How do you stand up for the truth in the face of adversity? GEM, the all-Japanese entertainment channel which is a joint venture of Sony Pictures Television and Japan’s Nippon TV will be premiering another inspiring Japanese drama—Off the Record, a series that takes viewers into the exciting and challenging life of a tabloid reporter who hunts down scoops and exposes some ugly truths about prominent figures in the society.
Reporter Kate Makabe writes for a weekly tabloid, exposing celebrity scandals and corruption in politics. With a successful career and love life, Kate’s life seems perfect until she discovers a surprising truth about the real identity of her “father,” who turns out to be a famous Hollywood celebrity. How will a tabloid reporter who has uncovered the many truths of people deal with one of her own?
Japanese actress Yuriko Yoshitaka who plays the impulsive journalist Kate talks about her role and how she prepared being the eyes and ears of the public, “This is the first time I take on the role of a reporter,” she shares. “I have always been the interviewee and now that the role is reversed, I began to watch the news more often and think about how it feels like to be the one jotting down notes. I paid extra attention whenever I was interviewed. I observed how the writers or journalists asked their questions and took notes too.”
Yuriko believes that this drama will greatly resonate with her Asian fans as the reporter’s career and personal struggles simply inspire courage, taking risks and keeping one’s resolve in the face of adversity.
Joining Yuriko is Japanese actor and singer Daiki Shigeoka, a member of Johnny’s WEST from the powerhouse talent agency Johnny & Associates. Daiki plays Haruki Nonako, Kate’s boyfriend who suddenly gets a change of heart about their relationship. Daiki shares that he is challenged to bring more depth to his character. “I have been playing bright and cheerful roles to date, so I am looking forward to acting out a role that is completely different from my past roles,” he ends.
How long can you keep the truth off the record? Find out when Off the Record premieres on March 16, 2020 and airs every Monday and Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. on GEM, your destination for the best of Japanese entertainment, available on SKYcable Ch 116 in Metro Manila; SKYcable Ch 222 in Cebu, Davao, Bacolod, Iloilo, and Baguio; GSAT Ch 53; and various provincial cable operators nationwide.
