Akari Takaishi plays the heroine in the NHK Asadora drama "Bakebake" (Monday to Saturday, 8:00 AM and other times). At the end of the 115th episode (broadcast on March 13th), Nishikori (Ryo Yoshizawa Ryo), who had been suffering from an illness, passed away and passed away. We spoke to Hashizume Kuniomi, the chief producer (CP) of this series, who is in charge of production, about the appeal of Yoshizawa's acting and how he prepared for the role.
◇ "I thought he might actually die" - a shocking transformation
In the same episode, when Heaven (Tommy Bastow) is unable to write anything, Nishikori harshly tells him, "As a writer, you're as good as dead." Driven by Nishikori's words, Heaven sits at his desk and begins to write with all his might. As Toki (Takaishi) watches from behind the shoji screen, Nishikori comes over and mutters, "I hope you can write now... I encouraged you. This is my last job as a literary assistant. That guy is really a pain."
Later, Nishikori receives a copy of Heaven's book, "From the East." Turning to the page, Nishikori finds an inscription in English that reads, "A nostalgic memory of my time in Izumo. To Nishikori Yuichi." Nishikori smiles with joy. The book ends with a narration by Snake and Frog (Asagaya Sisters), announcing that Nishikori had passed away a few months later.
To play the sick Nishikori, Yoshizawa volunteered to lose about 13 kilograms in one month. Hashizume explained, "Yoshizawa asked me to take at least one month off filming to lose weight. Nishikori's illness was progressing in the Matsue episode, so he was gradually getting thinner, and during that month when there was no filming he lost a lot of weight."
"Even though he was wearing a trainer and dropping him within a safe range, when I met him again for the first time in a while on set, he had changed so much that I wondered if he was really going to die. His voice was hoarse and he was saying during the shoot that it was really hard, but there was a sparkle in his thin eyes and his mind was sharper than ever. I felt something terrifying."
◇When will Ryo Yoshizawa finish filming?
Yoshizawa brilliantly portrayed Nishikori, who gradually weakens. Looking back on the filming, Hashizume praised his expressiveness, saying, "There was no need to explain to him what the acting plan was for Nishikori's final moments. Yoshizawa read the script properly and carefully expressed Nishikori's feelings."
"When we cast Yoshizawa, I told him that the role would be one in which the character becomes ill. He understood from the beginning that the 23rd week was the goal, and he worked hard to get there. Looking back now, the principles behind Nishikori's actions as played by Yoshizawa have been consistent from the time he first appeared. I think he has been working on the character all this time, and has really built up the character of Nishikori."
Yoshizawa's wrap-up scene was the one where he confronts Heaven on the bridge at the beginning of episode 115. Hashizume reflected, "He gave a fantastic performance with a lot of energy, and the staff were captivated by it. It ended with the most emotional scene, so I think it was a great ending."
"After filming was over, I had her eat some crab rice porridge that I had prepared, saying, 'Since you've just lost weight, eat something healthy.' I expressed my gratitude to her and sent her off with a smile, chatting about trivial things like, 'Next up is a musical, right?' and 'You lost so much weight trying to speak English lines (in Bakebake), so dancing next would be amazing.'"
Yoshizawa embodied the character Nishikori with a sometimes lovable, sometimes terrifying force. Although he has "left" the drama, Nishikori's feelings will surely live on in his best friend Heaven. With two weeks left until the end of the broadcast, I want to watch the story unfold until the very end.
