Teen Regime Explained

Native Name:17才の帝国
Open Theme:Teen Regime - Main Title Theme
End Theme:Yuta Bandoh feat. Moeka Shiotsuka "Koeyo"
Country:Japan
Language:Japanese
Num Episodes:5
Network:NHK

is a 2022 Japanese science-fiction mini-series written by Reiko Yoshida. Set in 202X where Japan's economy has failed, it stars Fūju Kamio as Aran Maki, the 17-year-old Prime Minister of an experimental city governed by young leaders and artificial intelligence as part of Project Utopi-AI. It aired on NHK on Saturdays from May 7 to June 4, 2022.

Synopsis

In 202X, Prime Minister Tsuguaki Washida aims to develop human resources for Japan, ridiculed as "Sunset Japan" after the collapse of its economy due to the aging population and rising unemployment rate. He orders Kiyoshi Taira to plan a local city governed by young leaders using artificial intelligence. Aonami bids to be the experimental city, and political AI Solon selects four young people as cabinet ministers, including Aran Maki, the 17-year-old Prime Minister.

Cast

Main

Haru as young Maki; Ō Aoki as 10-year-old Maki

17-year-old high school student chosen by Solon as the Prime Minister of experimental city Ūa. He was raised by a single mother and, after his mother passed away, his grandmother, whom he had to take care of. After his grandmother passed away, he learned to program, and also participated in an online forum for high schoolers to discuss politics. This upbringing influenced him to become a politician, though the death of his friend Yuki Shirai, the victim of the cover-up of illegal donations, was a great influence. After his AI Snow goes rogue, he was dismissed as prime minister, though he later participates in the revived lantern festival through the metaverse while studying abroad. Kamio said that Maki is mysterious, and that "at first glance looks like he's not a high school student, but he sometimes acts like [one], and it's a role hard to grasp."[2]

17-year-old high school student who becomes the Prime Minister's Aide. After meeting Maki through the forum, she earnestly prayed for him to become prime minister, as she had been rejected from the program. She thought she caught Maki's attention after making a presentation on a goodwill point system in the forum, but it is later revealed that it was because of her resemblance to Yuki, who died at 17. She moves to Ūa with her family after becoming his Aide and continues to live there after Maki's dismissal.

Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary, a politician called "the next generation prime minister candidate". He is the project manager of Utopi-AI but was rejected as a cabinet minister. In the Washida cabinet, dominated by elderly politicians, he is popular as a young minister. He nursed his mother during college and entered politics while passing the bar exam. Initially, he threatened Washida with the diary containing evidence of illegal donations and tried to become prime minister, but after Maki comes clean about Snow becoming out of control, forcing Washida to resign, he becomes Prime Minister of Japan three years later.

Supporting

Ūa cabinet members

22-year-old Minister of Finance and Economy. She has an MBA from Gritz University in Iowa, and speaks English, Chinese, Spanish, and Russian. When Saiga was 15 years old, she went to the United States out of disappointment with Japanese society's lack of investment in its future and young people.

22-year-old Minister of Health and Welfare. He used to be an in-house lawyer. Since he studied design at a vocational school and is qualified as a patent attorney, Hayashi designed the user interface for Ūa's resident system. He has a younger brother who uses a wheelchair due to an accident, so he thinks of actively spreading accessible design throughout the city, and also wants to create a cultural city that supports artists.

25-year-old Minister of Environment and Development. He is the grandson of Tsuguaki Washida, the Prime Minister of Japan, and was born in Aonami City. Though initially supporting conservative elderly politicians, after succeeding Maki as Prime Minister, he introduces citizen observers to replace the abolished city council and strives to create make Ūa a city where all generations can be happy.

Project Utopi-AI

Journalist. Taira's friend since they were students. She pursues the truth behind suspicions of Washida receiving illegal donations, and after receiving Yuki's diary from Taira, reports the truth.

Prime Minister of Japan. Founder of Project Utopi-AI; though he professes that he is in charge of the project, he pressures Taira to make him responsible if the project fails.

Voiced by Moeka Shiotsuka

"17-year-old Yuki", an AI installed in a secret basement accessed from Maki's private room in the official residence. She is modeled after Maki's friend,, who passed away 7 years ago, was turned into an AI, and grew up to be 17. She looks exactly like Sachi except for her long hair.

