SP (Security Police)
Network: Fuji TV
On Air: Saturdays, 11:10 - 11.55, from 3 November 2007 ~
Official Website: http://wwwz.fujitv.co.jp/sp/index.html


Introduction
SP, the duty to protect. Professional bodyguards that safeguard important people even if it at times means sacrificing their own lives.

In the 21st century, regarded as the century of terror, Japan's myth of infallibility is greatly threatened. With domestic and foreign terrorists active behind the scenes, and pleasure-seeking criminals with no political ideology able to easily obtain information from the internet, an era in which terrorism can be carried out has gradually dawned. The role played the SP in protecting domestic and foreign VIPs has become varied and crucial. Bodyguards who guard important people with their own lives as "moving shields", locate "moving shield blind spots" beforehand as well as anticipate unforeseen circumstances have been increased on an experimental basis.

Inoue Kaoru is assigned to this new role. Inoue possess special abilities, and is an entirely new type of SP. He will boldly take on the fight against terrorism as section personnel regard those abilities with questioning eyes.


Cast
*Okada Junichi as Inoue Kaoru
*Tsutsumi Shinichi as Ogata Soichiro
*Maki Yoko as Sasamoto Eri

Hmm, Maki Yoko...

Added http://www.jdorama.com/drama.1222.htm

This one looks good.
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tabana wrote:

Added http://www.jdorama.com/drama.1222.htm This one looks good.

Hey, you left out Maki Yoko's pic.

I just finished adding the remaining characters. Don't worry, I wouldn't have left her out, considering I added Hirata Atsuko.
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Characters


Okada Junichi as Inoue Kaoru
Member, Mobile Security Squad, 4th Security Division. Rank: Police sergeant.
When he was young, Inoue lost both his parents in an act of terrorism, and was taken in and raised by a police career bureaucrat. The politician who had been the intended target at that time is now the Prime Minister. As a result of the cruel experience Inoue encountered at the site of his parents' deaths, his five senses were heightened. He has photographic memory and also the special ability of "tracking" which enables him to draw clues from footprints that are left behind. For this reason, he has tacit permission to act according to the situation on-site even though he works as an ordinary SP. As for Inoue, he has to contend with the trauma to his psyche as well as conflicts in the job to ward off terrorism.

Tsutsumi Shinichi as Ogata Soichiro
Section Chief, Mobile Security Squad, 4th Security Division. Rank: Chief inspector.
Formerly from Tokyo University's law faculty, Ogata has the ability to be a career elite but he daringly enters the police agency as a regular recruit. Moreover, he skips the promotion exam in order to go out into the field. Ogata was actually at the scene of terror which killed Inoue's parents. That experience made him decide to become a SP. He has experience training with the Secret Service and is an active reformist in the police organisation. He quickly acknowledges Inoue's ability and brings him in as his subordinate. However, the enigmatic Ogata's real motive for doing so is unclear.

Maki Yoko as Sasamoto Eri
Member, Mobile Security Squad, 4th Security Division. Rank: Police sergeant.
An attractive and passionate person. Eri’s marksmanship far surpasses men because she was a former Olympic sharpshooter but her parents have beseeched her to quit being a SP. As Inoue's colleague, she acknowledges his ability among the many members who are negative about the new police protection method.

Kamio Yuu as Ishida Mitsuo
Member, Mobile Security Squad, 4th Security Division. Divorced. He equips himself with a photo of his 3-year-old daughter as his lucky charm each time he is mobilised. Ishida is the type who is taciturn, strong-willed, and a man of action. He is respected by everyone in the department.

Matsuo Satoru as Matsumoto Takafumi
Member, Mobile Security Squad, 4th Security Division. He's an eccentric who aims to be a mix martial arts fighter. Matsuo believes that a SP's hair should be style 7:3. He views Inoue, who is his contemporary, as his rival. He is in danger of breaking up with a girl he has dated since high school due to his hectic job.

Nomaguchi Toru as Tanaka Ichiro
Public Security Department Section 1. Adept at elusively conducting undercover investigations. Tanaka is disliked by those around him because he noses around within the police. He is Inoue's contemporary and he acknowledges Inoue's ability.

Yamamoto Kei as Asada Yuuzo
Prime Minister. Although a virtual nobody while he was a member of the House of Representatives, he was viewed as a hero for protecting the young Inoue during the terrorist incident. That caused him to become a staunch hard-liner on the terrorism issue. Aided by his skillful oratory, he gained immense popularity, leading to his current position.


Staff

Screenwriter, Kaneshiro Kazuki
SP is Kaneshiro's first script for a drama. His works include the movies Go (2000), which won the Naoki Prize in 2000; Fly Daddy Fly (2003), and Speed (2005).

General Director, Motohiro Katsuyuki
Motohiro returns to drama directing after 6 years with SP. He was director behind the popular Odoru Daisousasen drama (1997) and movie (1998, 2003, 2005) franchise, Space Travellers (2000), Satorare (2001), Antique (2001)

SP drama CM: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_QNBh2IDRA

wow...thx for the link

About the Police Escort Department's Mobile Security Squad

The Security Police is divided into four sections. Section 1 is in charge of the Prime Minister; Section 2 for the the Ministers of State, the leaders of the Upper and Lower Houses of the Diet; Section 3 for foreign dignitaries, ambassadors based in Japan; Section 4 for the Tokyo prefectural governor, former Prime Ministers, etc.

The Mobile Security Squad in Section 4 that Inoue Kaoru is attached to is an important reinforcement when there are additional officials to protect, and when there are vacancies for personnel in Sections 1 - 4. New security police are first assigned here. They learn many things as they work as support personnel to the various sections.

It is a great honour for a security police to be a part of Section 1 but he or she can suddenly be put in charge at the nomination of the person under protection.[/b]

another drama that looks promising this season. and from the cm, the action scenes don't look hokey.
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The first episode of SP, which airs on 3 November, will be extended by an extra 15 minutes (11.10 p.m. - 12.10 a.m.).

jade_frost wrote:

The first episode of SP, which airs on 3 November, will be extended by an extra 15 minutes (11.10 - 12.10 p.m.).

They're airing this show at 11AM in the morning?

Eh!?! Weird. Saturday mornings are for cartoons, not action dramas.
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tabana wrote:

Eh!?! Weird. Saturday mornings are for cartoons, not action dramas.

Trying to broaden the viewing audience.

Not good if they're targeting teens and early 20's. They're still sleeping during that time.

Might screw up kids less than pokemon.
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bmwracer wrote:

They're airing this show at 11AM in the morning?

Haha. Oops...Pardon. It's PM!

jade_frost wrote:

Haha. Oops...Pardon. It's PM!

Hmm, even 11PM sounds weird... It's not Prime Time.

I guess viewing schedules and habits are different in Asia.

Yeah...

That explains why good dramas sometimes have crappy ratings tho, if they aired them at 11pm.
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i wonder why fujitv created the new 11:10 pm time slot. even at its best it doesn't get more than around 15% i think. a 15% at 11 pm would probably translate into high teens and low 20s in the more normal slots. maybe they're trying to cover more time slots?
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It's possible. It could be the drama is not good enough or not filled with popular actors, to be able to compete during prime time.

It's not like it's filled with nudity.
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