Are These Actors All Here?! Meeting Japanese Actors and Their Works in 'Good News'

Was it a global project? While watching the Netflix original 〈Good News〉 directed by Byun Sung-hyun, which was released on October 17, I thought about that. It is based on the real-life Japanese civil aviation hijacking incident, which is why not only Korean actors but also a large number of Japanese actors appeared. In particular, many familiar Japanese actors appear, enhancing the quality of the drama. Here, I briefly introduce the Japanese actors who leave a strong presence in this 〈Good News〉 and the OTT works where you can see them.

Red Army Faction Leader Denji

Kasa Matsu Sho

The communist group 'Red Army Faction' hijacks an aircraft heading to Pyongyang, and their leader Denji tries to rationally resolve moments that could be somewhat emotional. While focusing as much as possible on the goal of heading to North Korea, the hijacking plan is somewhat lacking, showing Denji as charismatic but sometimes making mistakes close to incompetence, played by Kasa Matsu Sho. Kasa Matsu Sho, who somewhat resembles Ayano Go, has a slightly tougher face. He visited the Busan International Film Festival in 2025 and became a hot topic by conveying various stories in Korean very skillfully. If we talk about works available on OTT, we can mention the drama 〈Carnival〉. It depicts the story of a police officer who is assigned to a mountain village for his daughter's care and faces the mysteries surrounding the village. Yagira Yuya, familiar to Korean audiences from 〈Nobody Knows〉, plays the lead role, and Kasa Matsu Sho appears as Keisuke from the influential Goto family, who often confronts him. After airing in 2022, Season 2 aired in 2025 this year. It can be seen on Disney Plus.

Action Leader of the Red Army Faction Asuka

Yamamoto Nairu

To some viewers, this might look more like a leader than Denji. Asuka, who assists Denji, is the loudest voice in the Red Army Faction (both metaphorically and literally). Sometimes, his shouting makes the aircraft passengers even more confused. Additionally, the audience feels a bonus of unpredictable tension, thinking, 'Something will happen because of this person.' Yamamoto Nairu is not yet a familiar face to Korean audiences, but many may start to pay attention to him due to his passionate performance in this 〈Good News〉. Previously, he appeared as Kuroe in Season 2 of 〈Carnival〉. His leading work, the movie 〈Two Women, Two Men〉, is available on Watcha and Wave. It depicts a couple on the verge of divorce who set out to find their missing pet cat and end up confronting each other's affair partners. Yamamoto Nairu plays the role of Machida Ako, who is preparing for divorce from her husband.

Youngest of the Red Army Faction Yuuki

Hiiragi Hinata

Dressed in a neat school uniform, with white skin and a clean impression. Who would have thought this small student would be one of the terrorists? The youngest of the Red Army Faction, Yuuki, mutters the faction's declaration, "We are tomorrow's Joda," as he joins their hijacking to Pyongyang. Hiiragi Hinata, who plays Yuuki, debuted in 2021 and is currently one of the most promising young Japanese actors. Korean audiences may recognize him from Hirokazu Kore-eda's latest work 〈Monster〉, where he played Hoshikawa Yori. Perhaps even viewers who have seen 〈Monster〉 might be surprised at how much he has grown. He has appeared more in dramas than movies, often playing the younger versions of lead actors. Notable works include 〈Last Man - Blind Investigator -〉, available on Watcha, and 〈Don't Run Time, Lovers〉, available on Tving and Wave. If you want to see him in a great light outside of his works, you can keep an eye on his Instagram. He has been consistently practicing guitar since childhood, so you can often see him singing and playing guitar, including the theme song of his work 〈PICU Pediatric Intensive Care Unit〉.

10,000 Hours and Hemorrhoids, Pilot Kubo Takahiro

Shiina Kippei

Pilot Kubo Takahiro, who endures the pain of hemorrhoids behind the incredible record of 10,000 flight hours, is played by Shiina Kippei. From his first appearance, he talks about hemorrhoids, but his professional spirit of calmly operating the aircraft despite various accidents is indeed worthy of being called 'the man of 10,000 hours.' At the end of the film, his hemorrhoids are mentioned not just as a simple joke but as a symbol of the time endured by a professional. Shiina Kippei often plays tougher characters in other films, so some viewers might have been suspicious of his character in 〈Good News〉. In the Netflix original drama 〈Love-less Forest: Deep Wounds〉, he plays a character named Jo Murata, exuding an aura as a dangerous con artist who manipulates others. It is an extended version of the same-named film, and since it is a work by the famous Sono Sion, be aware that it contains many violent depictions. Now a classic, the drama 〈Detective's Gaze〉, available on Tving, Wave, and Watcha, is also a good way to delve into Shiina Kippei's depth. He plays Natsume Nobuhito, who became a detective after experiencing a certain incident, clearly expressing the character's solid inner self.

Minister of Transport Ishida Shinichi

Yamada Takayuki

Upon hearing the news of the Red Army Faction's hijacking, Minister of Transport Ishida Shinichi, played by Yamada Takayuki, casually curses during a live broadcast. From his first appearance, he shows the essence of black comedy, but by the end of the film, he leaves a different impression. The role of Minister of Transport is played by Yamada Takayuki. Many might think, 'I recognize this actor...' but it’s because we remember Yamada Takayuki as a slimmer figure. Just looking at his representative works like 〈Shouting Love at the Center of the World〉, 〈Train Man〉, 〈Crows Zero〉 series, and 〈Loan Shark Ujishima〉 series, time will fly by. However, if we talk about representative works available on OTT, it might be the recent performance in 〈The Director of Flesh〉. It is a drama depicting the story of Muranishi Toru, who shook the Japanese adult film market in the 1980s. Yamada Takayuki's performance in the process of rising from a failed salesman to a giant in the adult film industry is truly 'fantastic.'

Minister of Transport

Sano Shiro

Compared to the previous characters, he has almost no significance, but if you noticed this actor, you probably watched the recently released 〈Happy End〉. The Minister of Transport, one of the Japanese people who came to Korea due to the hijacking incident, is played by Sano Shiro. He recently appeared as a principal who introduced a surveillance system after a long dream car was destroyed by students' pranks in 〈Happy End〉. As a veteran actor nearing 50 years in the industry, he has many works, but it is not easy to find his works on Korean OTT platforms. Especially, there are almost no works where he played a leading role. The aforementioned 〈Happy End〉 can be seen on Disney Plus. You can also find him in works like 〈We Are Little Zombies〉, 〈Taboo〉, and the Japan-Korea co-production film 〈My Way〉. The Netflix original 〈The Newspaper Reporter〉, which adapted the same-named film into a drama, and 〈Tottakai ~Special Recovery Unit for Bad Debts~〉 available on Watcha, Tving, and Wave are also good choices.