Aoi Miyazaki set to take on depression and marriage in upcoming manga adaptation

by Chris MaGee

Actress Aoi Miyazaki has been gracing both the big and small screens in Japan for over a decade, but one of her biggest roles was in the 2008 NHK taiga drama "Atsuhime". That series, which chronicled the life of a young noblewoman during the waning days of the Tokugawa Shogunate, paired Miyazaki (above left) with her onscreen husband portrayed by Masato Sakai. Now according to Anime News Network the former onscreen couple will be starring opposite each other once again.

Miyazaki and Sakai are set to star in a live-action feature adaptation of Tenten Hosokawa's manga "Tsure ga Utsu ni Narimashite (How Do I Cope with My Husband's Depression? )". The story is based on the real-life experiences of Hosokawa whose husband struggles with clinical depression. Joining the pair in the film will be Ren Osugi and Kimiko Yo as Miyazaki's character's parents.

The original 2006 manga was such a hit with readers that "Tsure ga Utsu ni Narimashite" was already turned into a live-action TV drama that aired on NHK in the spring of 2009. That series featured Norika Fujiwara and Taizo Harada in the lead roles. It will be interesting to see what kind of angle this new film will take on what is a complex and sadly universal phenomena.

Filming on this new feature film version of "Tsure ga Utsu ni Narimashite" just got under way this past weekend. We'll keep you updated with firm release dates as soon as they become available.