Toma Ikuta

Ikuta Toma
Native name 生田 斗真
Born (1984-10-07) October 7, 1984
Muroran, Hokkaido, Japan
Other names Toma-chan, Tomasu
Occupation
Years active 1996–present
Agent Johnny & Associates Inc.
Website Johnny's net

Toma Ikuta (生田 斗真 Ikuta Tōma, born October 7, 1984) is a Japanese actor. Ikuta is known for his roles in Hanazakari no Kimitachi e, Honey & Clover, Maou and Ouroboros. He also stars in feature films, notably for Hanamizuki, Ningen Shikkaku and Brain man.

Career

The 2007, Fuji TV summer drama Hanazakari no Kimitachi e, controversial in its gender-bending nature, was perhaps Ikuta's biggest break in Japanese Entertainment.[1][2] Following his successful portrayal in Hana Kimi, Ikuta was on stage again as he starred in the Shakespearean play, The Two Gentlemen of Verona.[3] While working on this play, Toma was also slated to star in one of Fuji TV's winter dramas for 2008, the live adaptation of Chika Umino's popular manga, Hachimitsu to Kuroba.[4] He took on the role of Yūta Takemoto, a struggling Architecture student in an art school who had mediocre talent and who fell in love at first sight with his professor's niece, Hagumi Hanamoto (played by Riko Narumi). His role as the silent but constant observer that uncovers the events of the drama to the audience earned him another Best Supporting Actor award.[5] Due to the popularity of Hana Kimi, Fuji TV decided to air a special two-hour episode, announcing it in early 2008.[6]

Ikuta's rise to fame brought about another project; this time a double-lead with Arashi's leader Satoshi Ohno, in the Japanese adaptation of the Korean drama Mawang. The drama, called Maō, is about a lawyer, Ryo Naruse (played by Ohno) who seeks to avenge the death of his younger brother several years ago. On the other hand, Serizawa Naoto is the brash and impulsive detective (played by Ikuta), who is atoning for the grave, juvenile crime he had committed in the past.[7] In October 2008, Ikuta was back on stage again, playing the role of Danny in the Japanese version of the musical "Grease".[8] January 2009 marked Ikuta's first ever appearance in Fuji TV's peak slot for dramas, Ishimatsu Ryosuke, an intern forensics specialist in the serial drama Voice, along with Eita and Satomi Ishihara.[9] Following his streak of solo projects, Ikuta was again named to star in a Fuji TV drama even while Voice was airing, this time a lead role in the timely jury drama Majo Saiban: The Witch Trial, for the TV station's spring 2009 late night Saturday drama. He plays Yoshioka Tōru, a freeter who was chosen as one of the members of the jury that will participate in the trial of a woman accused of killing her husband. Foul play comes into the picture as the members of the jury begin to be threatened. When the life of one of the jury members, a housewife (played by Ai Kato) is also endangered, Tooru tries to help. This raises suspicions with his girlfriend (played by Manami Higa) who becomes afraid Tooru might be cheating on her. Thus begins Tōru's lone search for the truth. The drama aired on April 25, 2009, a month before the jury system was to be implemented in Japan.[10]

Ikuta finally made his silver screen debut with Ningen Shikkaku, a spring 2010 movie adaptation of Dazai Osamu's masterpiece of the same title. Considered a semi-autobiographical novel, Ikuta plays the role of Oba Yozo, a troubled soul who is forced to keep up a facade of hollow jocularity in his everyday life.[11] The book cover of the novel published by Kadokawa was renewed in October, and since then featured a photo of Ikuta. After the cover was revised, the book sold over 100,000 copies. In response to those sales figures, Kadokawa decided that for a limited time period, all 10 Dazai novels would feature Ikuta on the covers; the campaign started on December 15, 2009. It was the first time that the lead actor of a film adaptation of a novel appeared on the covers of all the works written by the author.[12]

Other movies of his in the works are Hanamizuki, co-starring Yui Aragaki and Seaside Motel. Meanwhile, Ikuta began playing the role of Honjo Sadame, a failure of an actor in the drama Unubore Deka along with Johnny senior, Tokio's Tomoya Nagase. On July 27, 2010, Ikuta appeared in Tokio's music video for the song NaNaNa.[13] In 2010, Ikuta appeared on the documentary TV program Jōnetsu Tairiku (情熱大陸 lit. The Passion Continent).[14]

