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The story
Actor Ishiguro Ken has reportedly voiced concern that period dramas (jidaigeki) “might die out,” naming a period drama as a genre he’d still like to appear in. On the thread, many voiced sentiments like “No more Mito Komon, no more Abarenbo Shogun, no more Zenigata Heiji — period dramas are already finished,” while others pointed out that samurai and ninja motifs remain hugely popular worldwide through manga, anime, and games like Demon Slayer, Ghost of Tsushima, and Kingdom. Opinions split over the causes of the decline, including production costs, set budgets, young actors’ acting skills, and an aging viewership.
Ishiguro Ken voices concern over period dramas: “Might they die out?” — Says a period drama is still a genre he wants to appear in
Actor Ishiguro Ken attended the “3rd Coming-of-Age Ceremony: HAPPY SENIOR FESTA 2026” event in Tokyo on the 1st.
The event, tied to October 1st being “International Day of Older Persons,” celebrates new challenges taken on by people who’ve reached their 60th birthday (kanreki).
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
Wait, actor? He's a TV personality, isn't he?
What's this guy's signature role anyway?
'Look Back and There He Is' (Furikaereba Yatsu ga Iru, 1993 drama)
'Look Back and There He Is' (Furikaereba Yatsu ga Iru, 1993 drama)
'Ao ga Chiru' (Blue Scatters)
That's plenty, isn't it
It'd blow up huge overseas
Could especially hook a ton of older viewers abroad
No idea why nobody's doing it
Or how about a sequel to 'Look Back and There He Is'?
'Turns out he was alive all along,' huh? This isn't VIVANT, lol (the hit 2023 drama known for its twists)
Watching recent jidaigeki on BS, don't the overacting, no-name theater-troupe actors feel kind of unnatural?
Then again, taiga dramas cast with TV personalities are terrible too
Guess they didn't call him up for it
Demon Slayer
Onimusha
Ghost of Tsushima
Naruto
Nioh
Assassin's Creed
I think NHK's still trying its best though
Period dramas are basically a kind of fantasy genre
It'd be sad to see the whole genre just vanish
Just look at 'Shogun' (the FX/Hulu series)
No more Mito Komon, no more Abarenbo Shogun, no more Zenigata Heiji, no more Tōyama no Kinsan, no more Momotaro Samurai
Period dramas are finished
Is that really true?
Feels like there are more self-righteous 'justice' types than ever, so it seems like it'd actually work
It's landing an actual hit that's tough though
These days the closest might be that comedy, 'Samurai Time Slipper'?
Period dramas are finished
These days the picture's so crisp it looks like a modern drama anyway
>These days the picture's so crisp it looks like a modern drama anyway
Yeah, that's definitely part of it
When I'm flipping channels and catch Kato Go and Takewaki Muga talking it out in 'Ooka Echizen,' I can't help but stop and watch
There just aren't actors with that kind of depth anymore
I'm in my 40s, but I watched a lot of those evening reruns keeping my grandparents company
They say water flows downhill, but excellence is a lot harder to pass down
Can't believe people actually watch that
Not enough people, time, or money
Even if someone young takes it up, they can't make a living off it
Guess it's fine as long as they're good though…
Mystery shows like Detective Conan, 'Woman of the Forensics Lab,' or the Aibou series — amazed people don't get tired of them
Guess nothing's changed since the Agatha Christie era, when the classic mystery formula got locked in
there's clearly latent demand for stories solved with swordfights
The question is how to adapt that for modern (young) audiences
Oh, you're right!
Not just Demon Slayer and Rurouni Kenshin — even Kingdom is basically a Chinese period drama
They should cast younger actors as leads and make lighter, breezier dramas instead.
Like China or Korea do.
Something like 'Nobunaga's Chef' would be fine.
Something like 'Ikusagami' would be good
Baby boomers are so flashy/youthful-minded they've convinced themselves they're not old enough to be watching period dramas, and as a result the culture's dying out
But come on, Aibou, 'Woman of the Forensics Lab,' and Doctor X are basically the modern-day Abarenbo Shogun and Ooka Echizen anyway
Like, descendants of the 'Hissatsu' assassins taking out biker gangs with modern tools of the trade
Haha, 'Hangman' — now that's a blast from the past
Background and Key Points of the Debate
Period dramas (jidaigeki) have long been flagship programming for NHK and Japan’s commercial networks, but in recent years long-running series like Mito Komon and Abarenbo Shogun have ended one after another, and even the productions continuing on BS satellite channels have been scaled back. Behind the thread’s complaints of “overacting” and “shallow performances” is the fact that art-department costs for sets, armor, and kimono remain high, even as the pool of actors skilled in swordplay and period mannerisms has thinned out. At the same time, as Demon Slayer, Ghost of Tsushima, and Kingdom show, demand for works built around samurai and warlord motifs remains alive and well both in Japan and abroad — suggesting the real problem may not be “period drama as a subject” but rather that “television period drama as a production format” has become locked into a high-cost, older-skewing model. The thread also drew a contrast with Chinese and Korean period dramas, which tend to favor younger leads and lighter, breezier productions.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Entertainment] Actor Ishiguro Ken voices concern over period dramas: “Might they die out?” — Says a period drama is still a genre he wants to appear in.”
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