Yusuke Yamamoto stars in rhythmic gymnastics drama, "Tumbling"!!!!!!
This spring, TBS will explore the world of men's rhythmic gymnastics with a new drama series titled "Tumbling." The show will feature a cast of popular young actors, led by Yusuke Yamamoto (22) in his first lead role in a series.
Yamamoto plays a high school delinquent who has a weakness for women. When an attractive transfer student (Azusa Okamoto) joins the women's rhythmic gymnastics team, he responds by joining the men's team and soon discovers a passion for the sport. Since last fall, Yamamoto has been undergoing special gymnastics training for the role.
Although men's rhythmic gymnastics originated in Japan, the sport is still dominated by women. It is estimated that there are only about a thousand men involved in the sport competitively.
The supporting cast of "Tumbling" includes Koji Seto, Shohei Miura, Shunsuke Daito, Takahiro Nishijima, Satoshi Tomiura, Tomo Yanagishita, Kento Kaku, Soran Tamoto, Rei Okamoto, Jiro Sato, Ryoko Kuninaka, and Nene Otsuka.
TBS plans to broadcast the series on Sunday nights at 7:56pm, starting in April.
edit: few more details taken from Japan-Zone
He has been in training for his latest role since last autumn and, though producers had originally planned to use a stunt double, he does all the back flips and other tumbling routines himself.
Men's rhythmic gymnastics originated in Japan, but there are thought to be only about 1,000 athletes active in the sport in the whole country. Several of them appeared in a TV commercial for Calpis Soda last year, which drew attention to the sport and sowed the seeds for the drama series. Organizers will be hoping for the kind of exposure enjoyed by men's synchronized swimming on the back of the hugely popular 2001 movie "Waterboys." The movie a follow-up Fuji TV drama series helped establish the careers of Tsumabuki Sataoshi (29) and Tamaki Hiroshi (30).
calpis soda cm(?) here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8W5r6WNysQ
source: tokyograph!