Sachi's family

Father of Sachi and Kisuke. He was a house husband after becoming unemployed due to restructuring. After moving to Ūa, he posts photos of his favorite dishes on social media, which leads to him getting a job at a cookware manufacturer.

Mother of Sachi and Kisuke. She is a devoted fan of Taira. Though she was a junior high social studies teacher, due to reforms she is subject to staff reductions. She accepts retirement because her husband got a job, and her son enjoys classes taught by AI.

Sachi's younger brother. When he lived in Utsunomiya, he was bullied at elementary school, did not attend school, and was immersed in online games at home. After moving to Ūa, he shows interest in politics and his studies.

Grandfather of Saki and Kisuke. After his wife Kiyo's death, he lives alone while being cared for by Masaki. After moving to Ūa and in with his son, he tries first and foremost to note cause trouble for the family.

Residents of Ūa

Guest

Production

Development

In 2022, planning for the Saturday drama slot, broadcast on NHK World-Japan, started. Through research by overseas producers on what was expected of a Japanese drama, the motifs of artificial intelligence and science fiction emerged.[6] Reiko Yoshida was contacted for the script, and she came up with the plot of a "17-year-old's empire" where a young Prime Minister builds a nation of young people and fights against an aging society.[7] Producer Ayumi Sano suggested combining the motif of AI with Yoshida's plot for the story of a 17-year-old using AI to run the government. The production team then worked on researching and developing the plot.[8] Though producer Kei Kurube found the political aspect of the plot difficult, he decided he wanted to create something new.

Yoshida initially conceived a dystopian plot, but after meeting with Sano, it was changed to Maki resigning as Prime Minister and his reforms remaining in Ūa. After the plot was changed from a dystopia, main director Takegoro Nishimura and production designers decided to make Ūa "a place that everyone wants to go to".[9]

The collaboration between Sano, a commercial producer, and NHK, a public broadcaster, was due to Sano having retired from TBS TV, then working as a freelancer. Though Sano became an employee of Kansai Telecasting, he participated with his company's understanding to fulfill his personal goal to "challenge what only NHK can do". On hiring Yoshida, who mainly works on anime, for the script, Sano said he thought, "If I'm going to make science fiction, I'd rather work with a scriptwriter in a different genre than the serial drama scriptwriter I usually work with."

Pre-production

Sano recruited Ryoma Hattori, part of NHK's video design department and thus usually not involved in dramas, to brainstorm gadgets like Utopi-AI's user interface, the branding of the city, and to make everything feel like a live-action.

Kiyoshi Taira, played by Gen Hoshino, did not initially exist in the plot, but Sano wanted a character that fought between the young and elderly. According to Sano, once the bubble generation retired from the film industry, he thought it was finally time for his generation to make a comeback, but it quickly became the age of "raising the digital natives of the next generation"; his generation was "taken off the ladder" and Sano wondered how people would react to a "middle-management-like person".[10]

Filming

The three towers of Solon were filmed at Hario Radio Tower in Sasebo, Nagasaki, and there was also filming in the telegraph room of the tower.[11] The directors looked for "cities, towns, and villages that are experimenting realistically" and "beautiful landscapes where the science fiction world and life co-exist". They described the towers as "beautiful no matter where you look at them, and no matter where you look at them, they are strange". After projecting it on a monitor, it was selected for its impact.[12]

The facility where the Sagawa family prepares to move into Ūa was filmed at the Yokosuka Museum of Art.[13] The Aonami City Hall was filmed at the town hall in Higashiizu, Shizuoka.[14] Mamiana Shopping District was filmed in various parts of Japan, including Tonō Market in Sasebo, Nagasaki.[15] The history of the filming locations, such as the telegraph room being built during the Taishō era, and the stores being built using an air raid shelter, were incorporated into the plot.

Shooting was done without the cast knowing what the actual scene would look like, such as in scenes where the smartglasses where involved.[16] Yamada, in the role of Snow, an AI, acted alone while filming, setting the timing for when Snow appears on the monitor to correspond with Maki.

