Strap yourselves in, you're in for a hair-raising ride.
That is the message NHK is putting out about its 2014 Sunday evening drama series. Depicting the life of 16th century samurai and military tactician Kuroda Kanbei, "Gunshi Kanbei (Strategist Kanbei)" promises to lead viewers through a harrowing tale of love, war, betrayal and honor — replete with weekly cliff-hangers and other emotional hooks that, the broadcaster hopes, will have audiences glued to their television sets for all 50 episodes, starting from Jan. 5.
"We want people to end up cheering for Kanbei as he encounters all sorts of traumas and challenges — we want them biting their nails and thinking, 'Will he be alright?' " explains chief producer Takashi Nakamura.