Because I Am Me (1997)

• 78%
• 1997
• Kozo Nagayama
• Masahiro Nakai
• Takuya Kimura
• Goro Inagaki

The members of SMAP play former high school classmates who were members of the Ekiden team six years ago. This drama depicts the changes in character over the past six years and the members future endeavors. Naruse (Nakai), Chikara or Riki (Kimura), Kinoshita (Inagaki), and Etsuro (Kusanagi) are all 24 years of age. Satoru (Katori) is 22 years old. Satoru was an ichinensei when the team won the prefectural Ekiden meet. After they graduated from high school they all went on their own separate paths. Naruse is a marathon runner for a sporting goods firm. After his senpai gets discharged due to an injury, Naruse also worries about his own future. Hirosue Ryoko plays Naruse's younger sister. Chikara works as a model scout. He is still not used to his work. Although he has been living with Natsumi (Tsuruta) for about three years, he still has many relationships with different women.