The popular and highly admired idol unit "NEXT YOU" is formed by five members. In 2013, they were selected to form the unit by music producer Natsume Jun (35) after making it into the "Tsugi wa Kimi da! Contest" (Next is You! Contest). After their formation they had their indie debut and made their major debut a year ago. They are currently in the middle of carrying out the live activities of their third single.
The five members are: the one responsible as center and the most popular, Aoi (17); the cheerful mood maker, Mayu (18); the oldest member and leader, Hana (19); one of the oldest but a spoiled child, Rurika (19); and the only amateur chosen, Aiko (17).
Enthusiastic male fans rush to their lives. The fans support the girls' dream: "To stand on the stage of Budokan!" However, they are still far from reaching Budokan. They are popular among idol otaku, but in reality they are inexperienced when appearing on TV, and have never entered the top 10 with their highest rank being 15th in Oricon. So far their agency has produced many leading top idols, and now they will be focusing on NEXT YOU. Natsume, of course, wants NEXT YOU to aim for the top spot. Idol otaku, charismatic bloggers around the world, and now NEXT YOU's number one fans are especially supporting Aiko.
Aiko is the kind of girl who has loved to sing and dance since very young. Longing to be an idol, she sure enough became a NEXT YOU member, and now she will do her best to achieve standing on the stage of Budokan. She is an active high school student, balancing work and school everyday. At 8-years-old, her parents divorced and she chose to live with her father. In a Tokyo apartment live only the two of them, father and daughter. Aiko's salaryman father understands and is willing to give Aiko his support. However, Aiko has been secretly mailing reports of her idol activity to another person, her mother who lives separated from her.
There is also one more person she sends mail to, her childhood friend Daichi (17). He lives one floors above in the same apartment and they are classmates in the same high school. But in spite of Aiko aiming for being top idol, Daichi has secretly come into her heart. However, the idol world prohibits love. Although the agency's views are severe, the fans are even more so. Now, she won't even think about love. Not only Aiko, but the other members obediently believe "love is absolutely unthinkable" and do their best to aim for nothing but Budokan.
Various challenges descend upon the girls. The ordeal that "idols should not be fat," injury as a result of an incident with a pervert, differences of opinion with a popular member, love problems, and so on... To overcome these things, will it be possible for these girls to stand on the stage of Budokan? Is it possible for them to obtain enough popularity to fill up Budokan? To obtain the top spot of idols, will it be possible for them to throw away all their other desires?
Focusing mainly on Aiko, this will portray the stark inner world of idols at the same time, and depict the other side of the idol boundary realistically.
Budokan (武道館) is a Japanese TV drama starring Juice=Juice.
The drama will premiere in February 2016 with two versions. The first began on February 6 on Fuji TV, and the second began on February 10 on BS SKY PerfecTV! with 15 minute longer episodes. The longer version has original scenes, full singing scenes, and the NEXT YOU variety show.
On January 14, 2016, a multi-part series, titled Drama "Budokan" Document ~Aidoru Tanjou Kara Sotsugyou Made~ (ドラマ「武道館」ドキュメント ～アイドル誕生から卒業まで～), documenting the creation of the drama began airing on CS Fuji TV Two. It will air every other week, ending at an undetermined date.
It is based on the novel of the same name by Naoki Prize winner Asai Ryo, about a five-member idol group called NEXT YOU and their dream to perform at Nippon Budokan.
