Segodon (西郷どん, Mr. Saigō in Kagoshima dialect[1]) is a 2018 Japanese historical drama television series and the 57th NHK taiga drama.[2] It stars Ryohei Suzuki as Saigō Takamori, who has been dubbed the last true samurai.[3]

Segodon
Promotional poster
Based onSegodon! by Mariko Hayashi
Written byMiho Nakazono
Directed byYūsuke Noda
Makoto Bonkabara
Takeshi Okada
Yoshimi Ishizuka
Yūsuke Horiuchi
Keisuke Ōshima
Starring
Narrated byToshiyuki Nishida
Opening theme"Segodon -Main Theme-" (「西郷どん -メインテーマ-」)
ComposerHarumi Fūki
Country of originJapan
Original languageJapanese
No. of episodes47
Production
Executive producersKen Sakurai
Sōichi Sakurai
ProducerChieko Konishi
Running time45 minutes
Original release
NetworkNHK
ReleaseJanuary 7 (2018-01-07) –
December 16, 2018 (2018-12-16)

Plot

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The drama follows the life of historical figure Saigō Takamori. Born the first son of a lower-class samurai, he was exiled two times and went through three marriages. He was one of the central figures of the Meiji Restoration but later rebelled against the government over dissatisfaction with Meiji reforms.

Cast

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Saigo family

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  • Ryohei Suzuki as Saigō Takamori
    • Ao Watanabe as Kokichi (young Takamori)
  • Keiko Matsuzaka as Saigō Masa, the mother of Takamori
  • Morio Kazama as Saigō Kichibei, the father of Takamori
  • Toshiyuki Nishida as Saigō Kikujirō, Takamori's son
    • Yuki Imai as Teen Kikujirō
    • Kairi Jō as Child Kikujirō
  • Ai Hashimoto as Suga, the first wife of Takamori
  • Haru Kuroki as Iwayama Ito, the third wife of Takamori
  • Ryo Nishikido as Saigō Jūdō, one of Takamori's brothers
    • Taiyō Saitō as Saigō Shingo (young Jūdō)
  • Mone Kamishiraishi as Saigō Kiyo, the wife of Jūdō
  • Gōta Watabe as Saigō Kichijirō, one of Takamori's brothers
    • Taketo Arai as young Kichijirō
  • Yuki Kashiwagi as Saigō Sono, the wife of Kichijirō
  • Nanami Sakuraba as Ichiki (née Saigō) Koto, one of Takamori's sisters
    • Yuki Kurimoto as young Koto
  • Yūki Maekawa as Ichiki Sōsuke, Koto's son
  • Yū Kayano as Saigō Yasu, one of Takamori's sisters
  • Kumi Mizuno as Kimi, the grandmother of Takamori
  • Kon Ōmura as Saigō Ryūemon, the grandfather of Takamori
  • Muga Tsukaji (Drunk Dragon) as Kumakichi
  • Mayuko Saigō as Saigō Sakurako
  • Maika Hara as Saigō Taka, one of Takamori's sisters
  • Yūki Yagi as Saigō Kikusō, Takamori's daughter

Ōkubo family

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General public
  • Rin Takanashi as Fuki
    • Rinka Kakihara as young Fuki
  • Taku Suzuki (Drunk Dragon) as Heiroku, Fuki's father
  • Sumie Sasaki as Ishi, Kumakichi's grandmother
  • Fujita Okamoto as Itagaki Yosaji
  • Toshiyuki Kitami as Ijūin Naogorō, Suga's father
  • Masayuki Shionoya as Iwayama Naoatsu, Ito's father
The people of Amami Ōshima
  • Fumi Nikaidō as Aikana, the second wife of Takamori
  • Akira Emoto as Ryū Samin
  • Midori Kiuchi as Ishichiyo Kane
  • Natsuko Akiyama as Yuta
  • Tsutomu Takahashi as Tomiken
  • Honami Kurashita as Komurume
  • Anna Sato as Satochiyo Kane
The people of Okinoerabujima
  • Renji Ishibashi as Kawaguchi Seppō
  • Yoshiki Saitō as Tsuchimochi Masateru
  • Yōko Ōshima as Tsuchimochi Tsuru
Ōoku

Foreigners

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Others

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Production

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Production Credits

  • Narrator – Toshiyuki Nishida
  • Music – Harumi Fūki
  • Historical research – Izumi Haraguchi, Manabu Ōishi and Michifumi Isoda
  • Architectural research – Kiyoshi Hirai
  • Costume designer – Kazuko Kurosawa
  • Kagoshima dialect instructors – Takaya Sakoda and Kōkichi Tanoue

The series is based on the novel Segodon! by Mariko Hayashi which was first released in serial format starting February 2016 in the literature magazine Hon no Tabibito, and published as a book by Kadokawa Shoten the year after.