Music

Yuta Bandoh, who became acquainted with Sano with Omameda Towako and Her Three Ex-Husbands, worked on the music for Belle, and decided to produce the music for Teen Regime similarly. Bandō hired Shohei Amimori and Ryō Maekubo and also reached out through Instagram to Tomggg, who accepted the offer immediately. Bandō used the method of "film scoring", where he composed music while watching videos, pasting a temporary audio over the video, sending it to the rest of the team, and responsibility for the key scenes of each story was assigned to team members.[17]

The theme song of "Koeyo" was composed by Bandō, with vocals provided by Moeka Shiotsuka of Hitsuji Bungaku, an alternative rock band. It was released on June 1, 2022, and was included in the soundtrack released that same day. Shiotsuka wrote the lyrics, and Takuro Okada arranged the song. Shiotsuka said that she was able to challenge things she "would never have dreamed of alone, such as delicate melody lines and experimental arrangements." She wrote the lyrics thinking of the characters after reading the script many times.[18] Shiotsuka also voiced Snow, played by Anna Yamada.[19]

Reception

Accolades

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Okubo . Mami . 2022-09-10 . ‘Teen Regime’ finds hope in Japan’s demographic dystopia . 2023-08-15 . . en-US.
  2. Web site: 2022-01-11 . ja:神尾楓珠:NHKドラマ初主演で17歳の若き総理に 共演に山田杏奈、星野源 脚本は吉田玲子 . Fuju Kamio: 17-year-old young prime minister in first lead role in NHK drama Co-starring Anna Yamada and Gen Hoshino Screenplay by Reiko Yoshida . https://mantan-web.jp/article/20220111dog00m200044000c.html . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230815150851/https://mantan-web.jp/article/20220111dog00m200044000c.html . 2023-08-15 . 2023-08-15 . Mantan Web . ja-JP.
  3. Web site: 2022-01-11 . ja:土曜ドラマ『17才の帝国』出演者発表のお知らせ . Saturday Drama "Teen Regime" Cast Notice . https://www.nhk.or.jp/dramatopics-blog/6000/459473.html . NHK Drama Topics . NHK.
  4. Web site: 2022-01-11 . ja:神尾楓珠が“17歳の総理”、星野源が“次世代総理候補”に! 『けいおん!』吉田玲子脚本のドラマ「17才の帝国」出演者が解禁【コメントあり】 . Fuju Kamio is the "17-year-old prime minister" and Gen Hoshino is the "next-generation prime minister candidate"! "K-ON!" Reiko Yoshida script drama "Teen Regime" cast unveiled [with comments] . https://thetv.jp/news/detail/1066827/ . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230815152938/https://thetv.jp/news/detail/1066827/ . 2023-08-15 . 2023-08-15 . WEB The Television . . ja.
  5. Web site: 2022-03-22 . ja:神尾楓珠主演のNHKドラマ『17才の帝国』 追加キャストに柄本明、松本まりから . Fuju Kamio-starring NHK drama "Teen Regime" Akira Emoto and Mari Matsumoto join the additional cast . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230818000539/https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2228785/full/ . 2023-08-18 . 2023-08-15 . Oricon News.
  6. Web site: Kurube . Kei . 2022-05-07 . ja:『青春SFエンターテインメント』今夜スタート!【プロデューサー・ブログ 】 . "Youth SF entertainment" starts tonight! [Producer Blog] . https://www.nhk.jp/p/ts/VNXRGXV8Q3/blog/bl/pJePOEwvmB/bp/pq8NjWpLGQ/ . https://web.archive.org/web/20220507140253/https://www.nhk.jp/p/ts/VNXRGXV8Q3/blog/bl/pJePOEwvmB/bp/pq8NjWpLGQ/ . 2022-05-07 . NHK for School.
