Jimmy: The True Story of a True Idiot

Jimmy: The True Story of a True Idiot (Jimmy〜アホみたいなホンマの話〜) is a 2018 Japanese-language television series directed by Mitsuno Michio and starring Akiyoshi Nakao, Tetsuji Tamayama and Hiroyuki Onoue. The plot revolves around simple-minded Hideaki Onishi as he meets series producer and Japanese comedy legend Sanma Akashiya, changes his name to Jimmy, and transforms into a comedy star. Jimmy's comedy leans heavily on slapstick and silly humour, against a backdrop of drama which drives the narrative forward.

It was ordered direct-to-series, and the first full season premiered on Netflix streaming on July 20, 2018.

Cast

 * Akiyoshi Nakao as Jimmy Onishi
 * Tetsuji Tamayama as Sanma Akashiya
 * Hiroyuki Onoue as Shoji Murakami
 * Seiji Rokkaku as Mr. Okure
 * Shōhei Uno as Totzan
 * Shintarō Hazama as Kanpei Hazama
 * Yuta Kanai as Shinsuke Shimada
 * Chizuru Ikewaki as Shinobu Otake
 * Haruka Kinami as Kyōko Takamiya
 * Kōichi Satō as Keisuke Miyake
 * Takuya Kimura as a comedian (cameo)

Production
Keisuke Koide was originally cast as Sanma, but he was dropped from the project after his underage sex scandal.

Release
The full first season of Jimmy: The True Story of a True Idiot consisting of 9 episodes premiered on Netflix streaming on July 20, 2018.