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| Ikebukuro West Gate Park | |
|---|---|
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| Written by | Kankurō Kudō |
| Starring | Tomoya Nagase Ken Watanabe Ai Kato Yōsuke Kubozuka Tomohisa Yamashita Koyuki |
| Country of origin | Japan |
| No. of episodes | 11 + 1 special |
| Production | |
| Running time | approx. 46:00 |
| Original release | |
| Network | Tokyo Broadcasting System |
| Release | April 14 – June 23, 2000 |
| Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) | |
Ikebukuro West Gate Park (池袋ウエストゲートパーク, Ikebukuro Uesuto Gēto Pāku) was a popular Japanese television drama by screenwriter Kankuro Kudo. Based on a novel by Ira Ishida, it initially aired on the Tokyo Broadcasting System during the summer of 2000, and was directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi. The success of the television series would launch a manga adaptation the following year. In a break from traditional Japanese programming, the series used edgy graphics and scene breaks to highlight a story involving themes drawn from the underbelly of modern Japanese society: hip-hop youth gang warfare, juvenile delinquency, prostitution, drug abuse, the Yakuza, rape and murder.
Notable among the cast are Tokio lead singer Tomoya Nagase, film star Ken Watanabe, and future stars Koyuki, Satoshi Tsumabuki, and Tomohisa Yamashita of Johnny's Jimusho idol group NEWS. The series is also credited for raising the profile of actor Yōsuke Kubozuka.