  7. Web site: 2022-05-07 . ja:"大豆田"PがNHKドラマに参加 青春・政治・SF…『17才の帝国』の型破りな制作背景 . "Mameda" P participates in NHK drama Youth, politics, SF... Unconventional production background of "17-year-old empire" . https://news.mynavi.jp/article/20220507-17sainoteikoku/ . 2023-08-15 . My Navi News . ja.
  8. Web site: 2022-05-28 . ja:『17才の帝国』破格のSFドラマはいかにして作られたのか 訓覇圭×佐野亜裕美に聞く . Interview with Kei Kurube and Ayumi Sano on how the extraordinary sci-fi drama "17-year-old empire" was created . https://realsound.jp/movie/2022/05/post-1038619.html . 2023-08-15 . Real Sound . ja.
  9. Web site: 2022-06-24 . ja:『17才の帝国』に脚本家・吉田玲子が込めた思いとは? 再放送を機に制作陣に手応えを聞く . What did screenwriter Reiko Yoshida put into "17-year-old empire"? Hear from the production team on the rebroadcast . https://realsound.jp/movie/2022/06/post-1061048.html . 2023-08-15 . Real Sound . ja.
  10. Web site: Sano . Ayumi . 2022-06-03 . ja:「17才の帝国」の骨 . 17-Year-Old Empire's Bones . https://www.nhk.jp/p/ts/VNXRGXV8Q3/blog/bl/pJePOEwvmB/bp/pYRMpGzPQ2/ . https://web.archive.org/web/20220603092039/https://www.nhk.jp/p/ts/VNXRGXV8Q3/blog/bl/pJePOEwvmB/bp/pYRMpGzPQ2/ . 2022-06-03 . NHK for School.
  11. Web site: 2022-05-13 . ja:針尾無線塔シンボルに NHK「17才の帝国」 SF×政治ドラマ 佐世保でロケ | 長崎新聞 . Hario radio tower symbol NHK "17-year-old empire" SF x political drama Sasebo location . 2023-08-15 . Nagasaki Shimbun . ja-JP.
  12. Web site: 2022-05-20 . ja:「17才の帝国」「三本の塔」という起点 . "17-Year-Old Empire" and "Three Towers" as Starting Points . https://web.archive.org/web/20220520072706/https://www.nhk.jp/p/ts/VNXRGXV8Q3/blog/bl/pJePOEwvmB/bp/pKvL0V1brQ/ . 2022-05-20.
  13. 1522712818524598275. yokosuka_moa. Yokosuka Museum of Art. ja. ja:【テレビ放映のお知らせ】. Notice of TV broadcast.
  14. Web site: ja:東伊豆町|町政・議会|東伊豆町のロケについて . Higashiizu Town Town Administration/Assembly About location in Higashiizu Town . 2023-08-15 . Higashiizu, Shizuoka.
  15. 1525481318519545856. nagasakipress. Nagasaki Press. ja. ja:#17才の帝国 針尾無線塔のてっぺんに立つ神尾楓珠さんが衝撃的だった第2話⚡️.
    1. 17-year-oldEmpire The shocking second episode of Fuju Kamio standing at the top of Hario Radio Tower ⚡️
    .
  16. Web site: 2022-05-13 . ja:神尾楓珠『17才の帝国』インタビュー「僕も1話を観てめちゃくちゃ面白いなと思いました」 - 【TV Bros. WEB】 . Fuju Kamio "17-year-old empire" interview "I watched the first episode and thought it was very interesting"-[TV Bros. WEB] . 2023-08-15 . TV Bros . ja.
  17. Web site: rittor_snrec . 2022-07-04 . ja:坂東祐大×Tomggg×前久保諒×網守将平『17才の帝国』座談会【前編】〜気鋭作曲家たちの制作技法 . Yūta Bandō x Tomggg x Ryō Maekubo x Shohei Amimori "17-year-old empire" round-table discussion [Part 1] ~ Up-and-coming composers' production techniques . 2023-08-15 . Sanreco . ja.
  18. Web site: ja:坂東祐大×羊文学・塩塚モエカ、NHKドラマ「17才の帝国」主題歌でコラボ(塩塚モエカコメントあり) . Yuta Bando x Hitsuji Bungaku / Moeka Shiotsuka Collaborate on Theme Song for NHK Drama "17-sai no Teikoku" (with Moeka Shiotsuka's Comments) . 2023-08-15 . . ja.
  19. Web site: Watanabe . Akihiro . 2022-05-22 . ja:『17才の帝国』山田杏奈の1人2役など驚きの仕掛けが随所に 板挟みにあう星野源の好演も . "17-year-old empire" Anna Yamada plays two roles, and there are surprising tricks here and there. . 2023-08-15 . Real Sound . ja.
  20. Web site: 2022-07-20 . ja:『17才の帝国』『関ジャム「山下達郎特集」』ギャラクシー賞月間賞 . "17-year-old empire" "Kanjam "Tatsuro Yamashita"" Galaxy Award Monthly Award . 2023-08-15 . My Navi News . ja.