Casting

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Ryohei Suzuki was announced to portray the lead role of Saigō Takamori in Segodon on November 2, 2016.[5] The main cast for the Saigo and Okuba family were announced on March 27, 2017, which includes Eita, Haru Kuroki, Nanami Sakuraba, Gōta Watabe, Muga Tsukaji, Morio Kazama, Mitsuru Hirata, and Keiko Matsuzaka.[6] The main cast for the Shimazu family was announced on June 27, 2017, which includes Munetaka Aoki, Naho Toda, Yu Tokui, and Ken Watanabe.[7] In September 2017, it was announced that Yuki Saito would not be able to play as Ikushima,[8] and was eventually replaced by Yoko Minamino. By November 2017, Etsuko Ichihara also had to drop out as narrator of the series due to her ongoing recovery from encephalomyelitis,[9] and was eventually replaced by Toshiyuki Nishida.

TV schedule

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Episode Title Directed by Original airdate Rating
1 "Satsuma no Yassenbo" (薩摩のやっせんぼ) Yūsuke Noda January 7, 2018 (2018-01-07) 15.4%
2 "Rippa na Osamurai" (立派なお侍) January 14, 2018 (2018-01-14) 15.4%
3 "Kodomo wa Kuni no Takara" (子どもは国の宝) January 21, 2018 (2018-01-21) 14.2%
4 "Atarashiki Hanshu" (新しき藩主) January 28, 2018 (2018-01-28) 14.8%
5 "Sumō ja! Sumō ja!" (相撲じゃ!相撲じゃ!) Makoto Bonkobara February 4, 2018 (2018-02-04) 15.5%
6 "Nazo no Hyōryūsha" (謎の漂流者) February 11, 2018 (2018-02-11) 15.1%
7 "Haha no Senaka" (母の背中) Takeshi Okada February 18, 2018 (2018-02-18) 14.3%
8 "Fukitsu na Yome" (不吉な嫁) February 25, 2018 (2018-02-25) 14.2%
9 "Edo no Hie-sama" (江戸のヒー様) Yūsuke Noda March 4, 2018 (2018-03-04) 14.8%
10 "Atsuhime wa doko e" (篤姫はどこへ) Makoto Bonkobara March 11, 2018 (2018-03-11) 14.4%
11 "Nariakira Ansatsu" (斉彬暗殺) Yasuko Tsuda March 18, 2018 (2018-03-18) 14.6%
12 "Un no Tsuyoki Himegimi" (運の強き姫君) March 25, 2018 (2018-03-25) 14.1%
13 "Kawaranai Tomo" (変わらない友) Yūsuke Noda April 8, 2018 (2018-04-08) 13.0%
14 "Yoshinobu no Honki" (慶喜の本気) Takeshi Okada April 15, 2018 (2018-04-15) 11.9%
15 "Tono no Shi" (殿の死) Yūsuke Noda April 22, 2018 (2018-04-22) 13.4%
16 "Nariakira no Yuigon (斉彬の遺言) Takeshi Okada April 29, 2018 (2018-04-29) 11.1%
17 "Saigō Jusui" (西郷入水) Yasuko Tsuda May 6, 2018 (2018-05-06) 12.0%
18 "Runin, Kikuchi Gengo" (流人、菊池源吾) Makoto Bonkobara May 13, 2018 (2018-05-13) 14.4%
19 "Aikana" (愛加那) May 20, 2018 (2018-05-20) 13.7%
20 "Shōsuke no Kuroi Ishi" (正助の黒い石) Yūsuke Noda May 27, 2018 (2018-05-27) 12.2%
21 "Wakare no Uta" (別れの唄) Yoshimi Ishizuka June 3, 2018 (2018-06-03) 12.0%
22 "Idai na Ani, Jigoro na Otōto" (偉大な兄 地ごろな弟) Takeshi Okada June 10, 2018 (2018-06-10) 13.4%
23 "Teradaya Sōdō" (寺田屋騒動) Yoshimi Ishizuka June 17, 2018 (2018-06-17) 13.4%
24 "Chi no Hate nite" (地の果てにて) Makoto Bonkobara June 24, 2018 (2018-06-24) 12.2%
25 "Ikasareta Inochi" (生かされた命) July 1, 2018 (2018-07-01) 12.7%
26 "Saigō, Kyō e" (西郷、京へ) Yūsuke Noda July 15, 2018 (2018-07-15) 12.2%
27 "Kinmon no Hen" (禁門の変) July 22, 2018 (2018-07-22) 12.0%
28 "Katsu to Ryōma" (勝と龍馬) Takeshi Okada July 29, 2018 (2018-07-29) 11.1%
29 "Sandome no Kekkon" (三度目の結婚) Yūsuke Horiuchi August 5, 2018 (2018-08-05) 11.6%
30 "Kaijin Iwakura Tomomi" (怪人 岩倉具視) Yūsuke Noda August 12, 2018 (2018-08-12) 10.3%
31 "Ryōma tono Yakusoku" (龍馬との約束) Takeshi Okada August 19, 2018 (2018-08-19) 11.0%
32 "Satchō Dōmei" (薩長同盟) Yoshimi Ishizuka August 26, 2018 (2018-08-26) 10.4%
33 "Ito no Chikai" (糸の誓い) September 2, 2018 (2018-09-02) 13.2%
34 "Shōgun Yoshinobu" (将軍慶喜) Makoto Bonkobara September 9, 2018 (2018-09-09) 11.9%
35 "Ikusa no Oni" (戦の鬼) September 16, 2018 (2018-09-16) 11.7%
36 "Yoshinobu no Kubi" (慶喜の首) Yūsuke Horiuchi September 23, 2018 (2018-09-23) 11.0%
37 "Edo Muketsu-Kaijō" (江戸無血開城) Yūsuke Noda October 7, 2018 (2018-10-07) 9.9%
38 "Kizudarake no Ishin" (傷だらけの維新) October 14, 2018 (2018-10-14) 10.2%
39 "Chichi, Saigō Takamori" (父、西郷隆盛) Makoto Bonkobara October 21, 2018 (2018-10-21) 12.3%
40 "Haran no Shinseifu" (波乱の新政府) Keisuke Ōshima October 28, 2018 (2018-10-28) 11.7%
41 "Atarashiki Kuni e" (新しき国へ) Yoshimi Ishizuka November 4, 2018 (2018-11-04) 11.8%
42 "Ryōyū Gekitotsu" (両雄激突) Yūsuke Noda November 11, 2018 (2018-11-11) 11.3%
43 "Saraba, Tokyo" (さらば、東京) Makoto Bonkobara November 18, 2018 (2018-11-18) 11.6%
44 "Shizoku tachi no Dōran" (士族たちの動乱) Yoshimi Ishizuka November 25, 2018 (2018-11-25) 12.4%
45 "Saigō Tatsu" (西郷立つ) Keisuke Ōshima December 2, 2018 (2018-12-02) 11.5%
46 "Seinan Sensō" (西南戦争) Makoto Bonkobara December 9, 2018 (2018-12-09) 11.4%
47 "Keiten Aijin" (敬天愛人) Yūsuke Noda December 16, 2018 (2018-12-16) 13.8%
Average rating 12.7% - Rating is based on Japanese Video Research (Kantō region).[10]

