Juyon-Sai no Haha (14-Year Old Mother)

Excerpt from Televiews, October 6, 2006, Wm. Penn, Daily Yomiuri: This quarter's prospects begin with the NTV offering Juyon-sai no Haha (14-year-old Mother) starting Oct. 11 at 10 p.m. Mirai Shida, who was excellent as the perplexed student in Joo no Kyoshitsu, has the title role. The teenage mother scenario has gotten very little TV attention in Japan. The first major plotline came in 1979 when caring teacher San-nen B-gumi Kinpachi Sensei dealt with the issue in his middle school class.

Actress Kaoru Sugita played the pregnant 15-year-old in that series. Her career and personal life have been a roller coaster ride ever since. In her most recent appearance, she was fielding wide show questions after paparazzi caught her coming out of a castle-shaped love hotel last week. In this 21st-century version of the teen pregnancy tale, the young mother-to-be will not only have to cope with her parents and school, but a teacher who doesn't want to get involved, her boyfriend's own single mother (now a successful entrepreneur) and an aggressive journalist who wants the exclusive story for his weekly magazine.

Excerpt from Daily Mainichi, October 10, 2006: Teen actress playing 14-year-old mom appears at NTV drama preview Mirai Shida Teen actress Mirai Shida appeared at a preview screening for an NTV drama casting her as a 14-year-old mother, saying she could never imagine being in the same situation in real life. Shida, 13, spoke to reporters during the preview of "14-sai no Haha -- Ai Suru Tame ni Umaretekita" (14-year-old Mother -- Born to be Loved).

Joining her at the event were 16-year-old Haruma Miura, who plays her 15-year-old boyfriend in the drama, and Misako Tanaka and Katsuhisa Namase, who play her mother and father. "For me at the moment, becoming pregnant is unthinkable, but I want to talk to my mom about (the role) and do my best," she said. In the drama, a third-year junior high school student played by Shida becomes pregnant in a story of "love" and "life." When Shida was asked what she would do if she ended up in the same situation, she replied, "I wouldn't be able to focus on anything. I'd probably be pretty hard on myself. There are still a lot of fun things I want to do, and I wouldn't be able to raise the baby even if I did give birth.

I probably wouldn't go through with it." She said she didn't have a problem with the love scene in the drama. "I wasn't too embarrassed," she said. Miura said he wanted to put effort into his role. "I don't think I'll ever get the chance to play a 15-year-old father again. I want to act out the role carefully." The drama will screen on Wednesdays from 10 p.m., starting from Oct. 11. The theme song of the drama is "Shirushi," by Mr. Children. (Mainichi)

STARRING: Shida Mirai, Sugita Kaoru
NETWORK: NTV
Theme Song:  
DURATION: October through December 2006