Ikuta has his own mobile diary J-web named Tomagoto (Toma's words). Then temporary, the J-web went by the names Tomagoto, Tomagoto Hyper, and Tomagoto Neo, before officially becoming a permanent J-web on December 15, 2007. Aside from the J-web, he also has his own corner on Wink Up Magazine titled Ikuta Toma no Ikita Kotoba (Toma Ikuta's Words to Live By). On this corner, he writes a one-page essay about things that interest him, as well as his daily experiences. Pictures taken from his own camera are included on the page.[15] Ikuta was confirmed in the male lead role for the manga Bokura Ga Ita in which he will play Yano and have a relationship with Yoshitaka Yuriko (Takahashi). The shoot for the movie started in May 2011, to be released as a two-part film in spring 2012.[16]

Filmography

Television

Year Japanese title English title Role Network
1997 あぐり Agri - NHK
1998 ラブアンドピース Love & Peace Yohei Horiguchi NTV
2001 ネバーランド Neverland Osamu Seto TBS
2002 Hito ni Yasashiku (人にやさしく / ３ピース ) Be Nice to People Yusuke Fuji TV
2002 Engimono (演技者) Acting by Hachida Fuji TV
2004 Kinō no teki wa kyo no tomo Yesterday's enemy is today's friend -
2005 Dekabeya (六本木おかしな捜査班) Funny Roppongi Squad Yukio Ochi TV Asahi
2005 Asuka e, Soshite mada Minu Ko e (飛鳥へ、そしてまだ見ぬ子へ) To Asuka and to the Unseen Child Sawamura Kazuya Fuji TV
2005 Nemureru Mori no Shitai (眠れる森の死体) Sleeping Corpse Eiji/Yamazaki Fuji TV
2006 アキハバラ＠DEEP Akihabara@Deep Box TBS
2007 Hana Yori Dango Returns Boys Over Flowers 2 Junpei Oribe TBS
2007 Hanazakari no Kimitachi e Ikemen Paradise Shuichi Nakatsu Fuji TV
2008 Hachimitsu to Clover (ハチミツとクローバー) Honey & Clover Yūta Takemoto Fuji TV
2008 Hanazakari no Kimitachi e Ikemen Paradise Shuichi Nakatsu Fuji TV
2008 Maou Devil Naoto Serizawa TBS
2009 Inochi Naki Mono no Koe (ヴォイス) Voice Ryōsuke Ishimatsu Fuji TV
2009 Majo Saiban (魔女裁判) The Witch Trial Toru Yoshioka Fuji TV
2009 Yonimo \"Kim\" yo na Monogatari The Law of Recycling Suicides R 8427
2010 Unobore Deka (うぬぼれ刑事) Conceited Detective Sadame Honjo TBS
2010 Kyuukei no Kouya Spherical Wilderness Shoichi Soeda Fuji TV
2012 Osozaki no Himawari ~Boku no Jinsei, Renewal~ (遅咲きのヒマワリ ~ボクの人生、リニューアル~) Late Blooming Sunflower –My life renewed- Jotaro Kodaira Fuji TV
2014 Gunshi Kanbei - Dom Justo Takayama NHK
2015 ウロボロス Ouroboros Ikuo Ryuzaki TBS

Films

Year Title Role
2010 Hanamizuki Kohei Kiuchi
Seaside Motel Masayaki Kameda
Ningen Shikkaku Ōba Yōzō
2011 Genji Monogatari: Sennen no Nazo Hikaru Genji
2012 Bokura ga Ita Motoharu Yano
2013 Brain Man Ichiro Suzuki
2014 Mogura no Uta Reiji Kikukawa
2014 Miracle Debikuro-kun no Koi to Mahou Kitayama
2015 Grasshopper Suzuki
2015 Yokokuhan (Prophecy) Geitsu / Hiroaki Okuda
2016 The Top Secret

Musicals

Awards

References

External links


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