Ryo Yoshizawa plays Yuichi Nishikori, an English teacher at Matsue Junior High School, in the NHK morning drama "Bakeke" (NHK General TV, Monday-Saturday 8:00 AM and other times), starring Akari Takaishi. In the 92nd episode, which aired on February 10th, there is a scene in which Nishikori desperately tries to stop Heaven (Tommy Bastow) from going to Kumamoto after learning that he is going. Yoshizawa spoke about Nishikori's feelings when Heaven tells him he is going to Kumamoto, as well as the scene that left the biggest impression on him.
Nishikori, played by Yoshizawa, is Matsue's most brilliant student and is nicknamed "Daibanjaku." He works as an English teacher at Matsue Junior High School and supports Heaven (Tommy Bastow), who has come to Matsue as a foreign teacher. He also becomes acquainted with Toki (Takaishi) through a strange connection and becomes deeply involved with him.
In episode 92, Governor Eto (Shiro Sano) informs Nishikori that Heaven is moving to Kumamoto, and he rushes to Heaven's side in a panic. When asked why she wants to move to Kumamoto, Heaven only responds with "Samui," and Nishikori desperately tries to persuade her, but...
Looking back on Nishikori's state of mind at the time, Yoshizawa explains, "As he spent each day with Heaven Sensei, I felt a growing desire within Nishikori to create something interesting together with him and to be up close to what he would accomplish."
"I think his desire to simply be by his side as a friend was growing stronger, so when he suddenly heard he was going to Kumamoto, he probably didn't understand what was going on. I think it was more of a panic, or a feeling that went beyond sadness or anything like that. When Heaven asked Toki in the 14th week, 'Is it okay (to go to Matsue)?' the idea of him leaving Matsue must have disappeared from Nishikori's mind. I think somewhere deep down he thought this happy life would continue forever."
When asked about the most memorable scene, he mentioned the scene in episode 66 (broadcast on January 5th) where Nishikori asks Heaven if she is leaving Matsue, and Heaven replies tearfully, "Is it okay, anyway?"
"At first it was a scene with just the three of us, including Nishikori, but before I knew it, the two of us were staring at each other in a touching way. It wasn't like I was moving to leave Nishikori alone. Everyone was moving away from him (laughs). It was a wonderful scene, a testament to the skill of the script and direction."
He also said that the wedding party scene in the 70th episode (broadcast on January 9th) left a lasting impression on him, recalling, "The filming of the wedding greeting party was also memorable. It was a fairly long scene, so it required a lot of concentration, but I was deeply moved by the acting of everyone, including Toki and Heaven."
"However, before yelling, 'You lazy idiot!', Fumi said, 'Then why don't we all do it together? As a 'family' together,' and as Nishikori, I thought, 'Maybe I should go home...' (laughs). Looking back at the photos, it was all fun scenes."
When asked what to look forward to in the future, he said, "From now on, the show will become even more interesting as a human drama."
"Last week (week 18) was filled with loneliness and warmth, and I felt that Fujiki (Mitsuhiko)'s books are really good. The scene where Toki and Sawa burst out laughing (episode 88) had me almost in tears while reading the script. I think that from now on, we will see more of the warmth and coldness of human beings. I hope you continue to enjoy the series."
