On March 21st, NHK revealed that actress Natsuna will be starring as the heroine in their next morning drama 'Jun to Ai', which was already announced earlier this year.

Natsuna recently gained popularity with her roles in the movie "GANTZ" and the drama special "Ranma 1/2". The announcement that she's going to portray the role of 'Kano Jun' in the morning drama 'Jun to Ai' was made at the NHK Broadcasting Center in Tokyo. The actress didn't know that she actually won the audition and beat the other 2,258 applicants until 5~6 hours before the press interview. The reason was because they just finished the final camera testing for the final selection in Osaka that day. She previously auditioned for the morning dramas 'Fight' and 'Hitomi'.

NHK official Yamamoto Toshihiko commented, "She's a person who can express feelings well and she should be able to enjoy herself as the heroine."

Natsuna gratefully accepted the task and analyzed her role, "It's my first time starring in a drama serial and my first drama on NHK. I'm playing Jun - a bright, positive, and tomboyish girl who says everything that's on her mind."

"I panicked for a moment when it was decided that I would play the heroine. However, Jun and I have so much in common that it seems like this role was only meant for me. I'm fully motivated for this role," she said enthusiastically. With a smile she added, "I hope that people who watch this drama will gain the energy to look at every aspects of life in a positive way."

Yukawa Kazuhiko is in charge of the script for this morning drama. His latest work 'Kaseifu no Mita' recorded some of the highest ratings in the history of Japanese dramas.

The story is set on Miyakojima, an island in Okinawa, and follows the personal growth of 'Kano Jun' after marrying 'Machida Itoshi', whom she met in Osaka. Although she's surrounded by the aura of human kindness, there are several difficult obstacles she has to climb over in her life.

'Jun to Ai' will replace 'Umechan Sensei' (which stars Horikita Maki and will start on April 2nd) on October 1st,2012 and will last for 151 episodes until March 30th, 2013.

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Sources: Cinema Today, ModelPress