Yuji Oda's Supporting Role Surprises Fans as Classic Film Airs on TV
Japanese actor Yuji Oda has surprised fans by taking a rare supporting role in a TV broadcast. It is reportedly the first time in 30 years that he has played such a small part, and the news has caused a stir among viewers.
Oda became very famous during Japan's Heisei era, which lasted from 1989 to 2019. During that time, he was known as a trendy drama star, a type of popular actor who appeared in fashionable romance shows. However, many members of Generation Z, people born after about 1997, reportedly know little about him today.
The role in question comes from the movie 'Bayside Shakedown 3: Set the Guy Free!'. This film includes a scene where a character named Hinata Manami is rescued, which many fans consider one of the series' best moments.
The movie will air this Saturday as part of a program called 'Saturday Premium'. This means it will be shown on regular terrestrial broadcast television, which is free and widely available in Japan, rather than on a paid or cable channel.
The news has led to online discussion about how younger audiences view older celebrities from previous decades. Some viewers have expressed surprise that such a well-known actor from the Heisei period is now unfamiliar to many young people. Others have used the broadcast as a chance to introduce classic films to a new generation of viewers.
Vocabulary10 words
- supporting role
- a smaller part in a movie, not the main character
- Heisei era
- a period in Japanese history, 1989 to 2019
- trendy drama
- a popular, fashionable type of TV show, often about romance
- Generation Z
- people born after about 1997
- moments
- important short parts of a story or event
- terrestrial broadcast
- normal TV signal sent through the air, not cable or internet
- celebrities
- famous people, often actors or singers
- generation
- a group of people born around the same time
- viewers
- people who watch a TV show
- stir
- a strong reaction or excitement among people
Quiz
Answer key
1. He has not taken a supporting role in 30 years 2. Many of them do not know him well 3. On regular, free terrestrial broadcast TV
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Japanese actor Yuji Oda has surprised fans by taking a rare _____ in a TV broadcast. It is reportedly the first time in 30 years that he has played such a small part.
Oda became very famous during Japan's _____, which lasted from 1989 to 2019. During that time, he was known as a _____ star. However, many members of _____ reportedly know little about him today.
The role comes from the movie 'Bayside Shakedown 3: Set the Guy Free!'. This film includes a scene where a character named Hinata Manami is rescued, considered one of the series' best _____.
The movie will air this Saturday. This means it will be shown on regular _____ television, which is free and widely available in Japan.
The news has led to online discussion about how younger _____ view older _____ from previous decades.