Ryo Yoshizawa plays Yuichi Nishikori, an English teacher at Matsue Junior High School, in the NHK morning drama series " Bakebake " (General TV, Monday to Saturday, 8:00 AM and other times), starring Akari Takaishi . He spoke about the role he plays, memorable scenes, and future developments.
◇ Delighted at appearing in a Asadora for the first time in six years: "I'm very happy"
"Bakebake" is based on the story of Koizumi Setsu, the daughter of a fallen samurai from Matsue, and her husband Yakumo (Lafcadio Hearn), and depicts the story of the ghost story-loving heroine and her foreign husband as they go about their everyday lives. Takaishi plays the heroine Toki, and Tommy Bastow plays Heaven, who later becomes Toki's husband.
Yoshizawa, who will be appearing in a Asadora for the first time in six years since "Natsuzora," said, "I'm very happy. The last time we filmed, it was in Tokyo, and this time it's in Osaka, so the atmosphere is different, but the warmth that is unique to Asadora is the same. I'm having fun doing it every day."
"However, Nishikori's role is to act as a bridge between Professor Heaven and the people of Matsue, so there are a lot of lines in English. As I cannot speak any English, I started attending English conversation lessons about four months before filming began and studied English desperately. It's a role where I speak English all the time, but please don't be too critical of me (laughs)."
Nishikori, who plays the role of Matsue's most brilliant student, is nicknamed "Daibanjaku" (Great Standing Stone). He is an English teacher at Matsue Junior High School and supports Heaven, who has come to Matsue as a foreign teacher. He also becomes acquainted with Toki through a strange connection and becomes deeply involved with her.
Regarding Nishikori, he explains, "He is a brilliant player who has been called 'Matsue's prodigy' and 'a great player,' but he is not clumsy or good at living his life, and his human side is also what makes him interesting."
"I went to the Matsue house where Nishida Sentaro, the model for him, lived and had the opportunity to see the room where he studied. I felt like I got a glimpse of the most fundamental part of him in that dark, cramped space. There were traces of newspapers or something pasted on the wall, and it had the same atmosphere as Oginoya, the boarding house in the drama. He must have been a very studious person. I sensed a certain dedication to learning, a kind of obsession with it."
Yoshizawa analyzes Nishikori's feelings, saying, "Nishikori has a strong desire to change Japan, so I think he was excited when he became Heaven's interpreter."
"I think he approached Haven with hope that meeting him would change his life. As he was constantly being pushed around, he began to connect with him on a deeper, more personal level than just as an interpreter, and I feel that Haven's presence in Nishikori's life is growing stronger with each passing day."
It seems that his impression of the role changed as he played Nishikori, saying, "When we were in Tokyo, he was quite calm and composed, and his words seemed to guide Toki, so I thought it was a cool role, but in Matsue he was constantly being led around by Toki and having to save him. I'm playing the role with an atmosphere of, 'I'm sorry!' and 'Thank you for everything!' There are more comedic scenes than I expected, so it's fun to film."
◇What are your impressions of Akari Takaishi and Tommy Bastow?
The 27th episode, which aired on November 4th, featured a scene in which Nishikori asks Toki to be his maid. Regarding this scene, Yoshizawa reflected, "It was a rather unreasonable request, so I think Nishikori must have felt extremely sorry and guilty."
"Even so, while I was acting, I felt that Toki was asked to play the role because he trusted the cheerfulness that he possesses, and not just cheerfulness but also a strong will. He comes all the way to Tokyo by himself to meet Ginjiro (Kanichiro), so I think he must have had the impression from the beginning that he was a strong person."
The scene that will be broadcast in the future that left the biggest impression on him was "the scene where Nishikori struggles with skipping."
"It was incredibly difficult to skip poorly on purpose. I struggled to find a line that was interesting enough that it didn't look like I was overdoing it, but I discovered the trick was to keep my knees perfectly still."
When asked about his impression of Takaishi, who plays Toki, he said, "She's amazing. Her reactions are so natural that sometimes I can't tell if she's acting or just being herself. I think she's an actress who can get into the world of the work. In scenes with Toki, we sometimes have to improvise without cutting, but the tempo is just right and filming is a lot of fun."
He also revealed, "Tommy is also a really nice person," and laughed, "When I ask him about my English pronunciation, 'Was that okay?' he says, 'Excellent!' which makes me happy. I had intended to speak to Tommy in English on set to help me improve my English, but his Japanese is so good that I end up taking advantage and speaking to him in Japanese."
After reading the script, Yoshizawa commented, "I thought it was wonderful how the message, 'Everyone has worries and hardships, but they still try their best to live life,' was conveyed without being presumptuous, and in an atmosphere that was funny enough to make you laugh."
"Each of them has had their own difficult lives, but Fujiki (Mitsuhiko)'s script picks out the smallest things in those lives and turns them into laughs. I felt that this was both funny and powerful, and I think the strength and vitality of the characters, who are able to laugh happily despite carrying some pretty heavy burdens, is what makes this work so appealing."
Finally, he addressed the viewers, saying, "Nishikori himself is carrying something within himself, but he meets Otoki and Heaven-sensei, and as they influence each other, he grows as a person, so I hope you will watch over him. I hope you will also look forward to seeing his upbringing and past as they will be portrayed in the future."
