This spring, NTV is adapting the manga series "Hokaben" as a live-action drama, starring Aya Ueto. Originally written by novelist/lawyer Hiroyuki Nakajima, the story deals with the growth of a novice lawyer.

The comic ran in Evening KC between 2003 and 2006, and is scheduled to resume in April. The protagonist is originally male, but producer Yoshio Yamamoto felt that a female character would get a better response from viewers.

Ueto plays Akari Domoto, an idealistic lawyer who wants to "rescue the weak." She joins a large law office, though she is assigned to a lowly department whose only other member is her boss, who was transferred there after making a mistake during a case.

While Ueto is known for her light-hearted characters in previous dramas, this series places her in a serious role.

"Hokaben" will air on Wednesday nights at 10:00pm, starting in April.