SMAP member Takuya Kimura has picked up his next starring role in a television drama. He will play the lead in TBS's comedy/mystery series "MR.BRAIN," scheduled to start in mid-spring.

Kimura plays the part of Ryusuke Tsukumo, a neuroscience researcher affiliated with a National Police Agency laboratory. Although his skills help solve difficult cases, he has one flaw: he is generally "clueless to the situation" (better known by the slang term "KY," or "kuuki o yomenai"), leading to various comical interactions. In general, each episode will be a different case.

Kimura's assistant will be played by Haruka Ayase, while Hiro Mizushima will take on the role of a young cop. Other characters include the head of the lab (Mao Daichi), another detective (Teruyuki Kagawa), and a couple of researchers (Yuji Tanaka of Bakusho Mondai and Tortoise Matsumoto of Ulfuls).

TBS plans to broadcast the drama in its Saturday 7:56pm time slot, which will be occupied by "God Hand Teru" starting April 11. "MR.BRAIN" will begin on May 23.