kosuke Miki
- Shihori Kanjiya as Yoko Aota
- Nene Otsuka as Asako Mizushima
- Tortoise Matsumoto as Akira Mizushima
- Tatsuya Fuji as Hidezou Shoji
- Hana Sugisaki as Kokoro Osawa
- Ayane Omori as Mitsuki Matsuno
- Kanata Fujimoto as Riku Matsuno
- Kento Nakajima as Kosei Sakagami
- Shinji Takeda as Satoru Kamiyama
Guest appearences
- Kyary Pamyu Pamyu (Episode 1)
- Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra (Episode 2)
- Atsuki Kimura (Episode 3)
- Kenichi Asai (Episode 4)
- Michiro Endo (Episode 5)
- Diamond Yukai (Episode 5)
- Nokko (Episode 6)
- Ego-Wrappin' (Episode 7)
Episodes
| Episode title | Romanized title | Translation of title | Broadcast date | Ratings[4] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Reception
The fourth episode of Kazoku no Uta set a record of having the lowest viewership ratings of any prime time dramas (those that are aired from 7pm to 11pm) in the history of Fuji Television's broadcast with a rating of 3.1%.[5] Due to the extremely low ratings, the CEO of Fuji Television announced that this television series will end with only 8 episodes.[5]
The low ratings was attributed to the plagiarism accusation that was brought about before this series debuted.[5] Another reason cited for the dismal performance was the popular TBS's television ATARU.[5] This television series, which was broadcasted at the same time as Kazoku no Uta, garnered 19.1% viewership ratings for its first episode.[4]
References
- ^ a b "オダギリジョー、フジ系連続ドラ初主演 3人の娘のパパ役". Oricon, Inc. (in Japanese). 2012-02-08. Retrieved 2011-05-28.
- ^ a b c "フジテレビ新ドラマ『家族のうた』盗作騒動に主演オダギリジョーもピリピリ". cyzo inc. (in Japanese). 2012-02-23. Retrieved 2012-05-28.
- ^ a b "松下奈緒 ：「早海さんと呼ばれる日」がSPドラマに 夫の"元カノ"役に内田有紀". Mainichi Shimbun Digital Co.Ltd (in Japanese). 2012-05-19. Retrieved 2012-05-28.
- ^ a b "Kazoku no Uta viewership ratings". Audience Rating Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 2012-05-29.
- ^ a b c d "オダギリ「家族のうた」異例の視聴率２％台目前". Sports Hochi (in Japanese). 2012-05-08. Retrieved 2012-05-29.