Japanese TV dramas are divided by seasons and produced in 11 segments. Sometimes, popular dramas are made into 2-hour-long specials. If that proves successful, larger-scale production costs and actors are added to make it into a motion picture. It is not an exaggeration to say that an entire broadcasting station, holding the name value of a top rated drama, becomes one in working with film PR and other productions to guarantee box office hits. Among these, Fuji Televsion’s Monday night 9 o’clock dramas are often the biggest hits out of all the Japanese broadcasting programs. One of the dramas that aired at this time was, Hero. It starred members of a top teen idol group, SMAP, and popular actor Kimura Takuya, who played a high school dropout who later became a prosecutor with a strong sense of justice. Actor LEE Byung-hun makes a cameo appearance. The opportunity to meet issue-making films like this one is made possible at this year’s PIFF. (Shion YANG)