Omnibus

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Episode Title Original airdate Original airtime
1 "Satsuma" (薩摩) December 30, 2018 13:05 - 14:05
2 "Saisei" (再生) 14:05 - 14:55
3 "Kakumei" (革命) 15:05 - 16:25
4 "Tenmei" (天命) 16:25 - 17:35

Soundtracks

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  • "Segodon" Taiga Drama Original Soundtrack I (February 21, 2018)[11]
  • "Segodon" Taiga Drama Original Soundtrack II (August 8, 2018)[12]
  • "Segodon" Taiga Drama Original Soundtrack III (October 10, 2018)[13]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Mexican Ambassador and his wife visit the special exhibition "Segodon" held at the University Museum". Tokyo University of the Arts. August 2, 2018. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
  2. ^ "2018年大河ドラマ「西郷(せご)どん」主人公・西郷隆盛役は鈴木亮平に決定!". NHK (in Japanese). Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  3. ^ History Channel The Samurai, video documentary
  4. ^ "鈴木亮平主演NHK大河『西郷どん』 瑛太が大久保利通、黒木華が運命の女性". Cinra.net. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  5. ^ "鈴木亮平さん主演!「西郷どん」". NHK ドラマ (in Japanese). NHK. 2 November 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  6. ^ "2018(平成30)年 大河ドラマ「西郷どん」出演者決定!". NHK ドラマ (in Japanese). NHK. 27 March 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  7. ^ "2018(平成30)年 大河ドラマ「西郷どん」新たな出演者発表". NHK ドラマ (in Japanese). NHK. 27 June 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  8. ^ "大河ドラマ「西郷どん」出演者変更について". NHK ドラマ (in Japanese). NHK. 21 September 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  9. ^ Yukan Fuji (夕刊フジ) (28 November 2017). "今度は市原悦子さん、呪いか…NHK大河「西郷どん」で再び降板劇 渡辺謙さん醜聞、極めつきは斉藤由貴さん". Sankei News (in Japanese). The Sankei Shimbun & SANKEI DIGITAL. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  10. ^ "西郷どん:最終回「敬天愛人」視聴率13.8% 期間平均は12.7%でワースト3位". Mantan-web. 17 December 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2023.
  11. ^ ""Segodon (TV Drama)" Original Soundtrack I". CDJapan. Neowing. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  12. ^ ""Segodon (TV Drama)" Original Soundtrack II (Music by Harumi Fuuki)". CDJapan. Neowing. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  13. ^ "Taiga Drama Segodon Original Soundtrack 3 Ongaku Fuuki Harumi". HMV&BOOKS Online. Lawson Entertainment, Inc. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
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