On Wednesday, MBS announced the new series that will be based on the Ryo Minenami manga and shared the first image of Towa Araki as Reiji Kurose. Araki then shared the photo on his official Instagram account and confirmed his new role to his followers. “I’m a big fan of the original, and I want to play the role of [Reiji] when it’s made into a live-action film!” Araki wrote. “It’s like a dream and I’m very happy.”
Araki then shared an update on the show’s production. “I’m in the middle of shooting now! It will be broadcast from September 1st, so please look forward to it,” he wrote. Playing Reiji Kurose is set to be Towa Araki’s first leading role. He has previously played several supporting roles in shows like Your Time to Kill (“Anata no Ban Desu”) where he portrayed a troubled boy who was being hidden in a secret room. Araki is best known for playing the younger version of antagonist Enishi Yukishiro in Rurouni Kenshin: The Final and Rurouni Kenshin: The Beginning. His most recent role was as the young Tatsuya Sugimura in the live-action Whisper of the Heart sequel. The live-action Boy’s Abyss series will be directed by Misato Kato with scripts by Kyoko Inukai. The rest of the cast has not yet been revealed. Stay tuned for more updates on this story.