Signed to STARTO ENTERTAINMENT – Japan’s most prominent male idol factory – Kaito Nakamura (中村海人), better known by his nickname Umi, is one of the seven members of Travis Japan. Currently on the international Road to A tour through six cities in Asia and the United States, they are a group who are constantly on the go.

This year has been an incredibly busy one for Nakamura, who, in addition to his activities with the group, has also taken on roles in both film and television dramas.

In Kanpeki Wife ni Yoru Kanpeki na Fukushu Keikaku (完璧ワイフによる完璧な復讐計画 / Eng: The Flawless Revenge by the Flawless Wife), Nakamura stars as Mizuki Kashiwagi, who gets roped into a scheme by his coworker, Shuto Amamiya, played by Atsuhiro Inukai (犬飼貴丈), who wants to use him as the catalyst that will allow him to divorce his wife, Narumi Amamiya, played by Yurika Nakamura. 

However, while Narumi strives to be the flawless wife, she’s not an idiot. She knows something is going on, and as the pilot starts several weeks before the events of the series, she ultimately discovers the truth.

Through our several interviews over the last few years, I feel pretty confident that I understand who Umi is within his role as a member of Travis Japan. He is the ‘pet tiger’ – a sweet and lovable soul who loves to smile and laugh and make people happy.

It is for these reasons that I somehow figured Kashiwagi was going to be the sweet and innocent character Amamiya manipulates into his scheme. An unwilling pawn in his deceitful game. A cautionary tale about how the nice guy does, in fact, come in last.

I was wrong. So VERY wrong.

Kashiwagi is just as cunning and conniving as Amamiya. It’s a side to him I’ve never seen before, and honestly, it’s kind of hot. The good boy gone rogue – I thoroughly enjoy him taking on the role of a bad boy.

The eight-episode series premiered on 14 August and currently airs Wednesday nights on both MBS and TBS in Japan. The theme song, ‘Sorry not sorry’ by GENIC, is catchy and can be purchased through Ototoy, a Japanese digital music distributor, in a 16bit/44.1kHz aac (compressed) format.

When I first heard this story, I was surprised!” Nakamura says in a statement about the series. “I immediately bought all the volumes of the manga that have been released and immediately started to read. “Mizuki was drawn very beautifully, and the more I read, the more I started thinking about how I wanted to play the character. I am really excited to be able to bring him to life.”

“I really hope fans of the manga will enjoy my portrayal,” he continues. “The drama is really fun and has its own sort of unique charm. The cast, the director, and the entire crew are wonderful. I really hope fans will enjoy this drama.”

While the series is not yet available for international streaming, keep an eye out – and feel free to let the show’s official X (Twitter) account know you’re interested in watching! It’s a great story and Umi – with the rest of the cast – is incredible! With Travis Japan’s International fanbase, it’d be a great fit on streaming services like Rakuten Viki!

As for Nakamura, he will next appear in the feature film Yano-kun no Futsu no Hibi (矢野くんの普通の日々 / Eng: Mr. Yano’s Ordinary Days), an adaptation of the popular manga of the same name. The film will open on 5 November 2024, in theaters all across Japan.

More Umi. More. TJ. More drama reviews soon so… 

Stay Tuned!