The first drama series based on a novel by popular essayist Sawako Agawa is now showing on Nippon TV, featuring a heroine Agawa describes as a "prosecutor, but still an ordinary woman."
"Seigi no Se" (Ms. Justice) kicked off earlier this month and is airing on Wednesdays at 10 p.m. The show is an adaptation of Agawa's novel with the same title -- "I hope the drama will make a new kind of impression and influence viewers in a different way from the novel," she said.
Heroine Ririko, played by Yuriko Yoshitaka, is a prosecutor in her second year at the Konan branch of the Yokohama District Public Prosecutors Office. Prosecutors are often seen as relentless in investigating crimes and Ririko fits that image. She's so stubborn that her father, who runs a tofu shop, describes her as "inflexible." Once she's made up her mind about something, she is unwavering.
On the other hand, Ririko is very much like other young women, experiencing love and depression about her work.
Agawa wrote the novel after meeting a female prosecutor through golf eight or nine years ago. Their talks helped Agawa realize the prosecutor was like the people around her, completely changing the writer's impression of the job.
"I hoped if I wrote a story about the evolution of an ordinary woman who dares to choose a career as a prosecutor and face those challenges -- at the same time showing pride in her profession -- it would inspire young people by making them feel, 'Oh, she's fighting against something, while being driven by her sense of justice," she said.
Agawa said she spent more time gathering information to write this novel than for any of her other works. She visited a tofu shop in the early morning hours to see how the food is prepared, and also traveled to district public prosecutors offices in Okayama, Mito and other cities to interview female prosecutors and other officials.
"I was surprised that all of them were beautiful," the writer recalled. "They looked smart and indomitable."
When she was writing the novel, Agawa asked prosecutors and other experts to check whether her work included unnatural terminology, among other concerns. "I hope professionals will also find the drama compelling," the writer said.
The pleasure of teamwork
Last year, Agawa made her first appearance as an actress in a TV drama series. "Rikuoh." Agawa said she made numerous discoveries while shooting the TBS network drama.
"I found the cast and staff were all on equal terms in creating a scene, something new to me," she said. "I felt something like the thrill of teamwork, like I'd become a member of an orchestra."
In contrast, Agawa describes writing a novel as something "I have to struggle with by myself, making me feel isolated."
As TV dramas are filmed by a team, with the ideas of a scriptwriter and director also being reflected, the adaptation of a novel is not made to be exactly the same as the original. The finished product often gets a fresh dimension that the original writer might never have expected.
"It's OK if there are differences between the Ririko in my novel and the one in the adaptation -- as long as she's described as a lovable character who encourages viewers to enjoy supporting her," Agawa said. "Ms. Yoshitaka has a rich voce and is really charming. I'm honored to have my character played by her."
The producer of "Seigi no Se" is Masatoshi Kato, who has also been in charge of other series with young working women as the lead characters, including "Hanasaki Mai ga Damatte inai" (Hanasaki Mai Speaks Out) and "Tokyo Tarareba Musume" (Tokyo Tarareba Girls).
"When making a dramatic adaptation of a novel, being faithful to the original is not always the right answer," Kato said. "This is because the nuances always change when actual people play the characters.
"Without undermining her essence as described in the original, we're creating the lead character by making subtle modifications so viewers can find it easier to empathize with her."
Agawa wrapped up the interview with a message for working women like Ririko: "Whatever job you're doing, you surely face something you don't like. Even when you're not happy about your current job or position, you can find something exciting, or you might find a lifelong mentor.
"If you become passionate about something and you're willing to show others what you can do, someone will definitely look after you."
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