Masaki Suda plays Takenaka Hanbei in the taiga drama "BROTHERS IN ARMS （Toyotomi Brothers!）" (NHK General TV, Sunday 8pm and other times), starring Masaki Suda. He will make his official appearance in the ninth episode, "The Man Called Takenaka Hanbei," which will air on March 8th. This will be his eighth time acting alongside Nakano. "When I heard that Taiga Nakano was starring, I could naturally imagine myself being there," said Suda, talking about the appeal of the drama.
"BROTHERS IN ARMS （Toyotomi Brothers!）" is the 65th taiga drama. It depicts the miracle of the Toyotomi brothers, Hidenaga (Koichiro) and his older brother Hideyoshi (Tōkichirō), who achieve the great feat of unifying the country through their strong bond. Nakano plays Koichiro, and Ikematsu Sosuke plays his older brother Tōkichirō.
Suda, who has worked with Nakano as well as Ikematsu, revealed that when he entered the set as Hanbei and acted with them, "I made new discoveries and felt excited."
"They both have loud voices. I think that's what makes the drama so interesting. It's rare to see a historical drama where two brothers are arguing, so it's really refreshing to watch. Hanbei, on the other hand, is quiet. He can't speak loudly due to his illness and so my voice gets drowned out."
The script, written by Yatsushi Hiroyuki, who is known for "Hanzawa Naoki" (TBS) and the Asadora drama "Ochoyan," has a pop feel and a sense of space, as well as a sense of a boys' manga, and more specifically, a sense of "Weekly Shonen Jump" (Shueisha), known for its three principles of "friendship, effort, and victory."
"Even with the lines, there were parts where I felt a little embarrassed, like, 'I wonder if it's okay,' but I felt like Yattsu-san really had faith in the actors. Also, it's an ensemble drama, with these brothers in the middle, and it really feels like something out of 'Weekly Shonen Jump,' and has a certain ease of understanding. An enemy appears, they become allies, then another enemy appears, and they're betrayed by their allies, and so on. I feel like that kind of excitement really suits these two (Nakano-san and Ikematsu-san, who both have loud voices), and I think it's great."
Suda also believes that Koichiro's character, who is "someone who has nothing," is "perfectly suited to be the protagonist."
"How much does someone who has nothing stand up to those who have? How does he overcome that? As he faces various obstacles, such as the barrier of talent and physical limitations, people gradually gather around Koichiro, who is lost and confused. I think this feeling is probably what makes it so Jump-like, or a shonen manga-like."
What role will Takenaka Hanbei play in this world of the work?
"This time, there aren't many scenes with Nobunaga (played by Shun Oguri), and there are many shots of him with the Toyotomi brothers, so I think he comes across as a sort of strategist for the two. In a sense, he's the link between the brothers, but he's also a man who influences them both. Also, it's a bit strange to say he's free to do his job, but as Hideyoshi becomes more powerful, Hanbei is the only one who is allowed to move freely. It's because he's been given such freedom that he has to do his job properly. I think that's the feeling. I hope that in the second half, their relationship will become a bit more tense."
