Tsuda Atsuhiro of the comedy duo "Diane" made his Sunday Theatre debut in the drama "Reboot" (TBS, Sunday 9pm) starring Suzuki Ryohei. In the first episode, he appeared as Ando, a senior member of Goroku's (Kitamura Yukiya) underground organization, but was quickly eliminated on suspicion of embezzlement, sparking a buzz on social media that he was "out in seconds." His subsequent "reappearance" also attracted attention, leaving a big mark. We spoke to producer Higashinaka Keigo, who is working on this series, and scriptwriter Kuroiwa Tsutomu about the behind-the-scenes story of Tsuda's casting.
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Ando, played by Tsuda, is in charge of the organization's money laundering and other practical matters together with Kikuchi (Tsukaji Muga). He is one of the few people who can meet Goroku directly, but he is also a character who struggles with the pressure that comes with it.
In the first episode, while Goroku and the other executives are gathered in a private room at a steakhouse, Ando is accused of embezzling funds from the organization. Goroku tells Ando, "It's better to eat something delicious and end the night on a happy note," but Ando desperately pleads innocence, saying, "No! I don't own any of the organization's money!" However, he is hit from behind and knocked unconscious. He is then dragged to another room and executed.
Ando next appeared in episode 4. When Hayase (played by Suzuki) dug up the spot where Gido had once been buried, he found Ando's body buried there... This plot twist caused a stir on social media.
Tsuda performs in the popular prank segment "Detective Tsuda" on the variety show "Wednesday Downtown" (same station), in which he is set to be unable to leave the world of a mystery drama until he finds the culprit.
Higashinaka said, "When I watched 'Detective Tsuda,' I thought Tsuda was a good actor. I think he has the power to move people's hearts. Some viewers may have laughed (when Tsuda appeared) this time, but on the other hand, his acting was incredibly convincing. I wanted to see that side of Tsuda, so I cast him."
On the other hand, Kuroiwa said that he was concerned that having comedian Tsuda play Ando might cause laughter. Kuroiwa and several other staff members were worried, but he recalls that it ended up being a great success.
"It was a surprisingly hard scene for a 9pm Sunday, so having Tsuda there made it milder in a good way. If it had been done by an actor who was more of a hard-core actor, it might have been very hard and difficult. In the end, the balance in many ways was excellent."
Higashinaka predicted that Ando, played by Tsuda, will appear again in the series. "He'll only be in the series briefly, so you might not be able to find him, so please keep your eyes peeled," he said, predicting his "repeated appearance."
