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Live-Action Saint Love Survivors Series Unveils More Cast, New Visual
posted on by Anita Tai
The official website for the live-action series of Satoru Hiura's Saint Love Survivors manga revealed a new main visual along with more cast members on Saturday.
The new cast members include (second from right and rightmost in the photo above):
- Kasumi Yamaya as Akina Kiriyama, Haru's friend who works at a company dealing with overseas business
- Aimi Satsukawa as Fuyumi Matsuoka, Haru's married friend who is now a parent
The cast also includes (top row, left to right):
- Atsuki Mashiko (GENIC)
- Bunichi Hamanaka
- Daichi Saeki
(second row, left to right):
- Hinata Tōdō
- Takuma Usa
- Aoi Nakabeppu
Not pictured are cast members Jun Toba, Suzunosuke, and Ryō Yokoyama.
The series will premiere on the "Drama Next" programming block on the TV Tokyo, TV Osaka, TV Aichi, TV Setouchi, TV Hokkaido, and TVQ channels on January 7, after it starts streaming on U-NEXT on December 31. (It will stream on services in Japan later.)
Anna Ishii (live-action Oshi no Ko, Girl Gun Lady) plays Haru Aizawa, while idol group KAT-TUN member Tatsuya Ueda (Shinjuku Seven, Setsuyaku Rock) plays Kazuhiro Ōji.
Yō Kawahara is directing the series and is co-writing the scripts with Atsuki Tomori.
The manga centers on Haru Aizawa, a woman who aspired to become a freelance magazine writer — to pursue the affection of celebrity band member Kazuhiro Ōji after seeing him in a magazine. After some time, she gets to know him, and now in her thirties, she also finally gets to marry him. But on their wedding day, Kazuhiro tells her that he is not interested in a physical relationship. Herself interested in physical intimacy, Haru realizes that she has to look elsewhere to satsify her needs, and begins to explore her opportunities.
Hiura launched the manga in Kodansha's Palcy app in 2020, and ended it in March 2023. Kodansha published the manga's fourth and final compiled book volume in May 2023.
Hiura's Saionji-san wa Kaji o Shinai (No domestic work for Ms. Saionji) manga ended in May 2024. The manga launched in Kodansha's Be Love magazine in September 2021. Kodansha published the manga's fifth and final compiled book volume in July 2024. The manga inspired a live-action series adaptation in July 2024.
Hiura's Hotaru's Way (Hotaru no Hikari - It's Only Little Light in My Life) manga series ran in Kiss magazine from 2004 to 2009 and spanned 15 total collected volumes. Hiura launched the Hotaru no Hikari SP sequel manga in January 2014, and ended it in May 2017. Hiura launched yet another sequel manga series titled Hotaru no Hikari BABY in October 2017, and ended it in April 2021. The manga's sixth and final volume shipped in July 2021.
The original Hotaru's Way manga has inspired two live-action television series as well as a live-action film that opened in 2012. Kodansha USA Publishing published the original manga in English under the title Hotaru's Way.
Sources: Comic Natalie, live-action Saint Love Survivors official website
